Other important, but often overlooked reasons, for the lower divorce rate of centuries past: Divorce was difficult to obtain, so frequently dispensed with. With poor communitcations, bigamy was easier than divorce. 2 of my 3G greatgrandfathers just left their first families and started a second. One didn't marry the second woman until his ifrst wife died. In the interim he had 3 children with the 2d--after 10 with the first! The other just went the bigamy route. When wife no 1 found out, she divorced him. Incidentally, one set of my 2G grandparents were children of these men by thier first relationships. The bigamous one even had the audicity to marry in a church--over the county line wheree no one knew him or the "bride." He was married the first time by a justice of the peace. The divorce records contain certifications of both marriages. People didn't live so long so virtually no marriages lasted for 20 years. The longer-lived people generally had 2 or 3 spouses in their lifetimes as they were widows or widowers. Barbara L. de Mare, Esq. Historian, genealogist and attorney 155 Polifly Road Hackensack, New Jersey 07601 (201) 567-9440 office BarbaradeMare@yahoo.com (home) http://historygenealogyesq.blogspot.com/ ----- Original Message ---- From: quillpen1 <quillpen1@optonline.net> To: nywestch@rootsweb.com Sent: Friday, March 16, 2007 11:27:12 AM Subject: Re: [NYWESTCH] gravesites That s hilarious, Carol.....but sad too. Years ago so many couples stayed together "til death did they part" because society condemned divorce. Also too decent paying jobs for women with children were practically non-existent. When we look at women's lives back then, I for one am glad it wasn't me!! Maureen ----- Original Message ----- From: <cheap@simon.com> To: <nywestch@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, March 16, 2007 1:10 PM Subject: Re: [NYWESTCH] gravesites > My G-grandmother buried my G-grandfather in a different cemetery than she > planned to use because she swore that he would hold her down on > Resurrection Day. Must have been a great marriage! > > Thanks, > Carol L. Heap > > "You live as long as you are remembered" > *************************************** > Have you checked out the Westchester County GenWeb site yet? > http://www.rootsweb.com/~nywestch/ > *************************************** > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > NYWESTCH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message *************************************** Have you checked out the Westchester County GenWeb site yet? http://www.rootsweb.com/~nywestch/ *************************************** ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NYWESTCH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message