I do remember being asked a question when I got married whether the my spouse was related to me. I think it is related to PA law. A couple I know who are first cousins (not really but that's another story) had to get married in Maryland because of this law. >Does anyone know the PA or Allegheny County law about marrying kin? How > >close of cousin can one marry?
As I recall, it was not closer than a cousin third time removed. That would be a descendent of one of your g-grandparents brother or sister. Carol S. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cotter, Anna" <Anna.Cotter@ca.com> To: <PA-PITTSBURGH-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 06, 2001 10:06 AM Subject: RE: [PITTSBURGH] Question? > I do remember being asked a question when I got married whether the my spouse was related to me. I think it is related to PA law. A couple I know who are first cousins (not really but that's another story) had to get married in Maryland because of this law. > > >Does anyone know the PA or Allegheny County law about marrying kin? How > > > >close of cousin can one marry? > > > > ==== PA-PITTSBURGH Mailing List ==== > SUE* MCALISTER-Pittsburgh List Mom > > ============================== > Ancestry.com Genealogical Databases > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist2.asp > Search over 2500 databases with one easy query! >
I would be interested to learn when the laws changed. My Wetzel/Whetsel/Whetzel g,g,grandparents were second cousins who were married in 1845, at Brownsville, Fayette Co. This information is mentioned in the Hadden/Jordan book on Fayette Co. History. There is also a well documented Worrell family that goes back to the 1500s in England that frequently had cousin marriages. These people were Quakers. Then there were the so called "royals" of Europe who frequently married their cousins in order to keep the titles and money in the family. Queen Victoria had her children spread all over Europe on thrones of many countries. I believe that some "royals" had mental and genetic problems due to the inbreeding. Marilyn: Lake Co., IL *********************************