Subject: Re: [WHITNEY-L] No Evidence of Elinor's Maiden Name Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 17:07:20 -0500 To: <[email protected]> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I would call your attention to the article "A Civil Institution: Marriage in 17th-Century New England" in New England Ancestors, Spring 2005 (vol. 6, No. 2), New Eng. Historic Genealogical Society. The process began with parental consent or, if the couple were independent, the consent of a magistrate. Then the marriage intention (or bann) was published three times. There followed a ritual variously known as pre-contract, betrothal or espousal. This was similar to what we would regard as a wedding; however, before 1686, Massachusetts law recognized marriage primarily as a civil contract; therefore, only after the espousal ceremony and a waiting period (I don't see any indication of how long) the couple would register their marriage with the town government and finally be legally married (pp. 36-37). The author of the article, Lynn Betlock, says that in spite of the hurdles including court disputes during this process, "most New Englanders did actually take the final step and ! marry." Carol wrote: ...BTW, has anyone seen my Anne (or Sarah Anne) Whitney (b. abot 1740) who married Thomas Whitcomb in Littleton, MA in the early 1760s? She was from Stow, MA. Understand they married "by intention." Would really like to know her parents, etc. Carol ________________________________________________________________ Sent via the WebMail system at mail.nexet.net