When first cousins marry it increases the chance of disease, mental illness among other things. I have seen it work the other way too. I know of two first cousins that did marry and both their children are exceptionally bright. They married in England before coming to America so they are legally married. I can't pinpoint when our laws changed but I do see why they came about. Dorna My 2 cents -----Original Message----- From: Moten, Sandra K <sandra.k.moten@lmco.com> To: WVRALEIG-L@rootsweb.com <WVRALEIG-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Wednesday, March 24, 1999 7:18 AM Subject: RE: First Cousin Law >Gracie > >Sorry, I don't know, but my grandparents on my mother side were second >cousins, and with the way the Lillys and the Gores intermarried, it has made >things interesting. My mother has a rib attached to her spine. Another >sister has a extra rib. Another is missing a rib. As you look at their >medical problems, you can see where this may have come into play. > >Sandy >Cocoa, Florida > >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Gracie Stover [SMTP:ggracie@feist.com] >> Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 1999 6:52 AM >> To: WVRALEIG-L@rootsweb.com >> Subject: First Cousin Law >> >> Hi; >> Does anyone know about the law passed prohibiting first cousins from >> marrying? >> I have included the article below, but taken out the names because it's >> not my family. >> My questions are, >> 1. Does anyone know for sure when the law came in effect about first >> cousins marrying? >> 2. Were the marraiges after this law considered legal? >> 3. If first cousins did get married after at least 1870, were they >> penalized for this, unless they had the same thing done that is in the >> article below? >> >> My g-grandparents were first cousins and were married in 1876. This >> 'law' may explain why they didn't put their parents names on the >> marraige application. :) >> >> ----------------------------------------------------------------------- >> Source: Acts of the Legislature of West Virginia at its Commencing >> January >> 18, 1870 >> Wheeling: John Frew, Public Printer, 1870. >> >> CHAPTER 114.-An ACT to legalize the marriage of ________________ >> with _________________, of Gilmer county. >> >> Passed March 3,1870. >> >> WHEREAS, ________________ >> with _________________ of the >> county of Gilmer, being first cousins, were, on the nineteenth >> day of September, eighteen hundred and sixty-nine, duly >> married, in violation of the tenth section of chapter sixty- >> three of the code of West Virginia; and, whereas, said mar- >> riage would not have been in violation of law previous to the >> passage of said code; and, whereas, at the time of said mar- >> riage said code had not been published, and the provision >> prohibiting first cousins from intermarrying was unknown to >> said parties; therefore, >> >> Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia: >> >> The marriage of the aforesaid ________________ >> with _________________ is hereby legalized and made valid, and >> said parties are exempt from any penalties incurred by them >> by their marriage aforesaid. >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - >> ----------- >> >> Gracie, >> IBSSG >> >