Hi; I don't mean to run this issue in the ground here, but I am hopelessly nosy about any and all things that affect my WV families. :) I was sent the following, and it does seem to conflict with what I first sent you, so I don't know which is correct....... Gracie "Marriage Laws in the United States, 1887-1906," that I'm taking the West Virginia information from. "Authorities: Code of 1887; Laws of 1887, 1891, 1897, 1904; Code of 1899; Code of 1906. Code of 1887 is taken as containing the statutes in force at the beginning of the period under consideration. Age at which minors are capable of marrying: by Code of 1887, males 14, females 12. By Act of February 25, 1897, males 18, females 16. (Gracie, please note that the age 12 for females is "Common Law") Age below which parental consent is required: males 21, females 21. Prohibited degrees: no man shall marry his mother, grandmother, stepmother, sister, daughter, granddaughter, half-sister, aunt, uncle's wife, son's wife, wife's daughter, or her granddaughter or stepdaughter, brother's daughter, sister's daughter, or wife of his brother's or sister's son. No woman shall marry her father, grandfather, stepfather, brother, son, grandson, half-brother, uncle, daughter's husband, husband's son, or his grandson or stepson, brother's son, sister's son, or husband of her brother's or sister's daughter. If such relationship is founded on a marriage the prohibition continues, notwithstanding the dissolution of such marrige by death or divorce, unless the divorce be for a cause which made the marriage originally unlawful or void." Since this book only covers up through 1906, I do not know when the prohibition came into effect. This is the URL for the current West Virginia Code: http://www.legis.state.wv.us/ However, this online resource does not provide that dates the original statute was amended. "CHAPTER sections 48-1-2 and 48-1-2 No man shall marry his mother, grandmother, sister, daughter, granddaughter, half sister, aunt, brother's daughter, sister's daughter, first cousin or double cousin: Provided, That for the purpose of this section cousin or double cousin shall not include persons whose relationship is created solely by adoption: Provided, however, That if it be necessary to open and examine the record of any adoption proceeding in the state to ascertain that a relationship of cousin or double cousin is created solely by adoption, then an application may be made to the circuit court wherein such proceeding was had, by the clerk of the county commission seeking to issue the marriage license, or either party applying for such license, to open such record and cause examination thereof. No woman shall marry her father, grandfather, brother, son, grandson, half brother, uncle, brother's son, sister's son, first cousin or double cousin: Provided, That for the purpose of this section cousin or double cousin shall not include persons whose relationship is created solely by adoption: Provided, however, That if it be necessary to open and examine the record of any adoption proceeding in the state to ascertain that a relationship of cousin or double cousin is created solely by adoption, then an application may be made to the circuit court wherein such proceeding was had, by the clerk of the county commission seeking to issue the marriage license, or either party applying for such license, to open such record and cause examination thereof."