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