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 >