Genealogy Chat

My great grandparents were cousins and they married in 1915.

One reasons cousins married a bit in the past was to keep family property/money in the family and control political alliances. This is certainly true of aristocracy and royalty. With your average person, if they lived in a small village they would have a much more limited choice of partner than we have nowadays. In fact way back in a small village I suspect you couldn't help but marry your own blood stock most of the time. There are very few surnames in old parish registers and plenty of intermarriages. People wouldn't have known as much as we do now about inherited diseases either. nell

About the 'Degrees of Consanguinity', if you visit St Mary's Church at the top of the Abbey steps at Whitby (North Yorkshire), you will find a notice on the wall with this information. Perhaps the vicar was frequently asked if a man could marry his dead wife's niece (or 2nd cousin or whatever). I, too, was trying to find a way to show that someone in my family had married his cousin, but it seems you can't, other than adding it to the notes.

Before Victoria married her cousin Albert, Mary II married her cousin William III. As far as I am aware there has never been a barrier to marrying cousins. nell

I have lots of cousin marriages on my tree, also multiple ones.......brother and sister marrying their cousin brother and sisters.... Here's something cribbed by me off another thread. I didn't keep the name of the original poster, so thanks, whoever they may be....... Degrees of Consanguinity According to the Book of Common Prayer 1662 A man may not marry his: 1 Grandmother 2 Grandfather's wife 3 Wife's grandmother 4 Father's sister 5 Mother's sister 6 Father's brother's wife 7 Mother's brother's wife 8 Wife's father's sister 9 Wife's mother's sister 10 Mother 11 Step-mother 12 Wife's mother 13 Daughter 14 Wife's daughter 15 Son's wife 16 Sister 17 Wife's sister 18 Brother's wife 19 Son's daughter 20 Daughter's daughter 21 Son's son's wife 22 Daughter's son's wife 23 Wife's son's daughter 24 Wife's daughter's daughter 25 Brother's daughter 26 Sister's daughter 27 Brother's son's wife 28 Sister's son's wife 29 Wife's brother's daughter 30 Wife's sister's daughter A woman may not marry her: 1 Grandfather 2 Grandmother's husband 3 Husband's grandfather 4 Father's brother 5 Mother's brother 6 Father's sister's husband 7 Mother's sister's husband 8 Husband's father's brother 9 Husband's mother's brother 10 Father 11 Step-father 12 Husband's father 13 Son 14 Husband's son 15 Daughter's husband 16 Brother 17 Husband's brother 18 Sister's husband 19 Son's son 20 Daughter's son 21 Son's daughter's husband 22 Daughter's daughter's husband 23 Husband's son's son 24 Husband's daughter's son 25 Brother's son 26 Sister's son 27 Brother's daughter's husband 28 Sister's daughter's husband 29 Husband's brother's son 30 Husband's sister's son 1907 Marriage Act – Number 17 removed, provided the wife had died, ie a man could marry his deceased wife’s sister 1921 Marriage Act – Number 18 removed 1931 Marriage Act – Numbers 6 & 7, 8 & 9, 27 & 28, 29 & 30 removed from the list If there was ever a ban on first cousins marrying then it was prior to 1662 Merry

Mmm I also thought it was not allowed to marry your first cousin, how wrong I'am. I also have on another side of my tree, my deceased great great great Uncle's widow going on to marry his nephew!! We seem to be keeping it in the family

I'd always assumed that it had once not been possible to marry a first cousin, but it seems that in fact you could. Odd! Marrying your deceased wife's niece must surely have been out, though.

Remember that Queen Victoria married her 1st cousin, Albert, in 1840.

Hi, I've had about three lots of cousins who married - so you're not alone. I don't think it has ever been against the law to marry your cousin. Cheers, Horatia

I have in my tree cousins who have married Is or was it the done thing at that time for first cousins to marry 1870ish Thanks in advance