PDA

View Full Version : Witnesses to Marriages


t@nya
08-06-2009, 5:50 PM
Was there a law that prescribed the minimum age a witness to a marriage was allowed to be (such as 16, 18, or 21)?
Jan1954
08-06-2009, 5:54 PM
There was no minimum age. All the 1753 Marriage Act required was "two credible witnesses"

It would be up to the person carrying out the marriage to decide if they were credible or not.
t@nya
08-06-2009, 5:55 PM
There was no minimum age. All the 1753 Marriage Act required was "two credible witnesses"

It would be up to the person carrying out the marriage to decide if they were credible or not.

I see. Thank you. :)
Peter Goodey
08-06-2009, 6:09 PM
Because the point of witnesses is that if necessary they might eventually have to swear that they saw it happen, the younger the better!. They would just have to be old enough to understand what was going on.
t@nya
08-06-2009, 6:11 PM
Because the point of witnesses is that if necessary they might eventually have to swear that they saw it happen, the younger the better!. They would just have to be old enough to understand what was going on.

Really? That seems a bit odd. I would have expected them to be members of good faith in the church or something like that, not just kids.
Jan1954
08-06-2009, 6:28 PM
Really? That seems a bit odd. I would have expected them to be members of good faith in the church or something like that, not just kids.Remember, things happened at a much earlier age back then.

Parental consent was required if either party was under the age of 21. However, the Act also stated that people could marry if the groom was at least 14 years old and the bride was at least 12.
t@nya
08-06-2009, 6:30 PM
Remember, things happened at a much earlier age back then.

Parental consent was required if either party was under the age of 21. However, the Act also stated that people could marry if the groom was at least 14 years old and the bride was at least 12.

I'd forgotten that. So, that means that the witness on my ancestor's marriage could be her brother: I've found an IGI baptism that fits (he'd be 15 years old).
Mutley
08-06-2009, 6:35 PM
I know your question was regarding children as witnesses but remember the minimum age to marry was much lower (depending on the period you are asking about).

You may find this thread interesting.
Minimum age for Marriage (http://www.british-genealogy.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1969&highlight=Minimum+age+Marriage)
t@nya
08-06-2009, 6:37 PM
You may find this thread interesting.
Minimum age for Marriage (http://www.british-genealogy.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1969&highlight=Minimum+age+Marriage)

Thank you. :)