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>Even in our own culture it was once the norm to betroth daughters to suitors while they were pre-pubescent, and to marry them as soon as they reached puberty.

by flubert 11y ago

>Even in our own culture it was once the norm to betroth daughters to suitors while they were pre-pubescent, and to marry them as soon as they reached puberty. I'm interested in learning more. Can you narrow down what you mean by "our own culture", and provide a time frame? Like "Early America 1600-1800", or England in the 1400s, Anglo-Saxon culture, 1200, or Irish-Catholic 1300, or whatever. And then maybe point in the general direction of references where one could look this up. Maybe books or internet search terms? Thanks.

Mikeb85 11y ago
From the time of the Roman empire until the French Revolution, the 'legal' marriage age for women was 12 (as per Roman law and later Church law). You could be betrothed (promised) at any age. Historic documents also show marriages did happen at younger ages. It's well known and easy to find through multiple sources (Google).
- flubert 11y ago
  Wikipedia has a starting point: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriageable_age#History_and_social_attitudes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriageable_age#History_and_s... one interesting quote (of course there is the Roman law you are refering to as well): "...most of Northwestern Europe, marriage at very early ages was rare. One thousand marriage certificates from 1619 to 1660 in the Archdiocese of Canterbury show that only one bride was 13 years of age, four were 15, twelve were 16, and seventeen were 17 years of age while the other 966 brides were at least 19 years of age at marriage. And the Church dictated that both the bride and groom must be at least 21 years of age to marry without the consent of their families; in the certificates, the most common age for the brides is 22 years. For the grooms 24 years is the most common age, with average ages of 24 years for the brides and 27 for the grooms."
  - Mikeb85 11y ago
    Also this: > The American colonies followed the English tradition, but the law was more of a guide. For example, Mary Hathaway (Virginia, 1689) was only 9 when she was married to William Williams. Sir Edward Coke (England, 17th century) made it clear that "the marriage of girls under 12 was normal, and the age at which a girl who was a wife was eligible for a dower from her husband's estate was 9 even though her husband be only four years old".[1] Reliable data for when people would actually marry are very difficult to find. In England, for example, the only reliable data on age at marriage in the early modern period come from records that involved only those who left property after their death.

by flubert 11y ago

Mikeb85 11y ago

From the time of the Roman empire until the French Revolution, the 'legal' marriage age for women was 12 (as per Roman law and later Church law). You could be betrothed (promised) at any age. Historic documents also show marriages did happen at younger ages. It's well known and easy to find through multiple sources (Google).

flubert 11y ago
Wikipedia has a starting point: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriageable_age#History_and_social_attitudes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriageable_age#History_and_s... one interesting quote (of course there is the Roman law you are refering to as well): "...most of Northwestern Europe, marriage at very early ages was rare. One thousand marriage certificates from 1619 to 1660 in the Archdiocese of Canterbury show that only one bride was 13 years of age, four were 15, twelve were 16, and seventeen were 17 years of age while the other 966 brides were at least 19 years of age at marriage. And the Church dictated that both the bride and groom must be at least 21 years of age to marry without the consent of their families; in the certificates, the most common age for the brides is 22 years. For the grooms 24 years is the most common age, with average ages of 24 years for the brides and 27 for the grooms."
- Mikeb85 11y ago
  Also this: > The American colonies followed the English tradition, but the law was more of a guide. For example, Mary Hathaway (Virginia, 1689) was only 9 when she was married to William Williams. Sir Edward Coke (England, 17th century) made it clear that "the marriage of girls under 12 was normal, and the age at which a girl who was a wife was eligible for a dower from her husband's estate was 9 even though her husband be only four years old".[1] Reliable data for when people would actually marry are very difficult to find. In England, for example, the only reliable data on age at marriage in the early modern period come from records that involved only those who left property after their death.