4 April 2024 Secret and Bigamous Marriages

Until the middle of the 18th century marriages could take place anywhere provided they were conducted before an ordained clergyman of the Church of England. This encouraged the practice of secret marriages which did not have parental consent and which were often bigamous. So it was that couples avoided the disapproval of parents and married under age. Be sure to check for clandestine marriages if one is missing from the obvious places