Genealogy Chat

Queen Victoria and Albert were first cousins, if they could get married it was allowed!

The list still appears in the back of the Book of Common Prayer. I used to sit in the choir stalls during the sermon working out who was who in my family.. Started my interest in Genealogy!! :-) Keith

nudged because David's is such a useful list for reference.

Bumped for David's brilliant list.

Marrying your first cousin has never been illegal but the Roman Catholic Church prohibited it for many centuries. If you wanted to marry your first cousin you had to get a dispensation from the Pope. The bigger the gift you sent along with your request, the more likely you were to be allowed to marry. When the Church went Church of England, this idea was so firmly entrenched in the minds of the people that the C of E continued it whenever possible, only this time you had to get a dispensation from the Bishop. Some local Vicars turned a blind eye and didnt bother with all this rigmarole. Others, completely misinterpreting the Church laws, refused to allow cousin marriages and claimed that it was a sin. Its one of those 'facts' that everybody 'knows' - but it is completely wrong! Olde Crone

My Great-Grandparents were first cousins (their Mums were sisters) and married on 21st November 1900 at Upper Holloway Baptist Chapel, Islington. It was certainly legal then. Liz

eeek - thats me doomed to eternal hell then - my 3x great grandfather married his deceased wifes niece - falling nicely into no.30 in his defence he did it for her vast inheritance and they got married the day before their first child was born so he took his sinning seriously Zoe

hi thanks every one for your comments, david your list was interesting, appreciate the help marcie x

To get round that, they simply DIDN'T get married! My ggggrandfather had 4 children by his sister's daughter (niece in other words!!) How revolting a thought is that??? She was 30 years younger than him too! Obviously they didn't marry though, so that made it alright, lol! Bev x

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 David

Incidentally, I believe that it's still the case in many countries that first cousins cannot legally be married.

The law in England and Wales certainly was once that first cousins couldn't marry, although I'm not sure about first cousins once removed. Unfortunately, I can't remember when the law was changed! I have the year 1907 in my head, but that might just have been the removal on a widower marrying his sister-in-law. If it wasn't then, it must've been during the Victorian age. Regardless, it could still have happened even when it wasn't considered legal, in the same way that people married without parents' consent, or whilst still married to a previous spouse. Remember the Thirteenth Commandment: Thou shalt not get caught!

hi my dads uncle married his cousin in the late 30s i didnt think this was right either but apparently reading the replies it is!!!

Just checked and HALS has all census for Hertfordshire.

Hi Marcie, With regards to census, you are best ringing the library to check what they hold. They do vary, according to size of the library,and if they do hold any, it will be for the local area or county only. My local record office does not hold census, as it is in the library next door. If you want census for a different county to the one where you live, then you can order it very cheaply through your local LDS family history library. They will get it for you and keep it for up to a month (I think) so you can consult it as often as you like during that time. Jay

You can find out wether Hertfordshire archives have the 1841 from their web page. http://www.hertsdirect.org/libsleisure/heritage1/HALS/

thanks shirley and sue, working it out kept me quiet for hours, but then i was,nt sure it was ok to do, so that made me query that my research was correct,feel better now marcie x

yes it was perfectly legal to marry first cousins so no reason not to marry a cousin once removed. Sue

marrying a first cousin is legal even now.. I have a grt gran who married her first cousin & after he died she married his elder brother. Shirley

hi husbands gt grandparents are looking to be first cousin,s once removed, i think, james grandfather was elizabeths gt grandfather, if this was,nt allowed, we,re sunk cos thats what happened, also does anyone know if herts record office have the 1841 census to view or would our main library,s have that appreciate any help marcie