I got a print out for a marriage from the Parish Records today and the entry above the one I wanted was very interesting. All the details were written in including that the lady was a widow, however across the page the vicar had written “the marriage of these persons was not solemnized in consequence of the husband of Mary Whitelaw being alive” 7 weeks later in a church a few miles away, they got married. This time she was a spinster. Clearly they weren’t going to be deterred by a detail like the law.
I wonder whether these little oopsies were ever picked up on by anyone reading the transcripts handed on to the Bishop or anyone anywhere, & acted upon with an admonishment & expunging of said marriage?
Looking at my own family - marriages shortly before [or after] a baptism -leads me to believe the morality of then hasn't changed that much. What has changed is the system of support. Then you accepted your responsibility - married the girl [even if the wee one died] - and stayed together [happily or otherwise], had more children and future generations [such as us] hold our hand up and say "was Gt-grandma really like that"!!! I wonder what our offspring [I won't have any] will say about the morality of today.
