Marriage in Clandestine Scotland

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This bill was passed in 1753 as, ‘the Marriage Acts of 1753’, reinstating a father’s control over the marriage of his son or daughter. “[The] principle motive behind the arranged marriage was undoubtedly financial gain. The fathers of the couple to be married were securing their finances and wealth through the coupling of their children. ” The father of the bride had considerable amounts of wealth to payout for his daughter to marry, asking the question why we would be so eager to marry her off. Social and political positions held in the 17th century were extremely important in describing an individual and his family. A reactionary response was needed to restructure marriage so that the break up of a marriage was less common.

A bill was proposed by the noble Lord Hardwicke to mandate parental consent for a marriage and therefore prevent the total collapse of the old aristocratic marriage. It was recognised by the elite that prior to the enactment of the marriage law that many of England’s marriages in were of the clandestine variety. ”

The average age to be married during the 1600’s was between 20-24 for men and 18-22 for women. It can be said that the marriage in 17th century England for the high gentry’ classes, was more of a political and economic deal between to men, involving their children (a son and a daughter) for the succession of the family business, name and estate. If the family was in a less respectable position within the aristocracy, irreversible damage could be done to the grooms family and great embarrassments suffered. “The advantage [of arranged marriage] might be great in terms of protection and security… Marriage might giver her a certain new status, placing her higher up then table than her sisters, but in relation to one man she had become, as it were, a subject. The choice of either life style was given to them for a women could prove to be and unhappy participant in a marriage and with the dissolution of an unhappy marriage would come the scrutiny of all against the married couple’s family. Failed marriages, in which irreconcilable differences between the husband and wife caused the break up and the annulment of the marriage, were fast becoming a more prominent feature in the gentry. ” The law had added to it that parental consent was necessary from both sides of the marriage and that parents were to be present at the wedding to prove their consent.

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Approximate Word count = 2140
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)

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