LIVERPOOL AND MERSEYSIDE MARRIAGES

EXTRACTS FROM THE PROPHET BY KAHLIL GIBRAN

MARRIAGE Then Almitra spoke again and said, And what of Marriage, master? And he answered saying: You were born together, and together you shall be for evermore. You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days. Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God. But let there be spaces in your togetherness. And let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another, but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone, Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping. For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts. And stand together yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.

Snippets

Liverpool Mercury, Oct 19th 1852

MATRIMONIAL ON DIT

A matrimonial alliance will shortly take place between Hugh HUGHES Esq, Beech Hill, Cheshire and Miss Florentia LIDDELL, second daughter of the Hon Henry Thomas LIDDELL of Eslington House, Northumberland and granddaughter of Lord Ravensworth.. Mr Hugh HUGHES by the death of his cousin, Lord Dinorben, without issue, has just succeeded to the extensive estates and the beautiful seats and domain of Kimnel Park, Denbighshire, the property of that noble family. The last Lord Dinorben was unmarried, and was the son of the first peer by his first marriage with Miss Charlotte Margaret GREY, daughter of Ralph William GREY Esq of Backworth, Northumberland, and sister of Ralph GREY Esq, late M.P, of Tynemouth.

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Southport Visiter,

July 26th 1855

Sale of a wife

The antiquated and disgraceful farce of selling a wife was taken place at Thirsk within the last few days.

A blooming young woman, the wife of Mr W. MARSHALL of Wombleton near Kirby Moorside, was led in a halter to the cross, and there sold for 2s-6d, to a knight of St Crispin.

Mr MARSHALL was 64yrs old when he married and Mrs MARSHALL only 19yrs.

They, however continued to live happily for 16yrs, but he finding that those infirmities natural to old age increasing, it was agreed between them that the knot which had joined them in wedlock for so long, should be severed.

They left Wombleton for Thirsk, and stopped at the Royal Oak Inn, where an agreement was drawn up. They then repaired to the cross, where she was sold to Mr John WEBSTER of Oswaldkirk.

The same day the purchaser, publicly advertised his bargain :-

тАЬPurchase of a wife - I John WEBSTER, shoemaker, of Oswaldkirk, do hereby declare that I have purchased Mary, the wife of William MARSHALL of Wombleton, nr Kirby - Moorside, at Thirsk Cross, this day - [signed]

W. MARSHALL, the mark X of Mary MARSHALL, John WEBSTER, witnesses, Henry RUDD, William CHAPMAN, Thirsk, July 11. 1855.

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Liverpool Journal, January 14th, 1882 Marriage with a deceased wife's sister At a public meeting, convened by the Deceased Wife's Sister's Bill Association, at Leeds, a resolution was unanimously carried that, to ensure the passing of the bill in the next session of parliament, it is expedient to find all who are personally interested in the measure, and, to agitate by all legitimate means for a reform of the present law. Mr BARRAN. M.P, in supporting the resolution, expressed his belief that if the subject was taken up by the country, parliament would pass a short measure to alter the existing law within the next twelve months.

"Marriage with deceased wife's sister."

A bill was introduced each session of Parliament for over 70 years, to permit a widower to marry his former wife's sister. Such marriages, which had been outlawed as incest since the Middle Ages, were bitterly opposed by the Church of England, and the bills were defeated with monotonous regularity. (The bill was finally passed on 28th August 1907.)

It was in 1921 that the Deceased Brother's Widow's Marriage Act was passed which made marriage to a brother-in-law legal.

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