Census data shows the following:
Between 1800 and 1900, women generally married for the first time between the ages of 20 and 22. Less is known about the average age of first marriages for men during the 19th century. In 1890, when the U.S. Census Bureau started collecting marriage data, it was recorded that the average age of a first marriage for men was 26 years, and the average age of marriage for women was 22 years.
http://classroom.synonym.com/age-marriage-us-1800s-23174.html
Even if 14 was “legal”, it certainly wasn’t normal. If anything it was considered “cradle robbing”, especially for a man almost thrice her age.
And are we forgetting that little word “POLYGAMY” and the fact the LDS is magically saying “but they didn’t have sex together”? Like that’s going to soften the blow any.
I seem to recall another pedophile polygamist saying the same thing about 1400 years ago about his 6 year old bride.
Absolutely amazing how starkly contrasted the deceiver can make things appear, depending on if he puts on his light disguise, or his natural dark.
Interesting, thank you.
That seems rather old.
I’ve known several people who were married as teenagers.
In fact the sister of an old boyfriend actually got married when she was 15, with her parents permission. They had to got to MD to do it too, and then she got married again (to the same guy) the following year in NY when she turned 16.
I knew her about 10 years after that (I think) and they were still happily married. The fellow was older than she, but I really don’t remember how much older.
Are we forgetting Jerry Lee Lewis’ 13 year old bride ?
Thanks for the info. Your links confirm my findings. I’m not LDS, but I do a lot of genealogy, and have for over 25 yrs. I’m currently working on my certification.
Marrying at 14 was highly uncommon, especially in the US. It did happen, but it was not looked upon favorably, and in some cases the girls were considered ‘less than proper’. Marrying at 15 was slightly more common, but still relatively rare in the US.
For example, in tracing both my & my husband’s families, going back to 1607/1620 we each have no more than 2-3 female ancestors who married at 15, and none at 14. Our families are a combo of US regions, mainly Western European roots. The vast number of women in both our families married for the first time between 18-22. I think our families mirror the wider culture of the US.
In Eastern Europe, early marriage was more common, but usually if the wedding was held at 12,13,14, the consummation was sometimes held off for awhile. Remember, while girls hit puberty relatively early now, many back then did not hit puberty until almost 15, 16 sometimes 17 if conditions & nutrition were poor. Your particular families may have different histories, but even in the ‘old days’ midwives knew that really young girls had difficulties in childbirth, and did not encourage early marriage.
As far as the Joseph Smith marriages are concerned, the nicest thing I can think to say is I don’t think all of them were about purely ‘spiritual connectedness’, if you catch my drift, especially with the pretty ones under 30. There are numerous historical accounts about how Helen Kimball was quite attractive, and the fate of the poor young man who was interested in her before she caught Smith’s fancy.