Would this even be a news item 150 years ago?
Sure it would, in the gossip column. Something like "Sigh of relief that Miss Whoever finally gets her man".
/johnny
“Would this even be a news item 150 years ago?”
Only in local West Virginia gossip filed under shotgun weddings.
Nope. They'd have met in person (if at all), likely in supervised circumstances at some sort of social function or in town. (No computers). Their parents would have had more of an opportunity to put the brakes on things, at least until she reached the ripe old age of 14 or 15.
IIRC, the age of consent for women was 14 in W. VA not so many decades ago, 16 for guys.
Nope. They'd have met in person (if at all), likely in supervised circumstances at some sort of social function or in town. (No computers). Their parents would have had more of an opportunity to put the brakes on things, at least until she reached the ripe old age of 14 or 15.
IIRC, the age of consent for women was 14 in W. VA not so many decades ago, 16 for guys.