More than 400 Years
of London Church Records
Did you know that until 1763, you only had to be 12 (girls) or 14 (boys) to marry in London? That 20% of London’s population was killed by a second Black Plague in the 1600s? That during the first year of WWI, marriages in London increased by 32%?
Take a walk through the pages of London’s history in more than 400 years of parish registers, extending all the way back to the 1500s. Or, use these church records to take the next step back in your discovery-since churches were keeping records long before governments were.
Find where your ancestors were born, their parents’ names and the dates of important life events.
Most interesting.
Considering life expectancy of being only in the 30-45 yr of age at that point in history, this makes absolute sense. This would mean that a couple has 2 yrs to establish some sort of home, hovel or hut before becoming sexually mature to have children. Now they are 16 yrs old - and allowing for the life expectancy at that point in time, there is a significant chance that they will live long enough for their children to reach the age of marraige before dying from famine, plague, flu, common injuries with accompanying infections, hunger or being eaten by nasty, nasty bunnies with giant teeth.