In the Georgian Era, to be married and to have children was the only career choice for a woman. Society judged harshly premarital sex and no woman wanted to be left a spinster, relying on the charity of relatives for the rest of her life. Here also did society start to ever so slowly change. Whilst a good position and money always came into a marriage suite, the woman now had a choice and a lot of couples were now marrying because they either loved each other or at least liked each other. The problem for the single lady was in finding a suitable young man, as the constant wars at this time, seemed to take every male available. There was also still the fact that the woman came under her husband's control, as he 'owned' everything that belonged to her.
Anyone under the age of twenty-one had to get their parents ' consent, although minors could marry by publication of the banns. The age of consent was fourteen for a boy, twelve for a girl. Most did not marry until their early twenties. Apprentices were not permitted to marry which is why so many young men did not marry until their late twenties. Whether rich or poor, all weddings took place in a church. The rich showed off, the poor had a good time. All weddings were conducted between 8am and 12pm, a law which stood until 1886.
There were a fair number of couples from the "lower classes" who didn't marry but lived together as this was easier than trying to find the money to pay the church fees. Life could be difficult for them though, with even the clergy looking down on them. What a different world when compared to today!
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