PatF
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Ellen Hartley born 1855Ellen Hartley, my gtgrandmother, was born to Thomas Hartley and Ellen Latham 10 Court, Gascoyne St Liverpool in 1855. Thomas's brother John married Ellen's sister and they were all in service at a farm in Lydiate. My gtgrandmother, Ellen Hartley married Alexander Anderson at the ripe old age of 13 years 3 months but she had differing ages on census returns; apparently being married at such an early age was legal until 1929 so I am told. Has anyone any of the above connected to their family tree please?
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Dotty
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WOWAnother snippet of info...I'm glad they changed that law! 13 is far too young but I guess things were different in those days.
Good hunting!
Dotty   
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Jane
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As far as I know it was very rare that anyone that young actually married - is the age on the marriage certificate? I wonder what parent let their daughter marry so young 
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PatF
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Ellen Hartley born 1855Hello Jane
My gtgrandmother was a minor on her marriage cert. and her husband Alexander Anderson of full age. They were married in May 1868 and she was born 1855 so she was about 13. Their first child Mary died at the age of 8 months in March 1870 from congestion of the brain and convulsions but following children survived into adulthood. Poor Mary is probably one of many babies who didn't survive having mothers who were only children themselves.
In the Anderson family there were another couple of girls who married about the same age and perhaps in those days days when families were poor parents were glad to see their daughters "taken care of" within the state of a marriage.
On my father's side of the family my grandfather's brother Arthur Palmer was only 10 when he shipped as cabin boy on a vessel going to America when the family were living in Dunkirk and the captain of the ship "took him under his wing" and he became a very successful and respected business man in Maine and I thought at the time how could his mother let him go but there was a story he actually "stowed away" which assumes he ran away from his mother at a time which could coincide with his mother remarrying (the wicked stepfather story???) What a brave little boy and what adventures he must have had - so you see children had to grow up very quickly in those days didn't they? Isn't family history research fascinating!!!..........Pat
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Dotty
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Fascinating...Yes, family history is just that. If I welcome new visitors I always say that.
Dotty 
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Jane
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I have never come across any of my lot marrying so young. Some didn't bother - had the children though 
Are you a society member? Some of those tales would made good stories for the magazine.
Family history research is fascinating, frustrating but lots of fun 
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Dotty
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WOWOr, good for a member's mini-talk perhaps...
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