Age of consent in Victorian period - a question

[Chris Scott]

There is an item of information which I am finding it hard to verify which is important to some research I am doing at the moment.
That is, at what age could one legally marry in the Victorian period. Was it the same as now? In the UK now one can marry at 16 with parental consent, or at 18 with or without parental consent. Was this the same in 19th century England or could one marry younger?
I would be very grateful for any help
Chris

[Simon Wood]

Hi Chris,

Before the Age of Marriage Act, 1929, a lawful marriage could be contracted by girls aged 12 and over. It was this 1929 act which made 16 years the minimum age at which males and females could marry.

Regards,

Simon

[Chris Scott]

Many thanks for such a swift reply, Simon, and that info is a real eye opener
Did the same age apply to males?
Regards
Chris

[Simon Wood]

Hi Chris,

For boys the legal minimum age was 14.

Frightening, huh?

Regards,

Simon

[Chris]

And those minimum ages had applied since medieval times.

[John Savage]

It might be worth remembering that life expectancy in medieval Enland was only about 30-35 years.

Rgds
John

[Tom_Wescott]

The dictum of the day was 'old enough to bleed, old enough to breed.'

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Sam Flynn]

It might be worth remembering that life expectancy in medieval Enland was only about 30-35 years.

Good point, John - although, judging by the current British trend for ever-younger pregnancies, the current life expectancy must be around the 25 mark