Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1868-07-30
Singular MatrImOnial Connections.

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The Marietta (Ohio) Register publishes
ythe following items about odd marriages in
Washington county Ohio, and Gays he
could make the list fuller;
December 28, 1866, in Ludlow township,
James Nj. Groves, j. p, married on the
same evening, at the same place, George
Pugh and Mary Watson; also Isaac Pugh
and Martha A Watson. These weref father
and son married to mother and daughter.
Two Green street girls, Misses D.,
who are sisters, have between them five
living husbands. The oldest was divorced
from her first husband on account Of his
wilful absence; her second husband was
divorced from her by reason OF her absence,
and she is married to her third husband. =
The second girl was married and divorced
and is married again. None of the parties
now live in this county.
John Brough, Esq, who was sheriff OF
this county, sixty years ago, came from
England about the beginning OF this cen
tury, when he was past middle age. In
1909 he buried a wife, was soon married 10
Miss Jane - and in 1911 the late John
Brough-late distinguished Governor of
0hio--was born to them in the jail build
ing, October 20, 1921 Mrs. Brough died
in five months and one day, March al,
1922, ESQ. Brough, who was then about %
years of age, married Mrs Bridget Cross;
in Just four weeks April l9, she died.
Esquire Brough himself died October l6,
1922. So it apperrs that he buried two
Ewives and was buried himself all in less
than year tl,.g
There are several cases in this county
wherein men have been married four times;
one three times, whose third wife Is the
niece of his second. One of our highly
respectable citizens married his sons wild
ow, there being children by both mar
riages And in another case, many years
ago, young man and young lady were
engaged to be married; her parents OBJ
iected but they had son born to them
out of wedlock; both subsequently mar
ried The twice. and buried other partners;
their SON has now become a man and was
married, with family of children; his pa
rents were then married at his house, the
grandchildren seeing their grandparents
married. They are both now in their
graves. .-
Many years ago Pardon Cook, father of
the late Mrs. Rhoda Hildreth, of this city,
and his brother, Joseph Cook, father Of the
Rev Pardon Cook, Of Marietta, married
sisters. In course of time Pardon Cook
died. also Joseph Cooks wife. Then
Joseph Cook and Pardon Cooks widow in
termarried. So in the last marriage (no
children) the husband bore that relation to
two sisters, while the wife was the wife Of
two brothers. Consequently the late Mrs
Hildreth and Rev Pardon Cook were not
only double cousins, but also stood in the
relation Of step-brother and step-sister
Two brothers and two sisters Of one fam
lily in Marietta, years ago, were intermar-
ried with two sisters and two brothers Of
another fanlly-not all at once, but at diff
ferent dates These were Otis Reckard
and Nancy Jennings; Jos. Leonard Reck-
ard and Della Jennings; Jonathan Jen-
nings and Susan Reckard; Junia Jennings
and Eliza A. Reckard. Of these eight, six
are now living-all in the neighborhood of
"three score years and ten" most over,
some o little under Jonathan Jennings
died ten years ago. His widow Susan
Reckard) is now the fourth wife of Rev. j.
G. Mccoy Otis Reckard died about three
years ago.
Col. VIM. B. Mason, our county treasur-
er, and his wife, are both Masons, but Of
different families, claiming no relationship
His father was William Mason, her father
was William Mason, her grandfather was
William Mason, and his grandfather was
William Mason, and they have son VIII
liam. So the young scion Of four genera
tions now known counts himself william,
his father William, his two grandfathers
both Williams, and two great grandfathers
Williams, and all Masons.
We here mention case out Of this
county, yet involving young lady Of
Marietta. Miss Emily Palmer who was
raised by Rev. Luther G. Bingham, went
to Lawrence county to teach, and there
married DR.. Mcdowell, who had separated
from his wife in Pennsylvania, leaving a
daughter in her charge. In the course Of
years Mrs Emily Mcdowell died. The
daughter by the first marriage was now
grown up and married. Through her in
tervention her father and mother were
twenty years, the husband Of the daughter,
who was minister, performing the mar
riage ceremony.
It may be remarked that fifty years ago,
when the population Of this country was
not over one quarter of what it now is,
three men advertised their wives as having
left their bed and board, &C., where one
man does so at this day; fact that we
know, having carefully examined full files
Of Marietta papers from the year 1911.
Does it indicate that ill-assorted and un-
happy marriages wero much more frequent
half century since than now; or was ad-
vertising wives more in fashion then?