The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1883-12-21
ANCIENT MARRIAGES..
Ceremonies Formerly Prevalent at
Hyiacn's Altar.

bride appeared at church in a single,
long white garment. This practice had
its origin in The popular and
notion TINT the husband was not an
swerable for the debts of his wife who
came to him thus insuficiently clad even
as patient Griselda was clothed when
she was turned out of the palace other
Marquis.
The reasoning which caused the error
is obvious. 1t being a legal doctrine,
laid down in Bacon's "Abridgement,"
that a husband was answerable for his
wife's debts because he acquired an alb.
solute interest in her personal estate, il
was inferred by the populace that
if he acquired no property with
her, he could not be compelled
to satisfy the claims of her cred-
jtors. Hence it comes 10 pass
that now and then grooms of the rudest
and stupidest kind, bent on securing
themselves against n Of the legal con.
sequences Of marriage, Insisted tnat
their brides should, by their insufficient
dress at the church porch, give a practi.
cal demonstration OF their utter want OF
worldly wealth.
Nor we're those exhibitions OF women,
shiyering in white sheets m the open
air, like creatures doing p2nanro in the
4Iubl!c ways, peculiar to the qua5 iiea
barbarian OF our ieudal period. Both in
London and the provinces such marri-
ares now and then scandalized doesn't
spectators as late as the earlier years Of
the eighteenth century. One
OF them is recorded in the
Parish register of Chiltern,
All saints. wiltshire, under late of DC.
toper II, IVA; and another took place
November 8, 1925, at Ulcomb, kent.
MIR. John S0utherdon Burn mentions
another that occurred in the puglicu3
.ofthe London Fleet about I'D years ago,
but the offensive practice altogether
disappeared in the earlier DAYS OF the
period OF tie four Georges.
The question now aud then arises,
Have there been similar cases in this
country III the first book of marriage
records in the town of Warwick, in THIS
state, may be found the following entry:
These are to signifi unto all minis
tiers Of Justice that henry STRAIGHT. Jnr
of East Greenwich, in We Colony Of
Rhode Island ana Providence planta.
tations. Took Mary Webb. OF We Town
of Warwick, IN the Colony aforesaid.
Widow, in only a shift and no other
garment, in We presence of Avis GortJn,
Mary Collins and PFesiiah Crandall,
and was Lawfully Married in sd War
wick We first OF August, l125, by me.
JOIN WARNER, Justice.
Recorded We 5.h Of Novembr., l725,
for John Wickcs, T.5C.'
Through the courtesy of Town Clerk
j. b. Pierce. OF Wexford. and Mr.. jas.
N, Arnold, of Hamilton, r. l.. | am EN-
abled to give three similar records as
follows:
NogTH KINGSTON, Marcn Goth day,
730.-fhen Rebecca Downing, being in
the highway, and she had no other
clothing on but her shit, took Thomas
Eldrat 10 be her husband, aud he took
her 10 be his wife, and led her across
the highway, and were married before
inc. WM. SPRINGER, Justice.
Thomas Culver9ell Was joyned in
Marriage 70 Abigail, his wiie, the 22d OF
FEBRUARY, 1920. He took her in mar
riage after she had gone four times
across the highway in only her shift and
hair lace, and nc other clothing. JOY
ned together in ma riage by me.
GEORGE HHZARD, Justice.
To all people to whom it may
This nay certify tina Nathaniel Bnadv,
Of Westerly, took We widow Mary Poll
meter, of sd Town, ia We highway, with
no other clothing bat shifting or smock
on We evening of We Goth day of April,
l724, end was joined together in that
honorable estate of Matrimony in We
present John Corey, Peter CundaiI,
George Stillman, Mercy Hill; and was
joined together as above on We day and
year above mentioned; by me.
JOHN SAUNDERS, Justice.
Registered ye 27..h day OF April, To,
per John BabcocE, town clerk.
Three points are noticeable in the
above records, viz; 1. The ~''unGress
uniform" of the bride; 2. The taking
her after crossing the highway; and =,
i'm the last, the fact that the ceremony
performed in the evening. Some
friend has suggested an indistinct recol-
lection of a ceremony performed in the
house. the bride attired after the man
ner o fold Mother Eve before the fall.
standing in a closet and reaching ont
her hand to be joined In marriage. Air
ether suggestion has been made that, of
the three records last given, each cere-
mony was performed in the evening am
by the roadside.
Mr.. Hamilton suggests that the GER >
mony IS svmbolIcal, and gives the idea
that the woman vs. tagen without hesne
or clothing. coming as she does from the
highway, and therefore brings nothing
with her which a sheriff inighr consider
attacha lie under color of the law. Tl,e
husband gives her clothing, credit and 4
home that she be not again brought to
SUCH dire necessity.
Can any one give other records OF a
similar nature, and can and wiIlanv one
give more lighto on this obsolete custom of
olonial times?
At Philadelphia, Edward Head, manu-