The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1883-12-20
ANClE4N 4 W. ..AIlA AGES,
Ceremonies Formerly Prevalent at
Hylnen's Altar,

va 0AAAUAACS COG1ASr'y 1E0VUl00C ~
Hymen's Altar.
Providence Press.
We occasionally read of an old mar
rage custom in England, in which the
bride appeared at church in a single,
long white garment. This practice had
its origin in the popular and erroneous
notion that the husband was not an
swerable for the debts of his wife who
came to him thus insufficiently clad even
as patient Griselda was clothed when
she was turned ont of the palace of her
Marquis.
The reasoning which caused the error
is Obvious. 1t being a legal doctrine,
laid down in Bacon's "Abridgement,' -
that husband was answerable for his
wlfe's debts because he acquired sn all.
solute interest in her personal estate, it
was inferred by the populace that
it he acquired no property with
her, he could not be compelled
to satisfy the claims of her cred.
ltors. Hence it comes to pass
that now and then grooms of the rudest
and stupidest kind, bent on securing
sequences of marriage, insisted that
their brides should, by their insufficient
dress at the church porch, give practi.
cal demonstration of their utter want of
worldly wealth.
Nor were those exhibitions of women,
shivering in white sheets in the open
air, like creatures doing penance in the
public ways, peculiar to the qualified
barbarian of our fendal period. Both in
London and the provinces such marri-
ages now and then scandalized decent
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 date of o.
tober II, IVA; and another took place
November 8, 1925, at Ulcomb, Kent.
Mr.. John Southerdon Burn mentions
another That occurred in the puriieus
Of the London Fleet about l5J years ago,
but the offensive practice altogether
disappeared in the earlier days of the
period Of the four Georges.
The question now and then arises,
Have there been similar cases in this
country? In the first book of marriage
records in the town of Warwick, in this
state, may be found the following entry:
these are to signif unto all mini is
ters of Justice that henry Straight, Jnr. d,
Of East Greenwich, in ye Colony of
Rhode Island ami Providence planta.
tations, Took Mary Webb, of ye Town
Of Warwick, IN the Colony Aforesaid,
Widow, in only shift and no other
garment, in ye presence of Avis Gort,n,
Mary Collins and Presi'ah Crandall,
and was Lawfully Married in sd War
wick We first of August, 1925, by me.
JOHN WARNER. Justice.
Recorded ye 5th Of Novembr., 1725,
for John Wickes, T. c.
Through the courtesy of Town Clerk
J. B. Pierce, Of Wexford. and Mr.. Jas.
n. Arnold, of Hamilton, r. l., l am en-
abied to give three similar records as
follows:
NORTH KINGSTON, Marcn Goth day,
7l3o;;-'Ihen Rebecea Downing, being in
the highway, and she had no other
clothing on but her shift. took Thomas
Eldrat to be her husband, and he took
her to be his wife, and led her across
the highway, and were married before
me: WM. SPRINGER, Justice.
Thomas Culver we'll Was ioyned in
Marriage to Abigail, his wife, the ed OF
FEBRUARY, 1890. He took her in mar
rage after she had gone four tunes
across the highway in only Ter shift and
hair lace, and no other clothing. JOY
ned together in marriage by me.
GEORGE HuzARD, Justice.
TO all people to whom it may concern:
This my certify tina. Nathaniel Bundv,
of Westerly. took ye widow Mar, Pol
meter. of sd Town, in ye highway, with
no other clothing but shifting or smock
on We evening of We Goth day of April,
l724, and was joined together in that
honorable estate of Matrimony in We
prese John Corey, Peter Cundall,
George Stil)man, Mercy Hill; and was
joined together as above on We day and
year above mentioned; by me,
JOHN SAUNDERS. Justice.
Registered We 9th day of April, 1924.
per John Babcock, town clerk.
Three points are noticeable in the
above records, viz; l. The "undress
uniform" Of the bride; 2. The taking
her after crossing the Highway; and 3
in the last, the fact that the ceremony
was 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 Of "old Mother Eve" before the fall.
standing in Closet. and reaching out
her hand to be Joined in marriage. An.
ether suggestion has been made that, of
the three records last given. each cere-
mony WIS performed in the evening and
by tho roadside.
Mr.. Hamilton suggests that the cer3.
mony is symboIlcal, and gives the idea
that the woman is taken without home
or clothing, coming as she does from the
highway, and therefore brings nothing
with her which sheriff might consider
attacha lie under color of the law. The
husband gives her clothing, credit and q
home that she be not again brought to
such dire necessity.
Can any one give other records of q
similar nature, and can and will any one
give more Iiyhton this obsolete custom of
olonial times?
How to Use 1t.
There are two ways OF using q medicine
the wrong way aud the right way. A med
iciae, tfmisapplied, or if only partially tried.
or fused too frequently or too seldom, can
not accomplish what it would when deslt
with properly. Everybody knows this. DR..
Thomas Eclectric On is very valuable prep
aration, and will do all that is claimed for II
If directions are followed