Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-08-08
MARRYING THEMSELVES.
Governor Beliingham's the First Instanc
 on Record In America.

Governor Beliingham's the First Instance
 on Record In America.
 The incident where Boston man of some notoriety recently performed his own mar riage ceremony Gf it might be called such) in New York is not without precedent. The marriage of Miss Lucy Stone and Dr. Black well, about thirty-five years ago, was of somewhat the same nature; but, according to the Boston Herald, there is a still older precedent in Boston, viz, that of Governor Richard Bellingham, of Massachusetts, of which colony he was one of the original patentees. This remarkable marriage was enacted nearly two hundred and fifty years ago, and under circumstances of peculiar notoriety.
 Richard Bellingham, who was bred a lawyer, had been recorder of the old town of Boston, in England. He came to Boston, ill the colony of Massachusetts, in 1884, and in the following year was chosen its Deputy Governor. In August, 1884, he was chosen Selectman of Boston, and, with his first wife, Elizabeth Pentley, hc joined the ortho- dox church in August of tho year following, making a public profession of faith. In 1641 he was chosen Governor in opposition to Winthrop, and was chosen again n 1854, and again in 1666 after the death of Endl- colt, continuing in office for the remainder of his life, his death occurring December :, 1872. In 1864 he was made Major-General, and in that year the King sent four com missioners to regulate the affairs of the province, ordering Bollingham and others, who were obnoxious, to proceed to England and answer accusations that were made against them iu person. His Majesty, how ever, is said to have been appeased by the present of q ship load of masts.
 But the peculiar matter in point occurred in the earlier part of Governor Belling- hams colonial career. His first wife, who accompanied him from England, died in 1888. There had been in the family before this occurance a'young woman named Pencil ope Pelham, whose position appears .to have been that of housekeeper or assistant in household matters. After Mrs. Belling- hams death, the continuance of this young woman in the Governors household was the occasion of considerable gossip To his other dignities, Governor Belhngham add ed that of judge or magistrate for tho trial C{ causes, and this gossip so sCandahZed the court that it was decided to depose him from his position. This was in 1641, when his housekeeper was but twenty years Of age. But he refused to leave the bench, and the grand inquest presented him for breach of order of the court and the Secre- tary called him to answer the presentation Being Governor, as well as Judge, he was not an easy subject to handle. However, in deference to public opinion, and no doubt as a matter of policy, he called together the ministers and some of tho people, inviting them to his house, and there, in their pres cncc bringing Penelope forward, he intro ducefhcr to them, saying: "This IS my wife but will have no law about it. Gsd Is enough for me and her"
 This was all the marriage ceremony vouch- safed by the Governor, and appears to have been acquiesced i'll by the community, for he was never after troubled about it. He was not goddess man, but rather strong church member. His second wife, so strangely wed, is said to have borne him six children, who, however, all died young. His religious peculiarities may be seen in part by his will, which provides that, after the decease of his wife and his grand daughter, the bulk of his estate should be spent for the yearly maintenance "of good 4yministers and preachers" of the true church, which he considered to be that of the Congregationalists. His sister Annie, widow of William Hibbins. one of his as- sistants, was executed as a witch in June, 1856. Though latitudinarian enough on the subject of his own marriage, Governor Bellingham was violently opposed to inno- vation in religious matters, and was ex 1 ceedlHGay severe toward the Quakers, who affirn1 says Drake, that he died distracted