River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1898-03-31
SMOCK MARRIAGES.
Instances in Maine of Custom Pre-
vniIing In England 100 Years Ago.

Instances in Maine of u Custom Pre-
vniiing In England 100 Years Ago.
A Bangor (Me) lawyer attending
court in the ancient town of Wiscasset,
went rummaging recently in the
colonial court records of the place, and
in the course of his reading ran across
the official registration of "smock
marriage" Not knowing what sort of
marriage that was he looked further,
and got considerable light upon Gus
tom that prevailed in England CEN
fury or two ago, and also 10 some extent
in the American colonies.
Smock marriages were weddings
where the bride appeared dressed in
white sheet or chemise. The reason of
such garb was the belief that if a man
married 4 woman who was in debt he
could be held liable for her indebted
ness if he received her with any of her
property; and, also, that if a woman
married man who was in debt his
creditors could not take her property to
satisfy their claims if he received moth
irg from her. In England, says an an
tiquarian, there was at least one case
where the bride was clothed puris natu
alibus while the ceremony was being
performed in the great church at Birm-
ingham. The minister at first refused
to perform the ceremony, but finding
nothing in the rubrc that would eX-
cuse him he married the pair.
To carry ont the law fully, as the peo-
pie understood il, the ceremony should
always have been performed as it was
in Birmingham church. But mOdesty
forbidding, various eXpedients were
used to accomplish the desired purpose
and vet avoid the undesirable feature.
Sometimes the bride stood in a closet
and put her hand through a hole in the
door; sometimes she stood behind
cloth screen and put her hand out at
one side; again, she wound about her
a white sheet furnished for the purpose
by the bridegroom, and sometimes she
stood in her chemise, or smock. Event
ually, in Essex county, at least, all inn
modesty was avoided by the bride
groom's furnishing to the bride all the
clothes she wore, retaining title to the
same in himself. This he did in the
presence of witnesses, that he might
prove the fact in case he was sued for
any debts she might have contracted.
4 marriage of this kind occurred at
Bradford in 1888, and the following is
n true copy of the record of the same;
Bradford. Dec We "a. 1913.
This may certifle whomsOever it may
concerne that James Bailey, of Bradford,
who was married to the widow Mary Bacon
Nov. % last past by me We subscriber then
declared that he took the said person with
out anything of estate and that Lydia the
wife of Tliaze Burbank & Mary the Wife OF
| Thomas Stickney & Margaret the wife of
Caleb Burbank all OF Bradford were wit
nesses that the clothes she then had on
were Of his providing & bestowng upon her
WILLIAM BALCH,
Minister of We Gospel"
1t is noted by the same writer that in
all cases of smock marriages that have
come to his knowledge, the brides have
been widows.
1t is thought that during the reign of
George Ill. there were many smock
marriages in Maine, then a part of the
province of Massachusetts Bay-chietly
! in Lincoln and York counties, or in the
territory which is now so known. There
| is nothing to show that the practice out
| lived the revolution. In Maine, up to
! 1852, husband was liable for debts of
! his wife contracted before marriage,
| and no such subterfuge as the smock
/ marriage could relieve HIM. \. sun.