The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-20
MOC MARRIAGES
Instances In Maine or n Custom THAI Prevailed
In England n Cea'ur, ig".

~ W.
In England y Cea'ur, Ag".
BANGOR, Feb. ls-A Bangor lawyer attend.
ing court in tho ancient town OF Wis"nsset went
rummaging recently in thu colonial court rec
ords of the place. and In the course Of his read
ing ran across the official registration of n
"smock marriage" Not knowing what sort of
marriage that was he looked further. and got
considerable light upon a custom that prevailed
in England a century or two ago. and MISC to
some extent in tho American colonies.
Smock marriages were weddings where the
bride appeared dressed in n white sheet or
ehemise. Tho reason of such a g'rb Was the be-
lief that II a man married n women who was In
debt he could be held liable for her indebtedness
II he received her with any of her property;
and, also, that II a woman married n man who
was In debt his creditors could not take her
property to satisfy their claims II he received
nothing from her. In England. says an an
tiQuarian. there was ut least one case where the
bride was clothed puris natw aiibuS while the
ceremony was being performed In tho great
church at Birmingham. The minister Mt first
refused to perform the but finding
nothing in the rubric that would excuse him
he married the pair.
To carry out tho law fully. as the people under
stood It, the ceremony should always have been
performed as II was In the Birmingham church.
But modesty forbidding, various cxpedients
were used to accomplish the desired purpose
md yet avoid the undesirable features. Some"
times the bride stood In n closet and put nor
hand through n hole In the door; sometimes she
stood behind n cloth screen and put her hand ont
at ono side; again, she wounl about hcr
a white sheet furnished tor tho pur.
pose by the bridegroom, md sometimes
she stood in her chemise. or smock,
Eventually, In Essex county at lenst. ~ I'M
modesty was avoided by the brideRroom's fur.
nishing n to the bride nll the clothes she wore.
retaining title to the sane 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. A marriage OF TINS
kind occurred Mt Bradford In 1888. and the fol-
lowing is a true copy OF the record OF the same;
BRADFORD. Dec. ye -. 1875,
This may certihe whomsOever II may coDeerne that
widow Mary Bacon Nov 22 last past by me ye sub
scribor then declared that he took The said person
without anything Of estate and that LYDIA the wite
of EliAEer Burbank a Mary the wife, OF Thnmns suck,
ney q Margaret the wife OF Caleb Burbank all OF
Bradford were witnesses that the clothes she then
WILLIAM BALcH. Minister OF ye Gospel
It lie noted by the same writer that In all cases
OF smock marriages that have come TO MS
1t Is thought that during the reign OF george
III. there were many smock marriages In Maine.
! then q part OF the province OF Massachusotts
Bay-chiehy In Lincoln and York counties, OF
in the territory which 10 now 80 known. LhorS
Is nothing to show that the PRACTICE ont'tved
the Revolution. In Maine, up to leo2. . nus,
band was liable for debts OF his wife contracted
before marriage, and no such snbterfugo as the
smock marriage could relieve him.