The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-01-01
Record for 1915 Shows 312
Marriages Performed
in This Town
JUSTICE HOPKINS
HAS THE MAJORITY
Rev. D. E. Trout, Rev. G. z. Tomlzin-
SON and Rev. 2. NJ. Houghton Follow
in Order Named-From Out Of State
Came 236 Couples Past Year.

in Order Named-From Out of State
Came 236 Couples Past Year.
Almost marriage a day is the mat
rimonial record of Brattleboro for the
knots were tied in Brattleboro during
the last calendar year, of which los
were tied during the first six months
of the year and 207 since July l.
The banner month was August, when
A couples were married. November
pressed closely for TIE high tide mark,
but registered one less. February could
show only eight for that short month.
! The record by months was: January,
16; February, s; March, II; April, 21;
May, 13; June, so; July, %; August,
A; September, 50; October, 33; No
vember, 43; December, 27.
This distinction of being a marrying
center is the result of the location of
Brattlebero near the states of New
Hampshire and Massachusetts, where
/ the laws require a delay of several
days between the time of applying for
s.. marriage license and the perform
ance of the ceremony. Vermont. at
/ present, does not have such a law,
which makes a town situated as Brat
! tleboro is an attractive spot for
couples desiring marriage without pub
lieitv or pomp
! Of the 312 marriages there were 236
IN which botn parties TO the contract
anne from out IF the state and p
more III which only one of the parties
was q resident of Brattleboro. Back
in 1911. before the Massachusetts law
became operative, there We're only 81
marriages in Brattlebora The follow
ing year there were 1873 and in 1913
there were 116. In 1914 the total
! jumped TO 225 and last year it passed
the 500 mark
Carl S. Hopkins, town clerk, who is
likewise a Justice of the peace and
performs the ceremony of marriage,
has tied fast in the bonds of matrl-
mony during the wear Just closed 175
couples. which is considerably more
than one half of all the marriage cere-
monies performed in town. His bes.
month was August, when he said the
words that made husband and wife
81 times.
When Mr. Hopkins started perform
ing marriage ceremonies the demand
was not so great as it is now. He was
appointed a justice Of the peace Dec
l, 1910. and performed two eeremo-
nies before time was called on that
year. In 1911 he ofieiated IL times
in 1912 % times and in 1913 he tied
80 knots. In 1914 he jumped his mark
90 % and last year nearly doubled his
previous record by officiating 175
times.
Rev Delmar E. Trout leads the field
of ministers with % ceremonies TO hi:
account. He is pastor of the Univer
salist church. Rev. George E. Tomkin
son, pastor of the First Baptist church
has joined % couples, and Rev. Roy
NJ. Houghton, pastor of the Centr'
, Congregational church, who leaves nex'
month TO take charge of a church II
New Haven, Conn, has married ?.
couples. The pastor and assistants a
st. Michael's Roman Catholic churcl
have performed q ceremonies. Rev
Thomas W. Owens, pastor of III
7 Methodist church has ofieiated l.
times. Rev +. Q. s. Osgood, pastor o
d. the Unitarian church, IL times; Rev
| Henry Lamb, pastor of the West Brat
i tleboro Congregational church, FIVE
! Rev. I. NJ. Compton, pastor of the Wes
! Brattleboro Baptist church, three
Z Rev E. s. Hewitt, pastor of the Ad
: vent Christian church, two; and Rev
E. a. Peterson. pastor Of the Swedis
Lutheran church, four.