Cousin marriage

[chuckd]

I don't know where to put this. I read An Alarm to the Unconverted by Joseph Alleine about a year ago. Good book, but something that stood out especially was his biography at the beginning. Including that he marriage his cousin. Was this normal/allowed? I'm reading conflicting reports that the Puritans both outlawed it and encouraged it (as an unnecessary RCC law).

 

[Wayne]

The Westminster Confession, 24.4, has this:

IV. Marriage ought not to be within the degrees of consanguinity or affinity forbidden by the Word. Nor can such incestuous marriages ever be made lawful by any law of man or consent of parties, so as those persons may live together as man and wife. The man may not marry any of his wife's kindred, nearer in blood then he may of his own: nor the woman of her husband's kindred, nearer in blood than of her own.

Debate arose in the 19th century, particularly in the South, over this exclusion, and ultimately the final sentence in that paragraph was excised from the American editions of the WCF.

Barry Waugh did his Westminster Seminary dissertation on the history of that debate. He is considering making the dissertation available either in print or as a PDF. Those who might want to see that material can send me a PM and I will pass along your contact info.

 

[chuckd]

The Westminster Confession, 24.4, has this:

IV. Marriage ought not to be within the degrees of consanguinity or affinity forbidden by the Word. Nor can such incestuous marriages ever be made lawful by any law of man or consent of parties, so as those persons may live together as man and wife. The man may not marry any of his wife's kindred, nearer in blood then he may of his own: nor the woman of her husband's kindred, nearer in blood than of her own.

Debate arose in the 19th century, particularly in the South, over this exclusion, and ultimately the final sentence in that paragraph was excised from the American editions of the WCF.

Barry Waugh did his Westminster Seminary dissertation on the history of that debate. He is considering making the dissertation available either in print or as a PDF. Those who might want to see that material can send me a PM and I will pass along your contact info.

Thanks. The question is not over the last sentence, but more of the first. What are the "degrees of consanguinity?" Is cousin not included?

 

[Quatchu]

I think this has become stronger taboo in our day then it was previously. I have done genealogy and discovered in the 17-1800 cousin marriage happened a few times. To be clear i don't think brother-sister marriage is ever good, cousins although not optimal i think is fine to a degree given you do not have 3 generation who have married there cousin. I read somewhere albeit it escapes me, that there is enough different genes among 1st cousins that problems with children are not a issue.

Of course I'm the guy who jokes that i married a women from California in order to make sure I did not mistakenly wed my cousin.

 

[Philip]

I have done genealogy and discovered in the 17-1800 cousin marriage happened a few times.

Much of this has to do with the fact that isolated populations were the norm in many areas until high-speed transportation became the norm. For those who lived in the Appalachians or the Scottish Highlands most of the people they would have known would be cousins of one degree or another.

 

[Petty France]

Here's a historical perspective on what those degrees are:
Consanguinity and affinity « Particular Voices

 

[Rufus]

Debate arose in the 19th century, particularly in the South, over this exclusion, and ultimately the final sentence in that paragraph was excised from the American editions of the WCF.

It had to be in the South.

 

[Wayne]

Hey, they had their own problems up north, what with the practice of bundling and all.

 

[nicnap]

Of interest to this thread (Not really addressing the topic, but addressing the topic--I found this interesting): Blue-Skinned People of Kentucky Reveal Today's Genetic Lesson - ABC News

 

[AThornquist]

Of interest to this thread (Not really addressing the topic, but addressing the topic--I found this interesting): Blue-Skinned People of Kentucky Reveal Today's Genetic Lesson - ABC News

That was strangely interesting. And what a line it included: "If you'll notice -- I'm kin to myself."

 

[Peairtach]

First cousins are not expressly forbidden from marrying by Scripture, and thus it is within Christian liberty, but "all things are lawful, but not all things are expedient." One might want to consider whether one might have a slightly raised likelihood of having a child with congenital problems, or a genius, or both!

 

[yeutter]

First cousins are not expressly forbidden from marrying by Scripture, and thus it is within Christian liberty, but "all things are lawful, but not all things are expedient." One might want to consider whether one might have a slightly raised likelihood of having a child with congenital problems, or a genius, or both!

In many cultures cousin marriages are expected, Kashmir for instance. Cross cousin marriages are common in some, if I remember correctly the Hmong married cousins from among their mothers relatives that were often related on the fathers side as well. The degrees of consanguinity prohibited are consistent with what is taught in Leviticus 18.

 

[reaganmarsh]

Hey, they had their own problems up north, what with the practice of bundling and all.

Forgive my ignorance, but what is (was?) bundling?

 

[Wayne]

It was mostly a courtship practice, not infrequently abused, that finally died out (thankfully). Basically sharing a bed while remaining fully dressed.

I started collecting books on odd topics once (that didn't last long) and I had a copy of this, the classic work on the topic:

Bundling : its origin, progress, and decline in America : Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909 : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive

 

[reaganmarsh]

fascinating, thank you for filling me in!