This was a common form for people getting married into the 19th century; very common in 17th and 18th C. in England and probably most of the colonies
----
Paul Finkelman
President William McKinley Distinguished Professor of Law
Albany Law School
80 New Scotland Avenue
Albany, NY 12208
518-445-3386 (p)
518-445-3363 (f)
[log in to unmask]
www.paulfinkelman.com
________________________________
From: Craig Kilby <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Friday, May 31, 2013 3:07 PM
Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] Marriage record - Groom listed as Bachelor
Steve,
Good question and astute observation. Others may have a different take on this. My take is that we really should first read records for what they say, and in this case "Bachelor" meaning he had not been previously married. If had been previously married, the bond would often state "widower." In this case, I think it is all clearly spelled out. Of course I have no way of knowing if this man was previously married or not, so context does matter.
Craig Kilby
On May 31, 2013, at 1:35 PM, Steve Craig wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I have been an amateur genealogist for nearly 40 years and recently ran across a marriage record in Bedford County that strikes me as unusual (see below). I have seen spinster noted many times, but I don't recall seeing batchelor [sic] listed following a groom's name. I am wondering if others might be able to shed light on the use of the term in this marriage record. Thank you for your help.
>
> Steve
>
> Nathaniel Morris, batchelor [sic] m. Ann Morris, spinster, 28 Jul 1772. Samuel Morris, surety
>
> ______________________________________
> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at
> http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
______________________________________
To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at
http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
______________________________________
To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at
http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
|