I was surprised to read in Annette Gordon-Reed's book on the Hemingses that in the early 19th century Virginia outlawed marriage between a man and his deceased wife's sister, on the grounds that marrying a sister-in-law was incest by affinity (not by blood). I don't know the text of the law, but presumably the reverse was also true: a widow could not marry her brother-in-law. It's my impression that in the earlier days such marriages were relatively common in Virginia. My question for the lawyers on the list is: does anyone know when Virginia repealed this ban – or is it still on the books? Would Virginia have recognized such a marriage if it had been solemnized in another state or country? Henry Wiencek ______________________________________ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html