A Double Marriage

[Muggins in Sussex]

I found this transcript of Kimberworth marriages.http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/Misc/Transcriptions/WRY/KimberworthMarriages1895-1899.html

The 3rd and 4th lines show sisters Agnes and Florence Beddall marrying on the same date. The grooms give the same address, which is next door to the sisters' home. Each bride witnessed her sister's marriage.

Is this unusual?

[Margaret in Burton]

Not that rare. Two of my grandmothers sisters had a double wedding as did two of my cousins. The cousins were two sisters marrying two brothers.

[Muggins in Sussex]

Thanks Marg :)

In 1901, Agnes and her husband have one child - a daughter whose status is "adopted" - Does anyone know whether that is unusual? http://search.ancestry.co.uk/iexec?htx=view&r=5538&dbid=7814&iid=YRKRG13_4367_4369-0803&fn=Agnes&ln=Highfield&st=r&ssrc=&pid=27823951

Thanks

[Nell]

I haven't found a double marriage, though I do have some gt x 3 aunts who married consecutively. Both witnessed the other's wedding. I think they must have been very close as the son of one married the daughter of the other!

As for adopted children - when you say "unusual" what do you mean? Adoption wasn't formally legalised until 1927, but children were adopted before that. I found my gt gt aunt, a widow, had an adopted son in 1911. A great surprise, but it solved a mystery letter addressed to "Dear Madam" that was in our family papers, as the letter was about a mystery naval chap who'd been buried abroad. The letter was from his commanding officer. Once I'd found the adopted son, I realised he was the mystery chap and Dear Madam was my gt gt aunt.

[kiterunner]

Neither a double wedding nor an adopted child was unusual.

[Muggins in Sussex]

Thanks Kite and Nell

Nell by "unusual", I meant was it unusual for the census to record the child's status as "adopted", rather than "boarder?

Thankls

[kiterunner]

According to ancestry, there are 24,766 people on the 1901 England census whose relationship to head is "adopted".

[Muggins in Sussex]

Thanks, Kite - Gosh!

[Kit]

My grandma and her sister had a double wedding. it was just before the war and both my grandad and great uncle were in uniform.