Center for Research on Vermont
From Kith and Kin : Selecting Marriage Partners in 19th Century Vermont
April 15, 2004
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| Length: | 1:08:17 |
| Next Air Dates: | No upcoming airtimes are currently scheduled |
Tags:
spousal choices, intrafamial marriages, 19th Century marriage practicesProgram Description:
A byproduct of several unrelated research projects was the discovery that nineteenth-century Vermonters often chose as spouses people to whom they were already related. It happened in a farm family in Essex, a quarry owner's family in Derby, and in the leading families of St. Johnsbury. Nephew married aunt, cousin married cousin, niece married uncle. Were these coincidental aberrations, or was intrafamilial marriage common and acceptable? When did intrafamilial marriage cross the line into a forbidden relationship? Using genealogical information from several Vermont families, Allen Yale explores factors that influenced spousal choice. After detailing the circumstances around which this research question originated and examining what Vermont law defines as acceptable marital choices, this study will explore and test possible explanations for marriage within the kin group. Does the marriage of relatives result from rural isolation, close proximity, limited choice, or did it serve some other social purpose? The audience was inviteded to suggest sources or bring examples of close kin marriage in Vermont from their own research. Allen R. Yale is an associate professor in history at Lyndon State College. He holds a B.A. in anthropology from Yale University, an M.A. in history from the University of Vermont, and a Ph.D. in history from the University of Connecticut.
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