Historical perspectives on partnering

Rebecca Probert

Chapter Chapter 2 in Research Handbook on Partnering across the Life Course, 2025, pp 14-23 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter provides an historical perspective on partnering across the life course in England and Wales from 1750 to the 1960s. It shows that formal marriage was the norm, regardless of the form required at any point in time: few marriages were celebrated outside the legal framework and unmarried cohabitation was rare. Couples generally married in their 20s, with the average age at first marriage thus considerably higher than the minimum age set by law. Most individuals married only once, although before the twentieth century a significant minority found themselves bereaved at an age where they could expect to remarry. From the mid-nineteenth century remarriage was also facilitated by the gradual liberalisation of divorce law.

Keywords: Marriage; Cohabitation; Bigamy; Divorce; Repartnering (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781803923376
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