Marriage at Sea

[cjronci]

Does anyone know of any pirate wedding vows?

[JoshuaRed]

Yeah just look at any period wedding ceremony appropriate to the era of the pirates to which you refer. Course you'd have to pick from Catholic, Protestant, Puritan, Muslim...just like today.

[Red Maria]

Tere were 3 issues last year in No Quater Given dedicated to pirate wedding and piarte amrriages. Try getting a back issue, especially the first one in the series.

http://www.noquartergiven.net/

I seem to recall vows in them. Weather or not historically correct is another matter. Many pirates would not take married men. Though of course Blackbeard was reputed to have what was it? 14 wives?!

[corsair2k3]

...which is why Maynard's little visit probably came as a relief to the poor feller...

The Corsair

Who is not aware of any authentic wedding vows specific to pirates, but who imagines that they were something along the lines of the 18th-century equivalent of "My tent, or your hovel?" and who will now be quiet again...

[Red Maria]

He don't be quiet Corsair! I liked your mumblings err.. I mean... uhm witty repartee ! :)

[corsair2k3]

The advantage of getting old--one can say pretty much anything one pleases, and others simply chalk it up to senile mumblings...

There's a couple of theories extant re pirates and marriage:

One argument is that nearly all sailors--and most officers--stayed single during the active years of their career on account of their work kept them from some of the er-ah "appurtenances" of settled life.

The other theory is that pirates feared that married men would be more likely to desert.

Regards,

The Corsair

[Capt. Sterling]

I have a wedding to do and was wondering if anyone knew of a period correct wedding ceremony that would have been used on ships? Perhaps from the Royal Navy at the time of the GAoP??? Or was this more or less a Hollywood thing?

Thanks,

Hector

[Cap'n Pete Straw]

I have a collection of wedding ceremonies saved for just this purpose... I need to get at my archives. For a ceremony with real old flair, you might try a quick search for "Handfasting Ceremony(ies)."

I ran across the following, however... no rings!

The Civil Marriage Act of 1653, passed by the Puritans under Cromwell, required a civil ceremony before a justice of the peace after presentation of the certificate from the parish register that banns had been published. If either party were under twenty-one, proof of parental consent must also be presented. The wedding ceremony consisted of a simple formula to be repeated by the man and woman and was accompanied by hand fastening. The use of a ring was forbidden.

By the Hardwicke Act of 1753, all weddings, except members of the royal family, were to be performed only after publication of banns or issuance of a license, only during the morning hours of eight to twelve, only in an Anglican Church or chapel, and only before an Anglican clergyman. Two or more witnesses were required and a register must be kept. Parental consent was demanded unless the banns had been published.

...and here are a couple more things to think about...

In the seventeenth century, wheat was cast at the head of the bride when she came from church.

In Gloucestershire, in the early eighteenth century, a large cake was broken over the heads of the couple. In Aberdeenshire, barley is thrown over the bridal pair as they enter the feasting-place.

[Cap'n Pete Straw]

Here is a good handfasting link, if you choose to go this route:

Handfasting

Most handfasting ceremonies available on the internet are written as pagan / wicca ceremonies, imbued with "Glory be to the Goddess" and stuff like that. You can really add someflavor to a ceremony by mixing in some of the more ritualistic stuff with a straightforward bare-bones religious ceremony.

As I said, I have some archaic religious ceremonies saved... have to dig through stuff to find them. A great source (and you can try this through libraries) is to find very (very) old hymnals, as these typically have laid out the (contemporary) full religious ceremony which, in my experience, has remained pretty much the same over the past couple hundred years.

[Fox]

When was the 1653 act repealed? A lot of Cromwell's legislation was void within 20 years of the Restoration, so if you're talking about GAoP era weddings then rings might well be back in.

The Book of Common Prayer, which until fairly recently was still used in the same form as when it was written in 1549, contains a marriage service, but I've got no notion about weddings aboard ship - I've never heard of one happening during the GAoP or the period either side.

[William Brand]

I was married by a traditional handfasting ceremony in a small period village.

[Capt. Sterling]

When was the 1653 act repealed? A lot of Cromwell's legislation was void within 20 years of the Restoration, so if you're talking about GAoP era weddings then rings might well be back in.

The Book of Common Prayer, which until fairly recently was still used in the same form as when it was written in 1549, contains a marriage service, but I've got no notion about weddings aboard ship - I've never heard of one happening during the GAoP or the period either side.

I have a Book of Common Prayer from 1846, BUT it is from the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States. Hmmmm, I wonder how different it is from the English version. You know, after all these Hollywood marriages, I just assumed that there was something, at least in the Royal Navy at the time.... I'll see if I can't get my hands on a BofCP from the period. One wonderful benefit of moving to Virginia, the old book shops are truly plentiful not to mention some of the churches are pretty old as well!!!! And although, not naval or seafaring, wonder what Williamsburg has to offer....Thanks for all your help everyone.

Hector

[kass]

Hector,

I think The Professor has an old Anglican Book of Common Prayer, but I'll be damned if I knew what box it was in...

(Yes, I moved in October and I still have stuff in boxes!)

[Capt. Sterling]

Hector,

I think The Professor has an old Anglican Book of Common Prayer, but I'll be damned if I knew what box it was in...

(Yes, I moved in October and I still have stuff in boxes!)

Great... won't need it until Feb.

Hector

[AllByMeOnesies]

Does anyone have sources they can cite to back-up the belief that captains could legally perform marriages at sea in the 17th century?

Thanks for any help.

[Capt. Sterling]

I believe this was covered once before in another post about marriage ceremonies... unfortunately no much came up

Yes, last thread on page three of Captain Twill...period correct weddings...