Marriage statistics
Susan StevesonBack in the 1800's what was the average age of men and women getting married? I have been finding quite a few couples that based on childrens births they must have married near the age of 30.
BorgeThe most important thing back in those days concerning starting a family was that you had to be in the position to support it. The majority of the people lived in the rural areas, and did not get married before they had a farm or a steady income from some kind of work. Getting a farm was not so easy, if you were in line to inherit one you would have to wait till your parents died or stepped back, or you could become a cotter. (Or you could go to America..!) Some young men married older widows who sat on a farm, and needed a man to keep the farm going and so on. Young servants usually did not get married. If a domestic maid or a servant on a farm got pregnant she would loose her job.