At What age did people Marry in the Elizabethan England?

Question

Did People Marry for love?

Answer 1

Common people probably married for love. Among the nobles, most marriages were arranged to optimize wealth and property. Most people probably married in their teens, because life expectancy was much shorter than it is today and it was important to be able to raise a family to adulthood before you died in your late 30s or early 40s. If you did live to a ripe old age, your children were there to care for you.

The Church did not permit a marriage to be consummated before the wife was 14 but that does not mean it did not happen. However, the wealthy and noble families usually also had a contract of marriage drawn up, sometimes between very young children, outlining dowries, inheritance and property settlements. These were like formalized engagements and if one party wanted to back out, there was a very complicated legal process involved, sometimes a fee of some type was paid for the privilege. The marriage contract would usually spell out the age at which the religious ceremony would occur and the marriage could be consummated.

If a broken marriage contract was not properly concluded, it could prevent someone from legally marrying another person as they would be considered married.

Answer 2

In Elizabethan times, it was not uncommon for young women to marry as early as 13. The men, of course, ranged in age from 13-60ish, but the women married young for childbearing purposes. Also because the life span for them was so much shorter than it is for us now- 13 was probably the age equivalent of at least 25 back then, if you consider that people only lived to about their mid-40s.

And no, they normally did not marry for love. Most of the marriages (among nobility and the upper class, anyway) were arranged by families trying to make alliances between other powerful families.

Answer 3

Among wealthy people women were married young, they could be married by 14 - and when royalty they could be married in their cradle - but 16 was more usual. They died young, mostly because of childbearing. A man could have two, three or even four wives in a lifetime.
Men could be married around the same age, but usually later, 17 or 18.
Strangely enough among peasants they married later. One needed to have enough food for their family, marrying young and having children young was not a good thing.
And no, love had nothing to do with it. One married for wealth, alliance, or land, and the mate was usually chosen by the parents or the family. Love? Get that stupid idea out of your head and marry this one!

Answer 4

According to the web site Elizabethan Wedding Customs,there were young marriages in royalty,but for most,especially boys,21 was the age of consent.

Answer 5

they married young.
some married for love, but many did not.
like today...