Legal definition of minor

Waitsian

Guys I need your help please.

I have a marriage cert where both bride and groom are listed as 'minor' under age. The wedding was registered in Dublin in April 1932. Would it be under 21 or under 18 in that year? Does anyone know the minimum age allowed for marriage?

Thanks.

pinkypinky

My instinct says 21 or under but I'm not definite.

Voting age was only reduced to 18 in the 1970s. I remember my parents making a will when my brother was 16 and he had to be defined legally as an "infant" and had to be assigned a legal guardian until the age of 21. This was about 12 years ago.

I think that you could get married with parental consent from 16, same as now.

Waitsian

pinkypinky wrote: »

My instinct says 21 or under but I'm not definite.

Voting age was only reduced to 18 in the 1970s. I remember my parents making a will when my brother was 16 and he had to be defined legally as an "infant" and had to be assigned a legal guardian until the age of 21. This was about 12 years ago.

I think that you could get married with parental consent from 16, same as now.

Yeah my thought was under 21 too.

shanew

I'd go along with 21 - but cant find a source for that at the moment...

Waitsian

shanew wrote: »

I'd go along with 21 - but cant find a source for that at the moment...

No, nor I - but I'll keep looking.

shanew

from "An Act for Marriages in Ireland; and for registering such Marriages, 9 August 1844, 7 & 8 Vict. c.81". An amendment was passed in 1864 to allow for RC marriages, but the basic rules were probably retained..

'.....they are both of the full Age of Twenty-one Years....'

see : http://www.histpop.org/ohpr/servlet/View?path=Browse/Legislation%20%28by%20date%29/1844&active=yes&mno=4047


Shane

P. Breathnach

shanew wrote: »

I'd go along with 21 - but cant find a source for that at the moment...

Ditto.

In earlier years the age of a person marrying when under 21 was specifically recorded, while those 21 or over were recorded as "full age". That's consistent with 21 being the age of majority - and, by inference, under 21 being the age of minority.

[Overtaken by Shane's last post!]

Waitsian

So under 21, and at least 16? In 1932, to marry? I can't imagine them being allowed to do so younger...

Just re-read pinky's post (#2). 16-21 so...that fits for my research purposes.

shanew

as far as I can see at least parts of the 1844 Act were in place until 1995

- http://www.acts.ie/en.act.1995.0026.8.html


S.

CeannRua

This Law Reform Commission Paper says the legal minimum age for marriage until the 1972 Marriages Act was 14 for males and 12 for females. Section 4.4 onwards:
http://www.lawreform.ie/_fileupload/consultation%20papers/wpAgeofMajority.htm

mari2222

mod9maple wrote: »

Guys I need your help please.

I have a marriage cert where both bride and groom are listed as 'minor' under age. The wedding was registered in Dublin in April 1932. Would it be under 21 or under 18 in that year? Does anyone know the minimum age allowed for marriage?

Thanks.

The Age of Majority Act 1985 introduced minimum age 18 as the general rule for contracts etc, it was previously age 21.