Hi Eric & Patsy,

If you haven't seen this you would be interested in a lengthy article by J. R. Roscow in a back issue of IOMNHA Soc. Magazine [Vol X No. 2 pp3-16] held in the MM Library. Called "Manx Marriage Contracts: 1600-1736".
This describes many underage marriages (with names and parishes) and the reasons for these, as well as numerous examples and explanations of marriage contracts. And divorce for "flagrant abuse of the marriage vows". He also gives very good descriptions of land inheritance and explains "nonage", indicating a child who could not legally complete a contract, and the law regarding this.
He writes:
'There are many instances of orphaned children under fourteen years of age being heirs to the family farm, which led during the seventeenth century to many cases of arranged child marriages. Deemster Parr in his Abstract of the Laws says that children above seven years old can contract for marriage, but also that a boy on reaching the age of fourteen, and a girl the age of twelve, might "disagree and marry elsewhere."'

I bought a copy of the article from the MM and it is very well worth getting, and is quite an eye-opener!

Sue