Gardiner optimistically supposes you to “‘it may hit them that they can be more economically, though quicker expeditiously, married within the London area, compared to Scotland’” (312)
Prior to the enactment when you look at the 1753 off An operate towards the Finest Stopping from Clandestine Marriage, commonly known as “Lord Hardwicke’s Operate,” lovers you will definitely marry of societal analysis whenever they might discover an enthusiastic ordained clergyman to execute the service. As many clergymen have been ready to conduct individual marriage ceremonies to own good percentage, clandestine ous, incestuous, or of minors) was in fact problems (Outhwaite 51-54; Stone, Uncertain twenty five-34). A lady who registered for the including a great sham wedding you are going to give up their system and property to help you their own noticeable husband after which getting leftover solitary and you will jeopardized, occasionally pregnant with a great bastard child. Marriages associated with minors was basically legitimate, provided the fresh new activities had reached the average legislation age agree to own marriage, that was just fourteen to have boys and you can twelve to own girls (Priestly v Hughes 909). The situation which have such marriage ceremonies try which they took place more this new commonly well-created arguments of relatives. Legislators found to end every instance tricky marriage ceremonies because of the imposing laws up against personal ceremonies.
Lord Hardwicke’s Work provided marriages has to take invest a beneficial chapel following the publication from banns (a notification read aloud on around three successive Weekends regarding the parish chapel, proclaiming an intended relationships and you can giving the chance of objections) or following functions had gotten a different sort of license. Brand new Work also provided parties in chronilogical age of twenty-you to (the age of most) who were married from the special license required parental agree managed into the wedding as legitimate.
Lord Hardwicke’s Act is why structured elopement with Georgiana Darcy. Georgiana was then 15 years dated, a however, through the common law chronilogical age of consent, very a valid marriage might have been you are able to, and you may an easy count in the event that Georgiana’s guardians, Colonel Fitzwilliam and Fitzwilliam Darcy, got offered its consent to the latest fits. Regarding the absence of such as for instance concur, there were one or two you can easily ways of proceeding. The original could be on couples when deciding to take upwards abode within the a special parish, where interfering relationships couldn’t find them, and have the banns keep reading about three consecutive Weekends in the lack of objecting guardians. The requirements of Lord Hardwicke’s Act would up coming getting found, therefore the wedding could have happened.
Heiresses, such as for instance Georgiana, you may be lured out of their loved ones and you can married by the fortune-hunters
Another strategy is always to get-off the fresh new legislation away from The united kingdomt and wed when you look at the a place in which Lord Hardwicke’s Operate wasn’t applicable. This new Act’s criteria were felt conformity hence appropriate simply in The united kingdomt. Given that lovers you’ll evade brand new official laws of the marrying outside of England, of a lot went to Gretna Green from inside the Scotland, merely over the English border for this reason. Even when Wickham’s strategy are defeated when Georgiana confessed the newest elopement agreements so you’re able to their unique cousin, the chance so you’re able to Georgiana reveals the newest inadequacy off Lord Hardwicke’s Act to safeguard against clandestine relationship.
Austen and additionally reveals the way the proceeded chances of clandestine relationship permitted dishonest dudes to entice young women, even if the dudes had no purpose to bring through with the fresh promised relationships. Whenever Wickham later on runs away from with Lydia Bennet, who’s only sixteen, the initial considered that the happy couple has eloped so you’re able to Scotland in the future provides answer to the brand new basic facts off Lydia’s precarious standing. Jane Bennet produces so you’re able to their own sibling Elizabeth: “‘Risky just like the good and all of our terrible Lydia might possibly be, our company is today stressed become hoping it’s happened, to have discover but a lot of need in order to fear he is maybe not visited Scotland’” (302). Mr. This idea try a reference to the odds of the newest couple’s using up property into the London area and achieving new banns read on three her comment is here successive Sundays within their the fresh parish church. It really was slow than planning to Gretna Environmentally friendly, however,, as Mr. Gardiner implies, perhaps a cheaper sort of marrying a small in the place of adult concur. Into recovery off Lydia’s family, the happy couple do in the long run get married for the London. Merely Mr. Darcy’s intervention conserves Lydia away from are seduced into promise regarding marriage and given up.