George II (r. 1727 – 1760) lends his assent to the Clandestine Marriages Act, requiring a formal religious ceremony for a marriage to be recognized in the courts. This abolishes the ancient custom of common-law marriage through cohabitation and public declaration.
[updated 11/1/2024] Thanks to Freedom’s Phoenix for this entry.
Subsequent Events:
Authority:
“Law of the Jungle”
ccc-2point0.com/preface
References:
Marriage Act 1753 – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage_Act_1753