Week 9 Prompt: At the Courthouse
This week’s 52 Ancestors theme is “At the Courthouse.” I have various court-related events among my family. But one in particular has always made me wonder…why?
My second great-grandparents Timothy McMahon and Sarah Jane Ward were both living in Chicago, but decided to get married before a judge in Lake County, Indiana, instead of locally in a church. I believe Lake County may be something akin to a Gretna Green, although I haven’t looked into it in any depth, primarily because nothing in their pasts would indicate the need for a quick or unobstructed marriage. They were both of age (under both Illinois and Indiana law). They both belonged to Irish Catholic families. Nothing seems to indicate either was previously married. Their first child wasn’t born until almost two-and-a-half years after they wed. So what gives?
Not only did they not marry in the church, they chose to go to a courthouse over 40 miles away in another state. Perhaps there was an objection from one of the families. Or maybe, the bride was pregnant. While there is no indication of another child, when I did the math, I realized there could have been another child born between the time of marriage and the time of the “first” child’s birth, and even more so if Sarah was pregnant before the marriage. I have yet to find another child, but it doesn’t mean there wasn’t one.
While a child on the way or family objections are both good reasons for the couple to run off and marry, I wonder if there are others, besides the other ones I considered (age, previous marriage(s), and religion). If you have an idea, please leave a comment—I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Lake County, Indiana was definitely a Gretna Green, with the activity centered on the courthouse in Crown Point. It was a 24/7/365 business from the early 1900s through 1938. It was very popular because of the “no wait” period prior to marriage. See this article https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-bicentennial-marriage-mill-st-0612-20160610-story.html.
Thanks for the info, Mark!