Newspaper articles often add context to family events. In 1882, John T. Flynn married Flora I. Boggs in Marion County, Indiana. However, his mother did not seem to like the idea of the marriage.
"On Saturday Mrs. Elizabeth Flynn, of this city, called on Mr. Raksdell, Clerk of Marion county at Indianapolis, to prevent the issue of marriage license to her nineteen-year-old son, John T. who she says ran away with a woman who is not worthy to be his wife. She says she will communicate with every County Clerk in the State if necessary, and prevent the marriage."[1]
Either her efforts did not work, or he wore her down to agree to the marriage. In Indiana, males were to be twenty-one to marry without parental consent.[2]
This was in October. However, John did marry in November.
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The marriage return gave more details and shows he stated he was twenty-two and that Flora Boggs was eighteen, clearly to avoid needing parental consent.[3]
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John and Flora had one child, Charles E Flynn, but their marriage did not last. She married John Hanrahan, on 15 May 1895 in Marion Co, Indiana.[4]
So John did run away to marry and his mother did not prevent
it from happening.
#52 Ancestors: Week 31: Flew the Coop
This is my sixth year working on this year-long prompt,
hosted by Amy Johnson Crow (https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/)
at Generations Cafe. I write each week in one of my two blogs, either Mam-ma’s Southern Family or My Trails into the Past.
I have enjoyed writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways.
[1]
“Jeffersonville,” Courier-Journal
(Louisville, Ky), 3
Oct 1882, p 3, col. 1.
[2]
James Gavin & Oscar B Hord, ed., The Statutes of the State of Indiana:
Containing the Revised Statutes of 1852, With the Amendments Thereto, and the
Subsequent Legislation, With Notes and References to Judicial Decisions, Vol.
1, (Indianapolis: W.H. Bingham, 1862), Chapter XCV, Marriages, Section V.
[3]
Marion County, Indiana, marriage returns, 1882-1891, p. 79, John T Flynn to Flora
L Boggs, 1882, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9TF-Y7JK-C),
citing film 4262167, image 82 of 890; Superior Court Clerk, Indianapolis.
[4]
Marion County, Indiana, marriage returns, 1894-1901, p. 84, John Hanrahan to
Flo Flenn, 1895, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9XF-LVLZ?i=86&cat=251556),
citing film 007579209, image 87 of 718; citing Clerk of the Circuit Court,
Indianapolis.
Hmm, wonder why Mama was worried about the young lady? And how did her son wear Mama down to get permission?
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