Informal Marriage, Cohabitation and the Law 1750–1989

Cohabitation in Twentieth Century England and Wales: Law and Policy

“…As a result, it was logical to apply the same principles to the one emergency as to the other (cf. Parker 1990). The Unemployed Workers’ Dependants (Temporary Provision) Act 1921 was only intended to be in force for six months.…”

Conjugality

“…Cohabitation tends to be painted as an especially modern way of living (Diduck 2008, xiii) and has certainly become much more widespread in the last several decades (Beaumont 2011;Smart 2011, 41;Bowman 2010, 93;Nazio 2008;Thornton, Axinn, and Xie 2007, 4-6;Duncan, Wilkerson, and England 2006, 383, 396), even to the point of being a majority or normal practice in some places (Pleck 2012, 1-2;Syltevik 2010). Despite cohabitation's reputation as a recent innovation, there have always been people who live together without celebrating a valid wedding (Thornton, Axinn, and Xie 2007, 309;Parker 1990). In many places, cohabitation (as distinct from certified marriage) is still subject to social disapproval and negative sanctions (Parsons 2008), but in some jurisdictions, cohabitation is, legally and socially, virtually identical to marriage.…”

“…What has changed is not so much that people cohabit without marrying but the social acceptability and openness of the practice (Auchmuty 2012, 74;Chernin 2009, 7). The regulation of cohabitation has a long history; in different times and places, living together as husband and wife has constituted marriage as much as having undergone a wedding ceremony (Lind 2008;Oldham 2000;Parker 1990). …”

Consensual partnering in the more developed countries

“…4 See, for example, the collection of articles edited by Laslett et at. (1980); also Wickman (1937) cited by Hoem and Hoem (1992), Stone (1977Stone ( , 1992, Trost (1978Trost ( , 1988, Lewin (1979Lewin ( , 1982, Meteyard (1980), Freeman and Lyon (1983), Houlbrooke (1984), Gillis (1985), Popenoe (1988) and Parker (1990). 5…”