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Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 42, 23 January 1945, Page 7

Marriage of Minors Each year since 1936 f when the last vestiges- of the depression were disappearing, has seen an increase in. the numbers of. minors marrying in New Zealand. According to the 194.4 Year Book, of every 1000 men who entered mg.trim.ony in 1940 33 were under 21 years of age, while 199 of brides were under 21. In 393 marriages in 1940 both parties were given as under 21 < in 3080 weddings the bride was * re-, turned as a minor and the bridegroom as an adult and in 174 marriages the bridegroom was a minor and the bride an adult. There is an interesting reference also to the modal or popular age for marriage. For several years prior to 1918 age 26 held pride of place for bridegrooms and age 21 for brides. These I ages continued in popularity to 1940 without alteration, but in the case of bridegrooms the most favoured age has varied and for 1940 it was 24. Of 17 448 marriages registered in 1940 Church of England clergymen officiated at 4787, Presbyterian 4.554, Methodists at 177G and Roman Catholics at 2134 while 2968 marriages were carried out by registrars.