Re: Sanguinity-a story of many hats
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In reply to:
Sanguinity-a story of many hats
terence kelley 2/22/09
Terence -
Degrees of consanguinity (and that's the term you need - not sanguinity) were a major deal to many cultures (particularly those who were Roman Catholic) long before your ancestors.
For instance in England, two people within certain degrees of consanguinity were not permitted to marry without a papal indulgence - hence giving the genealogist yet another paper trail for those families. The indulgences laid down on paper the relationship of the couple involved. The indulgences also provided a source of income to the church.
While not legally required in many places later, you will still find families obtaining indulgences in cases of close relationships just to remain in good graces with the church.
So yes, many people but probably not all did know of relationships with others in their communities.
Consanguinity is an interesting topic and one that provides a lot of genealogical hints.
Jackie