Tying the Knot

In September 2021 Professor Rebecca Probert’s new monograph, Tying the Knot: The Formation of Marriage 1836-2020, was published by Cambridge University Press. In it she examines the roots of the modern law of marriage in the Marriage Act 1836 and how the law has evolved over time. Drawing on an exceptionally wide range of primary sources, she provides the first detailed examination of marriage legislation, social practice, and their mutual interplay, from 1836 through to the unanticipated demands of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. She analyses how people have chosen to marry and how those choices have changed, and evaluates how far the law has been help or hindrance in enabling couples to marry in ways that reflect their beliefs, be they religious or secular.

Rebecca Probert will be talking about her new book on 3 December 2021 as part of the new Law and History seminar series.