Quote:
Originally Posted by MaggieScratch
In honor of Jane Austen's birthday, I shall point out that in her day (late 18th, early 19th centuries) it was illegal to marry your late wife's sister (for men) or your late husband's brother (for women). That was considered incestuous.
Jane's brother Charles did that, incidentally--married his late wife's sister, who acted as his housekeeper/babysitter after said wife died in childbirth--but they had to go to France to do it.
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It was illegal in the UK until 1907. I always call it the Dead Wife's Sister Act instead of the legal name. A man couldn't marry his brother's widow until 1921 though.