On an old (1882) Wedding Certificate, why would the bride's age be listed as "Full"?

Question

What does Full mean in relation to age?

Answer 1

It means that she was 21 years old. My great grandparents marriage certificate gives my g gran to be of full age , but she was actually 17 years old.

Answer 2

..it means she was of the right age , 21 years,  

she is of full age means ready for marriage.

Answer 3

It just means she's of "full" age, as in legally old enough to marry.

Be aware that although it might SAY she's of "full" age, she could have lied. I have plenty of people in my family that lied to the registrar in order to marry, so don't base your research on this one thing.

Answer 4

It means that she was over the age required to marry without her parents permission. This is NOT the same as 'old enough to marry' as stated above. e.g. in England,  the legal age to marry for a girl was only 12 until the 1920s, and subsequently 16.  But any girl between 14 and 21 would have to have her father's permission, or if he was deceased, her mother's permission.

If the bride was over 21, then 'full age' or 'of full age' might be entered in the certificate, as that signified that she passed the legal requirement.

Answer 5

Legal age can vary greatly (21, 17, 13 in Louisiana and Florida). The document is stating she is legal age or OLDER so this resource is of limited help for confirming her age in 1882.  Check to see if the area had wedding licenses that were filled out on which the wedding certificate is based. The license (if it exists) may have more details.