Kind of, Preachers rode a circuit, When he came around they then made it a Legal marriage. People nowadays refer to the arrangement as common law. We don't have common law marriage here,
Well, not completely. There is a lot of variation from state to state, and in some only parts of a cohabitation agreement will hold up in court. One must be careful to know the requirements in your jurisdiction before you hook up long term, as it's possible to be legally considered married after a time. (Had to know something about this at one point --)
It's not recognized by the courts here, The judge will tell you to move to Texas. It really gets complicated if you co-mingle your funds and then buy a house and property. It's then treated like a business venture.
Joined the USAF in 1956 and after basic was sent to Lowrey AFB in Denver Colorado. We were given a couple of days to get used to the altitude, going from Parks AFB at 40 ft to Lowrey at almost 6000 ft and told the facts of life. At that time the old codes from the mining days had not been rescinded and if you and a woman, neither married, checked into a hotel or other public rental place, and registered using your legal names and spent the night, you were married as well as the state of Colorado was concerned and over the years, more than one soldier who was KIA had a newly found widow collect his insurance, no matter who he had intended to leave it to. The sargent giving the lecture kind of implied that if he were to do such a thing, not that he would of course, he would not be as stupid as to use his right name. Uncle Morgan, One of my favorite cartoons from the early 1960's before Viet Nam was of two soldiers sitting in a fox hole and as far as you can see is nothing but bombed out ruins, one is cooking a rat on his bayonet over a fire made of scrap wood, and the other is waiting for it to cook. Both are dressed in rags that are what is left of US Army uniforms. The caption said "The LT said is official now, we won the war".
This is probably before most of your times, but the Sarge said as everyone lined up "Men, there will be war until the Prince of Peace, Jesus returns." Then everyone was sent to a Constitution and Bill of Rights class and taught what it all meant. In detail. Seems quite a few people now could use that class and check a few laws and other things before mouthing off to others. Yeah, I spent more time fighting for the Constitution and my Rights, such as my right to speak my mind, thank you, than some here have spent alive. Yeah, Bill Maudin (Maudlin?) was a great WWII cartoonist.
I just learned that Trial by Combat is an unrevoked and valid form of settlement. 'Game of Thrones' Inspires Lawyer to Demand Trial by Combat
Actually I thought dueling was outlawed in the US. There are other countries that allow it (I am reasonable sure France still "allows" it, and there sure are enough dueling [pistol shooting and sword, or rapier, fighting] schools there but it is frowned on and/or a semi-legal propitiation, like owning full auto firearms here). However if it is deemed legal I can think of a few people who might like to start thinking before opening their mouths. OK, I made a funny! I said "think"!
Dueling was outlawed many times and continued. The US outlawed it and it quit at once. They declared the winner guilty of murder and hung a couple. Honor loses a lot of its importance if winning also means you lose your own life in a most unacceptable form. I seem to remember Mauldins brother being at Holloman AFB in the middle 1950's and hearing a story on one of his cartoon series that was not published. A bunch of high ranking officers were meeting on a navy criuser or perhaps battleship in Italy after the Germans had been driven out, but the war was still going on and were having a formal dinner, mess stewards, silver and china, dress whites and the whole 9 yards. Some bright young officer got the bright idea of having Mauldin do some cartoons. He drew a series of hungry children, ragged combat vets, etc and placed them in the portholes so it looked like they were watching the big shots eat. Needless to say they were removed before the big shots arrived and he was not invited to do any more.
