Abstract
ABSTRACTIn August 1653, Cromwell’s Nominated Assembly passed into law “An Act touching Marriages and the Registring thereof”, which sought to reform and standardize English marriage laws by replacing the church ceremony with a simple civil service performed by a justice of the peace. Despite some regional successes, the Act was widely ignored and poorly enforced, and drew the ire of critics for its perceived hostility to traditional customs and institutions. In this paper I examine some of the nuptial-themed literature that responds both directly and indirectly to the 1653 marriage act, with a particular focus on the works of James Howell, whose varied output of work embodies the hopes, fears, and idiosyncrasies of Interregnum royalism. Not only does the work of Howell and his fellow royalists defend marriage against Cromwellian innovations, but more broadly, it illustrates how the discourse of marriage was uniquely suited to express cultural grievance and royalist solidarity during the early years of the Protectorate.
Published Version
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