Forbidden Love Crosses the Border
Due to Washington State's laws prohibiting marriage between first cousins, a local couple travels to British Columbia to wed.
The wedding of Captain A. W. Lewis of Seattle, to Miss Bessie Ellwood of Fern Hill, will be solemnized in Victoria tomorrow. Capt. Lewis and Miss Ellwood are first cousins, and the law forbids their marriage in the United States. Miss Ellwood has a host of friends in Tacoma. The young couple will make their home in Seattle.
“Capt. Lewis and Miss Ellwood are first cousins, and the law forbids their marriage in the United States.”
In 1909, Washington state law prohibited first-cousin marriage, forcing couples to cross borders to legitimize their unions. Today, Washington law permits marriage between first cousins, reflecting the shifting social and legal norms regarding kinship and domestic partnership.
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