Wedding Day

May 12 1621

 May 12. was the first mariage in this place,which, according to the laudable custome of the Low-Cuntries, in which they had lived, was thought most requisite to be performed by the magistrate, as being a civill thing, upon which many questions aboute inheritances doe depende, with other things most proper to their cognizans, and most consonante to the scripturs, Ruth4. and no wher found in the gospell to be layed on the ministers as a part of their office. “This decree or law about mariage was published by the Stats of the Low-Cuntries Ano : 1590. That those of any religion, after lawfull and open publication, coming before the magistrats, in the Town or Stat-house, were to be orderly (by them) maried one to another.” Petets Hist. fol: 1029. And this practiss hath continued amongst, not only them, but hath been followed by all the famous churches of Christ in these parts to this time,-Ano : 1646.

William Bradford. Of Plymouth Plantation.

This is the day that Edward Winslow married Susanna White in 1621.

17th century Flemish wedding

This was a second marriage for each of them.  Edward’s first wife, Elizabeth (Barker) died on March 24 and Susanna was widowed on February 21st when William White died. Susanna is also the mother of Peregrine White, born November 1620 shortly after the Mayflower arrives at Cape Cod. This was probably not a  festive, rollicking good time.

Wedding Days

Samuel Pepys writes:

Monday 3 February 1661/62
After musique practice I went to the office, and there with the two Sir Williams all the morning about business, and at noon I dined with Sir W. Batten with many friends more, it being his wedding-day, and among other froliques, it being their third year, they had three pyes, whereof the middlemost was made of an ovall form, in an ovall hole within the other two, which made much mirth, and was called the middle piece; and above all the rest, we had great striving to steal a spooneful out of it; and I remember Mrs. Mills, the minister’s wife, did steal one for me and did give it me; and to end all, Mrs. Shippman did fill the pye full of white wine, it holding at least a pint and a half, and did drink it off for a health to Sir William and my Lady, it being the greatest draft that ever I did see a woman drink in my life.

Notice that

1. My bold
2. What he calls the wedding day , we call the anniversary – so 17th century people might consider that they have more then one wedding day
3. They have 3 pies, one for each year of marriage. This is a totally awesome custom and needs to be revived. Invite me to your wedding  day ‘frolique’ and I’ll bring one of the pies….instead of gifts, have the guests bring pies…..
4. At the end they turn the pie into a drinking game…how does one fill a pie with a pint and a half of white wine?

Jan Steen – Village Wedding

Samuel Pepys also writes….

6 January 1662. (Because I’m working from transcripts, I’m a little unclear if this is eleven months AFTER the last passage or if it is four weeks before. I just wish people would stop ‘adjusting’ for the calendar change and just put things in the order in which they actually happened.)

This morning I sent my lute to the Paynter’s, and there I staid with him all the morning to see him paint the neck of my lute in my picture, which I was not pleased with after it was done. Thence to dinner to Sir W. Pen’s, it being a solemn feast day with him, his wedding day, and we had, besides a good chine of beef and other good cheer, eighteen mince pies in a dish, the number of the years that he hath been married.

Jan Steen – Vrolijke huisgezin – a frolicking good time. I could see this crowd drinking wine out of pie coffins

Notice also:

1. My bold again

1. The wedding day/anniversary is called ‘a solemn feast day’.

1. Little mince pies in a dish:

A plate of mince minces – seven instead of eighteen – from T. Hall’s The Queen’s Royal Cookery of 1703

Jan Steen – Peasant Wedding