MARRIED NOW

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21772, 11 October 1932, Page 15

MARRIED NOW

ADOPTED THEIR OWN SON A BUSH ROMANCE. WEDLOCK AFTER 40 YEARS. The remarkable case of a man and woman legally adopting their own adult son occurred at a country town in New South Wales recently. The adoption was preceded by the marriage of the man’s parents, who had been living together in an unmarried state for more than 40 years. The family are farmers, and some years ago several of the sons came to Sydney to work. Recently one required his birth certificate and wrote to the clerk of petty sessions at his home town for it. The clerk made a search of the records, and was astonished to find that the man’s parents, both well known in the district, had never been married, and that their 11 children were therefore illegitimate. The clerk communicated with the parents, and told them that by becoming legally married they could legitimise their family. The veteran farmer, questioned as to why he had not married, explained that his wife left him and / . he fell in love with the woman who had borne him their children. “ When my legal wife died, we did not bother,” lie said. “ The missus and I love each other, and we are not going to run away from one another.” His snowy-haired old wife agreed with him. The wedding was performed, and 10 of the children were legitimised. As the eldest son had been born while the farmer’s wife was still alive, he could not be legitimised. The farmer then secured legal advice, and promptly legally adopted his own son. Until the son who required the birth certificate made his application, not one of the family knew that the parents had not been married.