Denounced Marriage

Finding out that one of your ancestors denounced their marriage to receive their last rights while on their death bed might seem harsh. Then again what does “denouncing your marriage” exactly mean? Did they not love each other? Is it a form of divorce to allow the soon to be widow or widower to remarry? Or is it simply a religious step you take to be buried in a Catholic cemetery alongside your first spouse?

Well for my family it was the later of the choices and this wasn’t that uncommon and I believe you might still hear about it today. My 2x great grandfather remarried shortly after the death of his first wife, whom was Catholic. My 2x great grandmother died at a young age and left 6 children for him to rear,   I’m sure most of you have run across situations similar to this one. Being a young widower himself and left with 6 children to rear he quickly sought a new spouse to help in the rearing of these children.  He and his second wife were married for some time and even had children of their own. Before his passing he wished to be buried along the side of his first wife.  But he was unable to do so because of his second marriage was not Catholic, their marriage was Protestant.  It was during this time he denounced his marriage so he could receive his last rights and be buried in the Catholic cemetery alongside of his first wife.