#5 Charles Darwin And Emma Wedgewood: they were related
It truly cannot get more ironic than this, as Charles Darwin, the known father of the theory of evolution, married someone he was closely related to—his first cousin!
They were one year apart and allegedly very close since they were children, with Emma Wedgwood being one of the few who supported Charles’ decision to travel to Beagle even though her father forbade it. In return, when Emma was courting a family friend who ended up in a scandal, Charles came back home to make sure the relationship would not go any further.
The story goes that Emma refused several marriage proposals as she was content to stay with him and care for her sister and mother, who was bedridden. However, when she was thirty and Charles was twenty-nine, they got married! The irony doesn’t stop here, as the person who officiated their wedding was also their cousin.
Together, they had ten children, three of whom did not make it and died while still young. We know that back in the 1800s, the life expectancy for children was really low. However, we wonder if the fact that the two were first cousins and closely blood-related had anything to do with it too!
4 thoughts on “9 Famous People Who Were Related and Still Got Married”
It has been documented that Jefferson and his slave Hemmings were in love. It is not fair to say he abused her. She was half sister to his former wife.
Any couple related or not, also is at risk of having a child with genetic conditions or health problems! Although taboo in some cultures, marriage between first cousins is accepted in many cultures around the world. The vast majority of children of first cousins are healthy and do not have problems due to their parents’ relatedness. It is important to keep in mind that even for an unrelated couple, there is an approximately 2-3% chance that their child is born with a birth defect, genetic syndrome, or disability.
The risk for children of first cousins is increased over this background, by about 3%. ( Not enough to forbid or look down upon )
The above information is from the “Genetic Awareness Project”
Another note of fact: Mary and Joseph were first cousins…. and though Jesus supposedly was immaculately conceived his siblings were definitely born of Mary and Joseph. If G-d sanctioned their marriage then who are we to say that such marriages are taboo?
You missed another famous couple who were cousins. FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt..
The outlaw Jesse James married his first cousin, Zerelda Mimms. She tended to his wounds from the Civil War.