Marion Irvine (1803 - 1883)
Marion Irvine was born 29 July 1803 in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, the daughter of John Irvine and Marion Lamont.
On 9 Sep 1825, at the age of 22, Marion Irvine married William Mathieson (a woolspinner) in Kilmarnock by Proclamation. The practice was for the
banns (or notice of the proposed marriage) to be proclaimed in the kirk before the congregation on three successive Sundays in case there was any
impediment to the marriage.
William and Marion’s first child John Mathieson was born on 26 Feb 1826.
On 31 May 1826 William Mathieson and his
wife Marion Irvine were up before the Kirk
Session (the local church court) where they
admitted to antenuptial fornication.
Compeared William Matthieson and his wife
Marion Irvine, confessed they had been guilty of
antenuptial fornication together. It being a
relapse on her part the Session delayed taking
their case into consideration till a future
meeting.
Antenuptial fornication (i.e. sexual intercourse before marriage) was a cause for major concern in Scottish
churches and Kirk Session minutes for every parish are full of details of those being hauled up in front of the
minister and elders to answer for their sins. Generally, it was the woman who was summoned, usually once
advanced pregnancy brought her sin to public knowledge. She was rebuked sternly, and persuaded to name
her partner in sin, if this was not an obvious boyfriend. He too was then summoned, to repent of his sin, and
to make some sort of reparation, or to offer support for the child, if he acknowledged it. If the putative father
was reluctant to acknowledge paternity, and the Session were equally convinced that he was responsible, they
would keep on summoning him back to subsequent meetings, to try to ‘persuade' him further! A married
couple whose first child made a too-early appearance were also called to confess their sin retrospectively.
Meaning : Compear - To appear in court as a party to a cause either in person or by counsel
