New Hampshire is the Only New England State to Legally Ban This Type of Marriage

I say, "love is love". For me, it doesn't matter if you are attracted to members of the opposite sex, same sex, both, neither, or anything in between. I respect the entire LGBTQIA spectrum! However, if you are going to venture into your own family tree, I am probably going to judge.

Marriage between cousins was a very common practice in the 1800s, so families could preserve their wealth, strengthen family ties, and that kind of stuff. It all feels very Game of Thrones to me.

Also, it is worth saying that in earlier times, people only knew the other people in their geographic proximity. They didn't have a plethora of dating apps to choose from! They knew the person who lived across the street, and their family. That's about it.

Let it be known that I am in no way supporting cousin marriage. I will forever believe it is icky, but also, you have to do what you have to do to continue the human race.

I recently learned an interesting fact about New Hampshire. It's so fun to expand my knowledge about this state I call home.

New Hampshire is apparently the only state in New England that bans marrying your first cousin.

Are all of the other New England States out here cross-pollinating with their first cousins?

I got into a bit of a Reddit rabbit hole on the subject, and some of the comments had me in stitches:

"It's legal in Maine but your kids are gonna have webbed feet, just fyi. The better to lobster dive with, my dear"

 

"New Hampshire -  the Alabama of the north."

Someone mentioned in the comments that other states might not need the law. Rural states are where it is actually a widespread practice.

New Hampshire law states that marriage is not permitted in New Hampshire between people who are related by blood as first cousins, or in any more direct lineage.

According to Inside Edition, the Granite State does allow first cousins to live together and even have sexual relations. First cousins once removed can wed, but cousins through adoption are not allowed to marry in New Hampshire. This was all probably more than you cared/needed to know.