Cousin Quote by Bill Bryson
““Marrying cousins was astoundingly common into the nineteenth century, and nowhere is this better illustrated than with the Darwins and their cousins the Wedgwoods (of pottery fame). Charles married his first cousin Emma Wedgwood, daughter of his beloved Uncle Josiah. Darwin's sister Caroline, meanwhile, married Josiah Wedgwood III, Emma's brother and the Darwin siblings' joint first cousin. Another of Emma's brothers, Henry, married not a Darwin but a first cousin from another branch of his own Wedgwood family, adding another strand to the family's wondrously convoluted genetics. Finally, Charles Langton, who was not related to either family, first married Charlotte Wedgwood, another daughter of Josiah and cousin of Charles, and then upon Charlotte's death married Darwin's sister Emily, thus becoming, it seems, his sister-in-law's sister-in-law's husband and raising the possibility that any children of the union would be their own first cousins.””
About This Quote
Source Book: A Short History of Nearly Everything, 2003
The passage illustrates how common cousin marriage was historically, especially among the Darwin and Wedgwood families, creating complex genetic ties.
In simple terms: Cousin marriage was once normal, leading to tangled family trees.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how social norms shape genetic lineages.
Themes
history
family
genetics
marriage
society
Mood
reflective
intrigued
Type
historical
educational
When to use this quote
- genealogy research
- family history
- anthropology
- population genetics
Key Concepts
inheritance
pedigree
social norms
Questions to Reflect On
- How did these practices affect the families' health?
- What cultural factors made cousin marriage acceptable then?
A Different Perspective
Modern societies often prohibit close cousin marriage, limiting such genetic interconnections.
