morgantic marriage

1 definition found

morgantic marriage - Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) :

  MORGANTIC MARRIAGE. During the middle ages, there was an intermediate estate 
  between matrimony and concubinage, known by this name. It is defined to be a 
  lawful and inseparable conjunction of a single man, of noble and illustrious 
  birth, with a single woman of an inferior or plebeian station, upon this 
  condition, that neither the wife nor children should partake of the title, 
  arms, or dignity of the husband, nor succeed to his inheritance, but should 
  have a certain allowance assigned to them by the morgantic contract. The 
  marriage ceremony was regularly performed; the union: was for life and 
  indissoluble; and the children were considered legitimate, though they could 
  not inherit. Fred. Code, book 2, art. 3; Poth. Du Marriage, 1, c. 2, s. 2; 
  Shelf. M. & D. 10; Pruss. Code, art. 835.