how did poes family/society react to him marrying his cousin?

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2002

Answers

Not so uncommon at that time. The peculiar social difficulties of intimacies, dowries and finance actually contributed to lonely people looking closer to home. The rest of the Poe family was not pleased and tried to stop the marriage. I think it was judgment against Poe as a person rather than a scandal. It was not uncommon for such a marriage to go unconsummated for years. I am sure her teachers and friends might still have done a few double takes.

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2002

It can't have been quite so acceptable. After all, the marriage certificate lies about her age (to make her 21, if I recall correctly). Why tell this untruth, if it was so normal to marry a cousin so young?

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2002

Edgar's cousin Neilson married Virginia's half-sister, who was his first cousin. It was very common to marry cousins at the time, and obviously not generally opposed within the family.

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2002