ABSTRACT
[In 1840, an amendment to the Marriage Act 1753 allowed any building to be certified as a venue for nuptial ceremonies. Though the change was voted to accommodate Nonconformist demands, this allowed the Owenite Halls of Science to provide weddings for their members (Taylor 1983, 191–192). As shown by this anonymous report published in the New Moral World, marriages soon became part of everyday life in the branches, along with a roster of activities (such as lectures, banquets and weekly meetings) meant to prepare the socialists for their future lives in the communities (Yeo 1971, 96–97). Nuptial ceremonies were particularly important as part of the Owenite propagandist strategy. Intended as a show of respectability, they signalled the movement’s ability to act as an alternative to organised religion, while quashing potential accusations of impropriety and infidelity.]
