Later Marriages in History
In contrast to other pre-modern societies—and for reasons that are subject to debate—Northwest Europe was characterized by relatively late marriages for both men and women, with both sexes commonly delaying marriage until their mid-20s or even 30s.[41][42][43] The data available for England suggest this was the case by the 14th century. The pattern was reflected in English Common Law, which was the first in Western Europe to establish statutory rape laws and ages of consent for marriage. In 1275, sexual relations with girls under either 12 or 14 (depending on the interpretation of the sources) were criminalized; a second law with more severe punishments for those under the age of 10 was enacted in 1576. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the British colonial administration introduced marriage age restrictions for Hindu and Muslim girls in the Indian subcontinent.[30]
Sources:
Levine, David (1977). Family Formation in an Age of Nascent Capitalism. Academic Press. p. 152. ISBN978-0-12-445050-9. Hajnal, John (1965). "European marriage pattern in historical perspective". In Glass, D. V.; Eversley, D.E.C. (eds.). Population in History. London: Arnold. pp. 101–143. Coontz, Stephanie (2005). Marriage, a History: From Obedience to Intimacy, or How Love Conquered Marriage. New York, New York: Viking Press, Penguin Group. pp. 125–129. ISBN978-0-670-03407-9.