# Dating your Cousin in the UK **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 16, 2009, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dating-your-cousin-in-the-uk/517808 "2009-11-16T19:06:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![MJinks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@MJinks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MJinks)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2009, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dating-your-cousin-in-the-uk/517808/41 "2009-11-28T00:26:26Z")
I’m 26, British and don’t have a problem with it. It raises interesting issues with regards children, which I’m completely ignorant to, but other than that I couldn’t care less. I couldn’t tell you what other people think because it’s never really come up in conversation. If some footballer marries his cousin I’ll get back to you… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Philosopher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Philosopher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Philosopher)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2009, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dating-your-cousin-in-the-uk/517808/42 "2009-11-28T02:24:15Z")
I’m really surprised by some of the responses in this thread. I’m English and everyone I know would find it super weird if they knew two first cousins who were dating. To use the options you used: the reactions would be along the lines of “shock” and “disgust”, certainly more than “concern” or “raised eyebrows”. It would get that reaction everywhere I’ve lived, in London, Bristol or Scotland. To be honest before I’d read this thread I would have said the prevailing view of it over here roughly matches the US nowadays, the only exception being that it isn’t illegal. There are the same jokes about rural people “marrying their cousins” and so on. I had a friend who dated his half-sister (i.e. no blood relation) and he was mercilessly ripped for it. A lot of people actually found it disgusting, and they weren’t even blood related! I can’t imagine the grief he would have got if it had been his cousin. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2009, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dating-your-cousin-in-the-uk/517808/43 "2009-11-28T02:27:47Z")
> [@The\_Great\_Philosopher](#): > > I’m really surprised by some of the responses in this thread. I’m English and everyone I know would find it super weird if they knew two first cousins who were dating. To use the options you used: the reactions would be along the lines of “shock” and “disgust”, certainly more than “concern” or “raised eyebrows”. It would get that reaction everywhere I’ve lived, in London, Bristol or Scotland. Me too. I’ve never come across such an attitude in this country. Cousins dating? That would result in widespread disgust anywhere I’ve lived (Southampton, London, Nottingham, Torquay). ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dating-your-cousin-in-the-uk/517808/44 "2009-11-29T11:18:51Z")
I’m not British, but want to give a data point any way. I think generally, in Europe, there are no “national standards” on how to react to romantically involved cousins, and people’s view varies by the individual family. Dating one’s cousin would be a source of shock and disgust within mine. There is a strong sense of being related to one’s cousins. The mothers of my female cousins are my mother’s sisters, and all of us descend from the same grandmother, fer chrissakes! Way dirty and wrong, and practically impossible, even if the law says it’s OK. ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dating-your-cousin-in-the-uk/517808/45 "2009-11-29T12:39:31Z")
> [@amarone](#): > > I am British and while I never heard of any first cousins marrying or dating, I also never heard any comments or jokes about the situation. Whereas when I moved to the US, it was clear that there is a taboo here. You’ve obviously never been to a Norwich City away game 😉 To the tune of _The Addams Family_: “Your father is your brother Your sister is your mother You like to shag each other The Norwich family” > [@Mk\_VII](#): > > That’s code for Pakistani immigrants, where cousin marriage is extremely common It’s not just Pakistani communities. I grew up in the Fens… the largest minority ethnic community in Cambridgeshire are Travellers, and cousin marriage is still very common amongst that community. Certain genetic illnesses (e.g. Huntingdon’s disease) are much more prevalent in Fenland areas for this reason. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dating-your-cousin-in-the-uk/517808/46 "2009-11-29T12:59:15Z")
> [@Wallenstein](#): > > Certain genetic illnesses (e.g. Huntingdon’s disease) are much more prevalent in Fenland areas for this reason. Do you have any reason for believing that? ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dating-your-cousin-in-the-uk/517808/47 "2009-11-29T13:05:09Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > Do you have any reason for believing that? Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dating-your-cousin-in-the-uk/517808/48 "2009-11-29T13:54:02Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > Do you have any reason for believing that? I’m a Brit and too lazy to look for a cite too but it’s well known to anyone interested in genetic diseases. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dating-your-cousin-in-the-uk/517808/49 "2009-11-29T14:00:20Z")
> [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](#): > > I’m a Brit and too lazy to look for a cite too but it’s well known to anyone interested in genetic diseases. Consider me highly, highly skeptical. I’m having a hard time imagining how such a claim could even be tested, much less confirmed. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dating-your-cousin-in-the-uk/517808/50 "2009-11-29T14:06:09Z")
Come on guys - it’s not hard to look for evidence. > [@](#): > > [The results show that the prevalence of the disease in this area is very much higher than has previously been reported and is comparable to the highest rates known anywhere in the world](http://ukpmc.ac.uk/articlerender.cgi?artid=1178492). ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dating-your-cousin-in-the-uk/517808/51 "2009-11-29T14:06:45Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > Consider me highly, highly skeptical. I’m having a hard time imagining how such a claim could even be tested, much less confirmed. Heh I started googling immediately after I posted. It’s a matter of statistics. The table hasn’t copied properly, the first number after the disease refers to national prevalence the second to Norfolk. > [@](#): > > Common Neurological > Conditions > > National Prevalence > – Rate per 100,000 > Estimated Numbers for > Norfolk based on national prevalence > Parkinson’s Disease > 200 > 1658 > Multiple Sclerosis > 144 > 1194 > Motor Neurone Disease > 7 > 58 > Huntington’s Disease > 13.5 > 112 As we see the prevalence in Norfolk is four times the national average. It’s not in fact the most dense occurence in the UK I think it’s just the unfortunate notoriety of Norfolk. ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dating-your-cousin-in-the-uk/517808/52 "2009-11-29T14:09:43Z")
> [@amarone](#): > > Come on guys - it’s not hard to look for evidence. Kicks self for looking at Norfolk rather than East Anglia and thus being slower to find anything than Amarone. ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dating-your-cousin-in-the-uk/517808/53 "2009-11-29T14:11:27Z")
It is a fact that Travellers are (one of) the largest single ethnic minority groups in the Fens, and it’s also a fact that Cambridgeshire is home to more Travellers than any other UK county. [http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/community/travellers/](http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/community/travellers/) Research indicates that Irish Traveller populations have a higher incidence of certain diseases than other ethnic and social groups. e.g. article in Clinical Dysmorphology (Oct 2007): _High prevalence of Cohen syndrome among Irish travellers_ Travellers have a tradition of consanguinity, to the extent that many Traveller families will travel from Ireland to the UK to marry as some Irish bishops are now refusing to perform the ceremony for cousins. [http://www.paveepoint.ie/pav\_consang.html](http://www.paveepoint.ie/pav_consang.html) The UK Govt recognises the risks associated with consanguineous relationships amongst the Traveller community, to the extent that the UK Government “Task Force on Travellers” wrote that _"Given that Travellers predominantly marry within their own community, marriage of close relatives is common. Accordingly, a specific, genetic counselling service to Travellers is required to address any risks associated with this_". So given that the Fens has more Travellers than any other part of the UK, and given that consanguinity is common in Traveller families, and also given that higher incidence of certain diseases have been noted in Traveller communities, I think it’s not an unreasonable claim. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dating-your-cousin-in-the-uk/517808/54 "2009-11-29T19:17:05Z")
> [@](#): > > “Your father is your brother > Your sister is your mother > You like to shag each other > The Norwich family” I’m trying to figure out some arrangement of incestuous partners which would result in this situation, and failing. Near as I can tell, it implies that each of a Norwickian’s parents is older than the other. ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dating-your-cousin-in-the-uk/517808/55 "2009-11-29T19:26:19Z")
> [@The\_Great\_Philosopher](#): > > I had a friend who dated his half-sister (i.e. no blood relation) Do you mean step-sister? Half-sister would mean they shared a parent. ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dating-your-cousin-in-the-uk/517808/56 "2009-11-29T19:51:46Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I’m trying to figure out some arrangement of incestuous partners which would result in this situation, and failing. Near as I can tell, it implies that each of a Norwickian’s parents is older than the other. I believe the sentiment (and the fact it rhymes and fits the metre of the original) was of more concern than accuracy. There are also songs about webbed feet, extra fingers and the fact that the best way to make someone from Norfolk fall over is to fly a plane overhead… they’ll stand and point until they topple over. Basically they are the closest we get to the Ozarks, except instead of mountains they have ague-ridden marshes. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dating-your-cousin-in-the-uk/517808/57 "2009-11-29T21:11:16Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I’m trying to figure out some arrangement of incestuous partners which would result in this situation, and failing. Near as I can tell, it implies that each of a Norwickian’s parents is older than the other. I think it goes like this: Father couples with sister, yielding child. Brother of child’s sister is child’s brother (if you squint). Sister of child’s brother is child’s sister (again…). Or, Father/daughter link would work as well. hh ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dating-your-cousin-in-the-uk/517808/58 "2009-11-29T21:16:59Z")
> [@Racer1](#): > > Just to back this up - I’m 31, in the UK, and I would find it freakish. > > A had a friend who dated her second cousin a couple of years back, and while we were all polite (if luke warn) about it to her face, everyone was a bit weirded out and joked behind her back about whether they’d be moving to Norfolk. > > Maybe it was normal in the past, but I don’t think many think it is now. No…but moving \*from \*Norfolk is!😉 Many people find me witty! hh ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dating-your-cousin-in-the-uk/517808/59 "2009-11-29T21:38:59Z")
Only inbred folk, I’m guessin’. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dating-your-cousin-in-the-uk/517808/60 "2009-11-30T05:55:57Z")
> [@Wallenstein](#): > > So given that the Fens has more Travellers than any other part of the UK, and given that consanguinity is common in Traveller families, and also given that higher incidence of certain diseases have been noted in Traveller communities, I think it’s not an unreasonable claim. It may or may not be reasonable, but at this stage we have no evidence to support it. Does anybody have an actual reference that says that Huttingdon’s disease is more common in the Fenlands area because of cousin marriages. Because at this stage the best we have is “given that the Fens has more alcoholics than any other part of the UK, and it also has more Baptist churches than any other part of the country, and given that Baptist churches encourage alcoholics to become members, and given that a higher number of public houses are found close to Baptist Churches, I think it’s not an unreasonable claim that the reason for the high incidence of alcoholism is due to the presence of the Baptist churches.” It’s not really a compelling argument. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dating-your-cousin-in-the-uk/517808.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dating-your-cousin-in-the-uk/517808.md?page=4)