What was the purpose of the Greek Marriages Act 1884? Why was it passed and what did it do?
It provided for an exception specific to certain Greek churches in the UK to the Legitimacy Declaration Act of 1858, which codified certain aspects of the right of citizenship for children born of marriages between British citizens and noncitizens.
The report in the Times of 15 March 1884 on the second reading of the bill in the House of Lords the previous day indicates that doubts had arisen about the validity of the marriages performed at the Greek Orthodox Church in London Wall before 1857 as it had not then been licensed for marriage ceremonies. The purpose of the bill was therefore to declare that those marriages were valid.
By the way… um, why?
Presumably, there were issues upon probate regarding whether certain couples had indeed been lawfully married. The bill settled the issue.
No, I meant, “why is he asking?”
It was repealed in 1986 with the passage of the Family Law Act, and I doubt it actually applies to the OP since he lives in the US.
I’m just guessing, but my hunch would be that it was prompted by alphaboi867’s customary and seemingly boundless curiosity than by any actual personal interest in its provisions.