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Watching a tv program the other day, the old chestnut of a ships captain having the authority to marry people came up, we all know this is not true, but does anyone know where this idea came from.
Appealing though it may be, the myth of a ship’s captain presiding over the nuptials of dewy-eyed couples has for most of the last century been pretty much just that. And yet the demand for weddings at sea has grown to the point that some cruise lines, operating under foreign flags and laws, have found ways to perform legal unions in international waters with the ship’s captain as officiant.
Nobody really knows how long ago this notion arose, or why ship captains are thought to have more power than, say, airline pilots or train conductors. Most likely it has to do with the fact that ocean crossings have always been longer than the typical flight or train ride, and that amorous assignations were known to flourish on the high seas. Who better to legalize them than the commander of the ship?
... Has it really no basis in fact prior to the current cruise lines' efforts? ...
In the academic land of folklore research, nobody has been able to track down exactly how this myth started.
...(S)hips' captains have never (until very recently) performed marriages.
In fact, both the US and UK governments have specific regulations relating to marriage for the captains of military and civilian ships.
They are clearly forbidden to perform marriage ceremonies, and do not, and never have had, the authority to do so.
Let me give you a direct quote from the US Navy Code of Federal Regulations, Title 32, Subtitle A, Chapter VI, Subchapter A, Part 700, Subpart G, Rule 716, also known as 32 CFR 700.716):
The commanding officer shall not perform a marriage ceremony on board his ship or aircraft. He shall not permit a marriage ceremony to be performed on board when the ship or aircraft is outside the territory of the United States, except: (a) In accordance with local laws … and (b) In the presence of a diplomatic or consular official of the United States.
But today there are a few exceptions.
Japanese ships' captains can now perform marriage ceremonies, but only for those with Japanese passports.
Beginning in 1998, a few cruise lines have offered wedding packages — perhaps to gain extra revenue, or perhaps from a deep and profound respect for the sacrament of marriage.
The captains of Cruise West ships can get a temporary permit to perform marriages — but only in certain Alaskan waters, where arrangements have been made with the counties that abut those waters. These include Prince William Sound, Juneau, LeConte Glacier and Misty Fjords.
After the marriage, the captain then has to mail the license to the relevant courthouse, so that the marriage can be legally registered.
It is also possible to get married at sea on a few of the Princess Line ships. These ships (Gold Princess, Grand Princess and Star Princess) are registered in Bermuda, and the captains have Burmuda licenses to perform marriages, but only while the ships are in international waters.
But.. But.. Why would you need instructions to a Captain not to carry out a marriage ceremony if the issue had not previously come up and some - maybe misinformed - captain obliged? Not arguing, but it seems off the wall. I don't need to have instructions sent to me to not inflate frogs with an airline because it would never occur to me to do it. But someone did.Apparently not ... Here are some excerpts from a 2008(?) Australian article on the subject ...
First - a confirmation that no one seems to have pinpointed where or when this myth originated.
Here's a blanket statement about the myth's substance ...
In recent times certain jurisdictions have made allowance for ship captains performing marriages as proxies in the legal context of the given jurisdiction.
SOURCE: https://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2008/07/15/2304463.htm
But.. But.. Why would you need instructions to a Captain not to carry out a marriage ceremony if the issue had not previously come up and some - maybe misinformed - captain obliged? ...
... In the age of sail, when voyages could span weeks or months, marriages onboard would have been carried out by the chaplain presumably with the captain's permission.
ours was a civil ceremony so the Captain would not have to be invested by any religious authority. Similar to any civil/registry office marriage in the U.K.In any case, a ship's captain can perform a legally valid marriage ceremony if he / she is separately invested with religious authority.
ours was a civil ceremony so the Captain would not have to be invested by any religious authority. Similar to any civil/registry office marriage in the U.K.
I shouldn't be at all surprised if the origin turned out to be an old film, but one source I saw suggested a much earlier germ.