4 Famous People Who Married Their Cousins

In many places across the world, it is illegal to marry one's cousin, while in many others, it is just like another marriage. According to researchers, marriages among cousins, whether first or distant, are more prevalent in rural societies. Moreover, one of the major purposes behind such marriages is to retain the money and other non-monetary assets within the family. According to a research conducted by a genetics researcher,Alan Bittles, about 20% of the world's total marriages happen between first cousins. Furthermore, one in every thousand marriages that take place in the USA is between cousins.

1. John Adams

In 1764, John Adams, the second President of the United States and one of the Founding Fathers, married his third cousin Abigail Smith. The marriage lasted till Abigail's death in 1818, and the couple had five children. Adams passed away in 1826.

2. Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria, the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britainand Ireland from 1837 to 1901, was married to her first cousin,Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, in 1840. After Albert died in 1861, Victoria never married again. The couple had nine children, each of whom married into a royal or noble family across Europe.

3. Johann Sebastian Bach

This German composer, violinist, and organist married his second cousin,Maria Barbara Bach, in 1707. They had seven children, only four of whom could survive to adulthood. Maria died in 1720, within two years of which, Bach married again.

4. Charles Darwin

The English naturalist and much-celebrated writer of On
the Origin of Species , Charles Darwin married his first
cousin, Emma Wedgwood in 1839. They had 10
children, and their marriage lasted until Darwin breathed
his last in 1882.