Wayne Temple thesis on why the Lincolns got married quick.

[irshgrl500]

While Temple's theory is interesting, it is also purely speculative, and at his own admission.
Mary Todd & Abraham Lincoln were married November 4, 1842, and Robert was born August 1, the following year, 1843. That is 36 weeks or 9 months, from the Lincoln's wedding day or evening to Robert's birth date. 40 weeks is the normal gestation for a human being, and 36 weeks, is well within the “normal” gestation, at birth.
Prior to say, the 1970's, it was not uncommon to "rush" weddings, switch marriage dates, etc., to accommodate, a pre-conceived (that is pre or prior) to a wedding date, or plan a wedding around an unexpected conception, Honeymoon or newlywed conception, was also very common.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1995-...e-marriage
A 1995 article about Temple’s book, "Abraham Lincoln: From Skeptic to Prophet”, a 446 page book, where Temple lays his theory out, about the Lincoln’s hastily arranged marriage, in just a couple of pages.
Temple admits to a large degree, that his theory about Mary Todd and Abraham’s wedding being rushed, are purely circumstantial, event driven, and his best postulate. Abraham Lincoln was loyal and honorable to his conscience and word. And the “broken” promise or vows, which Temple states, led Mary Todd, a possible subject of public ridicule, at the sake of “spinster “being her newly anointed titled, is exaggerated. Mary and AL dated, broke up, then became engaged, broke up, and finally wed. Yes, it seems likely that Mary knew what she wanted, and wanted AL, and worked hard to make sure she married AL. AL also had a choice, and perhaps led Mary to believe they were going to marry. Being true to his word, and his conscience, is just as plausible as the pregnancy theory.
Also, Temple does not entertain that fact that the dates he so heavily relied on, to set his theory in place, that albeit, premarital relations, there is no way Mary would have known she was pregnant on the day of their wedding; unless the two met in late September, then the dates are wrong, because Robert would have been born in mid July, at the latest. So, unless the two married out of fear that a premarital encounter(s) would produce a pregnancy, then perhaps.

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(10-08-2013 07:39 AM)L Verge Wrote:  Under the living arrangements of that day, where would the couple have had the opportunity and privacy to conceive a child before marriage? And, with the cumbersome clothing of the day, a "quickie" would have been difficult...

So true!