Lincoln and Ann Rutledge

[L Verge]

Eva - Ms. Coleman pointed out the distance between villagers and farm folk (and especially as they moved west) and their government offices in order to register for licenses (if needed) and also the fact that many couples were far removed from their physical, religious buildings. If weddings were performed, it was generally in the family home - and ministers traveled from pillar to post, so might not be available for over a month. There were a significant number of pregnant brides, and those "delay factors" made it more convenient to just take up habitation and begin raising the family.

I tried to point out to the Rutledge-obsessed gentleman that Mary and Lincoln were "the opposites attract" syndrome in personalities, that Mary was very well-educated and especially politically-inclined towards the Whig preference of Lincoln, having trained at the knee of Clay, and that she was in the center of the society that he needed to win over. I think all of these elements made her fascinating to him. She wasn't just some air-head (not to say that Ann was, but we don't know...).