In the 19th century a new trend was coming about. Women were living with women and establishing lives with these other women. This is now known as Boston Marriages. This is one of the first instances in which lesbian women held homes and businesses together and lived together in what would be considered today as a common law marriage.

Some even shared headstones together. Although legally speaking they were not married on paper they were in a common law marriage in which they each shared each others assets. These women were pillars within their community and it was not uncommon.

The article below discusses Charity and Sylvia a female couple during these times and the researcher that discovered their records.


Boston Globe Article about Boston Marriages and Vermont marriages