Since Marriage Registries were opened in the New Territories in 1960 the numbers of marriages performed there have been as follows:
1960-61
1961-62
217
1965-66
350
1966-67
1962-63
1963-64
402
1967-68
....
503
1968-69
1964-65
724
981
1,180
1,064
1,376
150. The remaining 1,811 marriages were celebrated in licensed places of worship of various denominations as follows:
Roman Catholic
Church of England ...
·
Interdenominational
...
Church of Christ in China ...
Lutheran
Methodist
Independent Baptist
Independent Chinese Baptist
Other Protestant
Total
J
1,437
87
97
44
•
34
26
19
19
48
...
1,811
The total of 1,811 is 264 more than the previous year's total of 1,547.
151. Table XXX gives statistics for the past ten years of the numbers of marriages registered, civil and religious ceremonies (with percentages of each), marriages between parties of Chinese race, marriages between persons already married (see paragraph 154), and 'new' marriages, and of the amounts of fees collected. The number of marriages registered annually has risen every year since 1950-51 except in 1962-63, 1964-65 and 1967-68, each of which was a 'blind year' and therefore unpopular for marriages between Chinese. While the total number of marriages registered has risen from 9,689 to 20,492 over the decade, the percentages of civil and of religious ceremonies to the total number of marriages registered have remained remarkably steady, beginning at 90.58% and 9.42% respectively in 1959-60 and ending in 1968-69 at 91.11% and 8.89%.
152. Table XXXI shows the ages or age groups of the husbands and wives married during the year as stated in the marriage certificates. This shows that 372 of the husbands and 4,769 of the wives were under 21 at the time of their marriage, and therefore required the consent of their parents or guardians or (in 101 cases) of the Registrar as laid
47
RAN