A while back I posted about 'irregular marriages'. Here's an article about 'handfasting' reprinted from a 1993 issue of The Septs. The letters "H/F" may be found beside a person's name on early marriage and birth records. The abbreviation stands for "Handfast". It is basically a sign of the confirmation of a form of "uncanonical, private or even a probationary form of marriage". Handfasting was the form of announcing a union between a man and woman who wished to live together as husband and wife before receiving the blessing of the church. The couple would stand before a group of their peers, hold the clasped hands above their heads, and state their intentions. The agreement was good for a year and a day, or until the preacher came to perform the rites of the church. If, at the end of this period, each wished to go his own way, they could do so without ties. Any children born of a handfast was considered legitimate and with inheritance rights.