As we say goodbye to the month of June, bachelors can breathe a sigh of relief that they've survived what has historically been the traditional month of the year to get married.

The history of June weddings goes all the way back to the days of the Roman Empire and the worship of the goddess Juno, for whom the month is named. Juno was considered to be patroness of marriage, the guardian of the treasury and protector of the Roman state.

Roman women held the festival of Matronalia in honor of Juno and it evolved that June was the best time to get married.

The romantics among us can remember many wonderful weddings of friends and family in the past; but alas, things do not always go as planned.

A number of years ago historian Jay Graybeal, writing for the Historical Society of Carroll County, recalled an article from the May 25, 1895, edition of the American Sentinel.

The article appeared under the headline "A Novel Breach of Promise Case" and it involved a lawsuit involving a broken promise of marriage. "A century ago, the Carroll County Court House was the scene of an interesting" case in which a man sued a woman because she broke off the engagement.

The newspaper article alleges that the commotion at the courthouse was "(p)robably the first breach of promise of marriage case in the state of Maryland in which the man is the plaintiff. ..."

That plaintiff was Mr. D. Calvin Warner, "a widower, (who) is now fully fifty-two years of age."

The defendants were -- now read carefully -- "Mr. Wm. H. Powell and Mrs. Emma S. Powell, his wife, (29 years old). Previous to her marriage Mrs. Powell was Miss Emma S. Weybright."

You read correctly, "the defendants." Plural. This is one for the "Jerry Springer Show."

Mr. Warner "avers that the defendant, Mrs. Powell, was under contract to marry him, but broke the engagement about February, 1894, and in the following April married Mr. Powell.

"He sues to recover $5,000 damages, upon this violation of contract, which is not denied by the defendants, who plead ... that, after her engagement to the plaintiff, Miss Weybright discovered certain facts in relation to his life and conduct, previously unknown to her, which justified her refusal to consummate the marriage.

"Several witnesses testified on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning. ... L.F.D. Miller, of Thurmont, testified for the defendant (the) plaintiff had admitted that he was the father of an illegitimate child. Before the conclusion of his testimony this witness fainted and court adjourned until Friday morning. ..."

The newspaper says that, "After hearing the testimony, the jury did (decide) in favor of the defendants."

In another musing of marriage mayhem from yesteryear, the July 1, 1921, issue of the Union Bridge Pilot contained an article headlined, "Why the editor left town." The article "told how a Nebraska printer got an auction sale and an account of a wedding mixed together."

The results read like this: "Married at the home of the bride's township ... 18 head of Shorthorns consisting of four bridesmaids dressed in pale blue and carrying calves by their sides.

"They had tulle veils. ... Also forty-six head of hogs. ... These shoats are thrifty and all relatives of the bride and groom. They all gathered in the spacious dining room after the ceremony and partook of 300 bushels of seed oats, 1,000 bushels of corn, 10 large stacks of millet and alfalfa.

The bride is the youngest daughter of one trusty incubator, capacity 600 eggs. ... Free lunch at noon."

Perhaps that's how the tradition of church picnics started?

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster. E-mail him at kdayhoff@carr.org.

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