Duty of MARRIAGE, is a term used in some ancient customs, signifying an obligation on women to marry. To understand this, it must be observed, that old maids and widows about sixty, who held fees in body, or were charged with any personal or military services, were anciently obliged to marry, to render those services to the lord by their husbands, or to indemnify the lord for what they could not do in person. And this was called duty or service of marriage.