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Sick marriage of 6-foot man to shy girl, 9, when he was 22 - and her mum approved

Charlie Johns, 22, and Eunice Winstead, 9, married in Tennessee with her mum's approval, sparking nationwide fury and sweeping changes to marriage laws

[The bride was nine and the groom was 22]

The bride was nine and the groom was 22(Image: Facebook)

It was a marriage which stunned an entire nation and triggered sweeping legislative changes to guarantee such unions could never occur again - the wedding of a 22-year-old farmer, standing six feet tall, to a nine-year-old girl.

Charlie Johns and Eunice Winstead married on January 19, 1937, in rural Tennessee, America, with Baptist minister Walter Lamb conducting the ceremony.

At the time, state law failed to set a minimum marriage age, meaning the union - while universally condemned - remained legally permissible.

Johns paid Lamb a dollar to conduct the service, whilst Winstead misled her unsuspecting parents by saying she was nipping out to buy a doll.

[A black-and-white photograph depicts two individuals seated close to a fireplace. One person, seated on a chair, is engaged in a task, while the other person, standing nearby, appears to be observing or assisting. The scene is set in an interior space, with a stone fireplace and a wooden chair visible in the background.]

The girl's mother approved(Image: wikipedia)

He falsified his young bride's age when obtaining a marriage licence, though the local community later learnt she was merely nine. Records show that her mother had also married young (aged 16) and a sister at just 13.

Eunice's mother Martha Winstead eventually endorsed the union because Johns was a landowner and considered a "good farmer" with 50 acres of mountain land and livestock.

She stated: "The Bible says not to disturb those peacefully getting along, and I don't believe in going against the Bible. If they love one another, then getting married is the thing to do."

[A black-and-white image depicts an adult male engaged in reading a book while seated in a chair. A young child sits attentively in front of him, also gazing at the book. The setting appears to be a room with wooden walls and a window in the background.]

The couple remained married for decades(Image: wikipedia)

Winstead also defended her son-in-law's character, adding: "Charlie is a good boy. He's a hard worker. He bought 40 acres a few days ago so they could have a home. Of course, understand, I haven't brought my children up to marry what men have got but to marry for love."

Her husband simply said: "The marriage is all right with me, there's nothing you can do about it now."

When a journalist visited, the reserved Eunice kept herself busy playing with her two-year-old sister at the family's mountain home.

Trying to present her daughter as exceptionally mature, her mother said: "Charlie bought her a nice, big doll for Christmas, but she only played with it a few times. Eunice is interested in sewing, and she is as smart as can be about cooking."

[A black and white photograph depicts a man and a young girl standing in front of a brick wall. The man is holding a piece of paper, possibly a document or a letter, while the young girl is holding an object, possibly a book or a toy. They are both looking down, focused on the paper or object in their hands. The image conveys a sense of concentration and attention to detail.]

Their wedding horrified America(Image: wikipedia)

After the story gained nationwide attention and publications including Life and Time covered it, public outrage was overwhelming.

Women's organisations across Minnesota and beyond demanded legislative changes as the case of the nine-year-old bride became symbolic of what many viewed as widespread child marriage exploitation throughout America.

As a direct result of the public outcry, Tennessee quickly enacted legislation later in 1937 establishing the minimum marriage age at 16, with a mandatory waiting period for girls younger than 18.

Despite the scandal, the couple remained married for many decades. During the summer of 1937, Eunice briefly attended primary school but left after merely a few days due to behavioural issues.

The newly married pair remained residing with Johns' family in Sneedville for several years.

In December 1942, Eunice gave birth at just 14 and they subsequently had eight additional children.

Incredibly, Johns was furious when his 17-year-old daughter Evelyn married a 20-year-old man, alleging her age had been falsified to obtain a marriage licence.

Extraordinarily, the pair remained married for more than six decades, until John's death in February 1997 and Eunice's in August 2006.

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