Genealogy Chat

Hi, does anyone know, If a couple married in 1949 at a registry office and one of them was widowed, Would they have to prove before marriage that there first spouse was deceased, or would there word be taken as the truth.

I don't think you needed proof on paper.

thank you for replying, im trying to find out about my grandfathers first marriage, i only have his marriage certificate to his second wife, which states widower. I have no idea who his first wife was or how to trace this, and wondered whether he would of have to had notified the registry office of his first wifes details or not. I think I might get in touch with the registry office and find this out. This first marriage has been kept secret and I have only just found out about it within the last few months.

what were their names, maybe we can find him?

Hi, no its difficult and complicated. I have no proof of his name apart from what he used on his second marriage cert. he used two types of a common name in his lifetime and i have found a marriage in 1908 which could very well be him but i just have to prove it. It is so very complicated there is no birth certificate as he was supposidly born in Austria? then he was farmed out to be brought up by two aunts in London, while his birth mother went of to India, His only remaining living child is now 92 and remembers very little about her fathers past before he meet with her mother in 1914-1918, she firmly believes they married then, she knows nothing of his first marriage and i shall not tell her, but i have the marriage cert of her mum and dad dated 1949 when he was a widower. I have been researching for a very long time on different lines of enquiry and i am determined to find the answer, i am just exploring all the other avenues now as ive done all the normal ones.

thank you for offering though

My guess would be that there would be no need to provide any proof to the Registrar. Most marriages had to give notice (reasonably effective as banns read out to a small village church congregation, not so useful as one of many pieces of paper pinned to a Registry Office noticeboard); the church was against a second marriage until the first partner died; and if found out, bigamy carried a custodial sentence. Most people chose not to take those risks and married only when they were certain their first spouse had died. If this was the case here, then you might find the death registration of the first partner a short time before the 1940's wedding?

(On the assumption that the source for the potential 1908 marriage provides a name or two for the possible bride)

I hold the certificate for both the first marriage and the second, he uses the name of Edward Roberts on the first and Stanley edward Roberts on the second. both names he used during his lifetime, proof through Kellys. and childrens birth certificate.
Potenetially the first wifes name is Edith Jarvis
what makes me think that this is is first marriage is because he was a chaffuer in London Totenham area around this time, there cant have been many chaffuers in existence then, he has one child called Stanley Edward, the birth years are the same , he has ticked on the 1911 census the british subject coloumn, all theses facts from 1911 census. My grandmother his second wife whose name was Lilian, for some reason used the name Edith Lilian on my fathers birth certificate. The first wife Edith disappears of the electoral role in 1947, and Stanley/Edward are both recorded as having the same job occupations throughout there lifetime. My grandmother was living in Highgate area of London at the same time, there are so many coincidences but I just cannot confirm, that this Edith was his first wife, I am in the process of tracing living relatives of the children from the first marriage. the only negative that I have found is that Edward is still on the Electoral role in Islington in 1928, Edith is then living by herself only with her children until 1947. If this is my grandfather he was associated with my grandmother from 1918 onwards, but I know he was required to work in Luton at the Vauxhall factory during the War years, and wondered whether he continued a double life with my grandmother there , while his first wife remained in London with the children, its all very complicated........ i bet you wish you hadnt asked!!!!!! lol

ps I have found a death of an Edith Roberts in Pancras district in 1947 (right age) as this is the closest to Islington, Im going to order a certificate and see what that turns up.

thanks for your interest and advise, Im of to bed now.x goodnight and happy new year to you.