Genealogy Chat

I've just come across something rather odd. My great-great grandmother Sarah Thompson (nee Hollingworth) died in July 1874, and just two months later her widower Robert Thompson married Mary Ann Hollingworth. Both marriage certificates name the bride's father as Benjamin Hollingworth and state his profession as 'miner' (1864) or 'collier' (1874). There is a birth record for Mary Ann Hollingworth, daughter of Benjamin and Mary Hollingworth, and even though Mary Ann isn't listed as a member of the family in the 1861 census it's hard to believe that she wasn't Sarah's sister.

The Marriage Act of 1835 made it illegal for a man to marry his deceased wife's sister and the act wasn't repealed until 1907. I would be interested to know if anyone else has come across a similar situation in their research.

Julie, yes i have it in my family. However none of us 'doing' my family have ever come across a marriage cert, so pressume they never actually married.
Although the Marriage Act of 1835 forbid this, if they were able to approach a sympathetic minister, this was often overlooked.

Julia in Derbyshire

When & where was Mary born? It would be good to track her down on a census.
Jan!

It happened too in my mums paternal family a real round robin.

Granddads mum Esther's first hubby died in 1874 ,in 1876 and 1891 she had two girls with her cousin Fred and then married him in 1894. He died in 1898. Her younger sister Mary was married to Freds older bros Charles.

Mary died in 1899 and in 1900 she married Charles!! a total no no cos not only was Charles her deceased sister's OH, he was also HER deceased husbands' brother!!

She isn't with Charles on the 1901 and describes herself as widow so maybe the authorities got wind of it . I was still able to get the marriage cert tho

As i said a real round robin. talk about keep it in the family.

hi julie

my gt gt granmother married her brother in law when the brother and sister they were married to died think i have a few more :-| :-|

I have a couple.

One pair actually married but the other just pretended.

In a way you can understand it as the sister may well have been helping with any children and so they got 'close'. If the sister was anything like the deceased wife then the widower may well have been attracted!

Chris

Mary Ann Hollingworth born leeds 3/5/1856 baptised 7/9/1856 by Benjamin a miner living in Wortley and wife Mary.

Maryb.

Well, it was evidently more common than I thought!

Very common-but it does play "H*ll" with the family tree if the subsequent pair have children.

Maureen

There is a marriage 6th July1863,,Kirkheaton Yorkshire.

Benjanin Hollingsworth.

Mary Ann Howard,

Fathers Allen Hollingsworth and John Howard.

from IGI extracted PR.

There are women marrying their deceased husband's brother too. I have two of those in my tree, one when it was still illegal, one later.

I also have a very interesting will written by a man who had married his deceased wife's sister. He knew the marriage was illegal and the children therefore illegitimate and the will is phrased to ensure that the 'wife' and children are still able to inherit his estate.

It does seem to have been very common.

Angela

My OH's grandfather was widowed with 5 children under ten. I only found this out the other week that he then married her younger sister and had a few more children.

He wont mention it to his mum though incase she does'nt know...This was in 1919 so it was ok by then