Genealogy Chat

Peter, He didn't move away from the area, so perhaps they did 'live in sin'. And there we were, us young whippersnappers thinking we had invented 'livin' in sin' LOL Loz :~)

Bigamy did happen but was not that common as there were huge penalties if you got caught. A bigamist (often the man) generally took great steps to move to a new area and start a new life with no trace of his past. More often than not, couples 'lived in sin' without marrying, but assuming the mans name. Peter

Gwyneth, That's a good point, hadn't thought of that DOH! I'm going to the Family record centre on the 15th so i can search and search without using my 1837online credits Loz :~)

Louise It would be exciting to find out wouldn't it? My dad tells , according to his dad, that his grandfather was besotted with his 2nd wife Eliza, and pinned for her after she died. Very romantic, but does make me wonder about the first wife and the 2 children, as I cannot find their deaths, close to their births, so what happened to them. Still makes this hobby more interesting when there are mysteries and secrets to uncover. Loz :~)

Perhaps you need to widen your search for the events. Maybe the first wife hadn't died so they couldn't marry until some time after 1891. My great grandmother was shown with her 2nd 'husband' and their 3 children in 1891, but didn't infact marry him until the following year, when the youngest child was about 3 years old.

not meaning to cast asperitions (or however you spell it) but could he have been a bigamist?

Jeanette and Helen Thought that was probably the case. My Grt Grdad is becoming a slippery little blighter, the only definte thing I have on him was his death. I have his certificate stating his age as 58 in 1924, but all the census and first marriage certificate have him born anywhere between 1861 - 66. His father wasn't much better, again born anytime from 1834-44. Still gives me good reason to visit London and search. Loz :~}

I agree divorce was highly unlikely as it was prohibitively expensive, fairly shaming and not the done thing. Info here: www.catalogue.nationalarchives.gov.uk/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=53 nell

Hi Lozie If your ancestor was a regular working class man it is probably unlikely that he got divorced. His wife could have died in which case, if you can't find anything on 1837, see if you can get to view the parish register. Chances are though that they could have just separated - this would explain why you can't find a marriage (again you could look at the parish register). Jeanette x

Can anyone tell me if it easy to find out about divorces in 1890's?. My Grt grandfather married in 1886 and had 2 children in 1887 and 1888. However in 1891 he had stared having children with a '2nd wife', my Grt grandmother. I can't find any record of this 2nd marriage, or of a death at this time for the first wife. I've tried 1837online, looking either side of the 1891 child for their wedding but keep coming up with zilch. Can anyone help with some other ways of searching? Loz :~)