Genealogy Chat

I found my great grandfather William Phipps on the 1901 census listed as living in Warbleton with his wife Alice and 8 children. However when I looked him up on the 1881 he was shown to be living at the same location but with a different wife, Mary and 5 other children. It cannot be a coincidence that two men with the same year of birth, place of birth and same name lived at the same location so what happened to his first wife and family in those 20 years? I have searched for deaths of the first family on BDM and 1837 online and can find nothing. I have found one entry on 1837 for what may be his first marriage and am waiting for the certificate. I cannot find any other reference to Mary or any of the children except one entry for a daughter. Divorce was very rare in the 1800's so what happened to his first family that enabled him to go on and marry his second wife, 14 years his junior and have a further 8 children ? Any suggestions or information would be welcome !

could be like my gt granda - he had been married - had numerous children - the last of whom was my gran , gt gran died and a year later he married someone about 15 -16 yrs his junior - in total he fathered 30 children!!!!!!!!!

I've had situations (Not my family of course but my husbands) where they havent remarried just taken on the names???

It's more than possible that my great grandfather just went on to live with another woman and had more kids but why can I not find any of them on the 1901 census? Both his first and second wife and all of his children were born in Sussex so I began searching all records of events available to me within that county and then further afield with no success. I have had no luck finding even my great grandfather on the 1891 census which may have helped me to establish where he was and who he was living with. If anyone finds any reference to his first family in their research I would be very grateful if they would let me know: Mary Phipps, wife....sons Walter H , William H and Alfred E.......Daughters Sally and Janet......Many thanks!

From the 1891, Bush Hurst, Cowden, Kent William Phipps,42, Head, Farm Labourer, Warbleton Alice, 32, Wife, Farley Janet, 14, Daughter, Warbleton Alfred, 11, Son, Heathfield Alice, 5, Daughter, Uckfield Edith, 2, Daughter, Cowden Florence, 3 months, Daughter, Cowden So that looks as if he's living with his new wife, 2 of his children, and 3 of theirs. Jan.

Pamela, Here's Janet on the 1901 Jane Phipps 23 Sussex Heathfield Sussex East Domestic Servant I think there's marriage entry for her on FreeBMD for Dec 1901 in Rye. Crista

Yes my gt grandfather too. Married and had 5 kids. Wife died. Remarried within a couple of years and had 5 more kids. First lot disappeared - maybe to maternal grandparents or similar. Maz. XX

Similar story in my family, my gt grandfather married in 1863 had 7 children between 1864 and 1872. Widowed in 1893 (have found death reg), remarried to younger cousin of first wife in 1895 and had 5 daughters the eldest of which was my grandmother. The eldest and youngest children were 40 years apart!! And he still lived until he was 93! Michele in haslemere

Thank you to you all for your replies, things are becoming clearer now. Once I have gone as far as I can on the maternal side of my tree I can start on the paternal which should be great fun as my fathers' family was welsh, all born in Wales with the surname Thomas or Williams, probably the 2 most common Welsh names!