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In my tree, two sisters married two brothers and I have the certificates for their marriages:
Thomas Forrest married Mary Ann Hunter in Newcastle in 1856. Thomas Forrest gave his father as Jacob Forrest, Engineer.
William Smith Forrest married Susannah Hunter in Walton on the Hill, Lancaster in 1868. William Smith Forrest gave his father as Jacob Forrest, Engineer.
The families were known to travel far because of their jobs and the children of Thomas and Mary Ann Forrest were born in Greenwich, Argentina, Ireland and Spain.
However, I have Susannah Forrest (nee Hunter) living with her brother in law (Michael Harle) according to the 1871, 1881, 1891 and 1901 census records. (Susannah's sister Hannah Harle,nee Hunter, died in Feb 1871.) Susannah's husband William Smith Forrest was not living with them in any of the census records and Susannah's status varies between widow and married then back to widow over the years of records. They were living in various places over the years because of Michael Harle's job but in the 1891 and 1901 census they were living in Gateshead where Susannah was a grocer in1891 and a tobacconist in 1901 (her father lift her £100 in his will in Aug 1881).
I had found no record of William Smith Forrest other than there was a person of the same name living with his wife Margaret E Forrest and children in census records, again in various parts of the country.
Recently I found a marriage registration for a William Smith Forrest who married a Margaret Elizabeth Rogerson in the Newcastle upon Tyne district so I ordered the certificate thinking it would give his father's name and rule him out as being the same person who married Susannah Hunter, meaning I had found two different William Smith Forrests.
However, I now have the certificate for his marriage to Margaret Elizabeth Rogerson and, would you believe, he gives his father's name as Jacob Forrest, Engineer. They married in the registry office in Newcastle in 1876.
Susannah's death certificate in 1907 states in the occupation colum 'Widow of William Smith Forrest, an Engine Fitter'.
There is a death registration for a William Smith Forrest in the East Ward district in September quarter of 1909, age 67. When William Smith Forrest married Susannah Hunter in March 1868 he gave his age as 26 and when he married Margaret Elizabeth Rogerson in Feb 1876 he gave his age as 32 (he also gave his condition as bachelor in both marriages).
My questions now are, am I correct to think there is only one William Smith Forrest here and, if so, did William Smith Forrest and Susannah Hunter get divorded or did William Smith Forrest commit bigamy by marrying Margaret Elizabeth Rogerson?
Can anyone advise how I would find out?
Many Thanks
Janet Garraghan
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Thanks very much Chris. I've printed out the leaflet from the National Archives site - it's really useful.
I wondered if William Smith Forrest had remarried without obtaining a divorce as well, although by the time of his second marriage he was living in Grey Street, in Newcastle and his profession was Accountant so it might be possible he obtained a divorce first (although I don't know how expensive it would have been).
I realise this is unlikely from what was on the National Archive's website, but do you know if there's a family history website which holds an index so I could look up his name online first? I've done a general search for 'Forrest divorce' on the National Archive's website but it didn't come up with anything relating to William Smith Forrest.
Best Wishes
Janet
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