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Bigamus Marraige?

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Granny Grumps

Granny Grumps Report 24 Sep 2009 14:50

Is there a way i can find out if family member commited bigamy, have been told in past it happened, but you know how things get twisted over the years, just want to ck this out myself as all concerned have passed away.

Thanks. Helen.

Wildgoose

Wildgoose Report 24 Sep 2009 15:07

All cases are different but can you find the second marriage and prove to yourself that the first spouse is still alive?

Janet

Researching:
Northampton/Blisworth Northants/Hinderclay Suffolk

Granny Grumps

Granny Grumps Report 24 Sep 2009 15:12

Thanks Birdsinanest, its the second marraige i'm concerned about, can't seem to find his first, so wondering if any truth in rumours.

Granny Grumps

Granny Grumps Report 24 Sep 2009 16:04

Would i be able to obtain prison record? and would you have any idea how i do.

thanks

Hogzilla

Hogzilla Report 24 Sep 2009 16:07

If your library subscribes to the archives of old newspapers you can do a search - newspapers often reported bigamists when they were caught. I have one in my tree in the 19thC and only had his first marriage, - had I found the second I would have assumed wife 1 had died anyway. Then I ran a search in the Gale archive of 19thC newspapers for my family name and there it was - and I hadn't even been looking for it.

If your own library doesn;t have the archive of 19thC and early 20thC newspapers, you can join Lancs library online and they will send you a membership number by email. You can use this instantly to access the archive of old newspapers.

Pollyann1

Pollyann1 Report 18 Apr 2011 10:58

Most interesting, but do they also have information in prison records? Kay

ChrisofWessex

ChrisofWessex Report 18 Apr 2011 11:07

Granny - not all bigamists were caught - bigamy was very common during the 19th to 20th centuries. They just moved to another part of the country.

OH's g.uncle married a bigamist, she was from IOW and married him in Portsmouth in her maiden name in spite of having married 5 years previously and having had 2 children. I have copies of both her marr certs. Her descendents refuse to admit to the first and regard her first two children as g.uncles!

However, this has been posted before - OH's maternal g.father married once and committed bigamy four times - never caught. As cousin said only the onset of old age and the breakout of WW2 prevented him continuing his hobby.

You just have to follow the trail and search for marriages/deaths.