Find Ancestors

Here is a fascinating tit-bit of genealogical data... When we think of Elizabeth Taylor, many of us think: "Hollywood film star" but others think: "serial bride"... Well, my 2nd Great Grand Aunt - one Catherine Pallett, born 1838 in Cadeby, became the second wife, in 1860 to one James Williamson of Blaby. In the 1861 Census, this confirms her married name and that she was a milliner. She died the following year in 1862. James had three children by his first wife Sarah and out of pure interest, I decided to trace James forward in the remaining Census returns, just to make sure there were no children with Catherine. To my amazement I discovered that he married a further two more times before his death in 1905.


1845 Blaby: to Sarah Hill (or Johnson) (1825-1859)

1860 Blaby: to Catherine Pallett (1838-1862)

1863 Blaby: to Rebecca Pallett (1816-1877)

1878 Blaby: to Ellen Dunn (1828-1886)

What I find interesting is how he remarries within a year of the passing of his previous wife... In the 1891 and 1901 Census respectively, James Williamson is listed as living alone, a widower.

Darren .......


quick remarriages are not surprising, and are often found ..........

.......... especially if the man (or woman!!) is left with small children


Men would need someone to look after their children while they worked


and women left alone with small children would need a man to support them, because they would not have any money.


I've seen re-marriages within 2 or 3 months of a spouses death ................. and sometimes to a sibling of the dead spouse.


The men often marry women who are much younger than them ............ security for the women I suppose.




Also, don't forget that re-marriages, and subsequent death of the "new" spouse, could happen between censuses. Plus children born and died.

I'm sure you'd find, Darren, if you researched other families, that such occurrences were anything but unusual.

No welfare state in those days..............