Genealogy Chat

ROBERT ROBERTS married JEMIMA in 1835 and they had three children born 1836, 1841, 1843. It seems that Jemima died and Robert re-married. His second wife was MARY RIGHTON and by the 1851 census they had two children, 1849, 1851. I have found a death for a Jemima Roberts for 1849 in West Derby, BUT a marriage for a Robert Roberts and a Mary Righton for 1847 in Liverpool, which is acceptable. So, I ask....Do I have the correct people??? Pointers as to how to unravel this jigsaw please. Kathlyn

Maybe Mary was from the Liverpool area and they married in the brides church. I would get the cert cos it will say if he was a widower or not. By the1851 census were they still in Liverpool, and have you got any of the children's certs, they will tell Mary 's maiden name. Whoops just realised the year differences in the death cert and remarriage, Maybe they just parted and he remarried bigmously

Is it possible that he and Jemima separated and considered themselves not to be married to each other any more (although legally they were)? Maybe they couldn't afford a divorce. I have a similar one to that where the first wife vanishes somewhere between the last child being born and her husband remarrying a year later - I presume he believed his wife to be dead. Perhaps the wife walked out in the case you're looking at and the husband therefore considered that he could not be married to her any more. I know there's the stereotype of controlling Victorian husbands not letting their wives leave, but perhaps by her leaving he thought the marriage was over. Of course, I suppose it's possible he entered into a bigamous marriage knowingly.

Hi Kate and Shirley, I think I will send off for the marriage cert, it could be £7 well spent. Kathlyn