Dead, Divorced or Bigamist

[Kathy]

I have recently received information on my great grand aunt.

In 1881 prior to the birth of his third child, John, presumably a seaman goes off of America, and never returns, in Sept 1881 me is married in New York, and goes on to have 11 more children.

His first wife, Mary, is married for the second time 1883 in Scotland, and is listed on the entry as a Widow, she married a third time in 1900.

It is assumed that John, living in America declared himself as a bachelor.

Can anyone tell me if Mary would have had to show proof of John's death, or was this not required? Mary's first two marriages were according to the form of the Congregational Church, Greenock.

I am trying to picture whether Mary believed that John had died, or if it was a matter of having a young family and needing a provider.

Kathy

[annie1]

Hi Kathy,

While I can't tell you if Mary would have had to show proof or not that her husband had died, I can tell you that my gtgt grandmother was in the same situation, her husband left her for another woman, and in the 1901 census stated she was a widow, then I found through an RCE that she had in fact divorced him in 1901, and when she married in 1902 was still calling herself a widow, which was not true.

I think there was a big stigma attatched to divorce.

Ann

[Kathy]

Hi Ann,

Thank you for the reply.

I had considered that there would be stigma involved, but telling the neighbours she is a widow is vastly different from giving faulse information to the authorities.

I have not mentioned the surnames of John & Mary for the same reason, there may possibly be living relations, that I do not wish to offend.

Kathy