Bigamy trial

[xpq194z]

Hello Every-body
                     Am researching my late mums side of the family moss.just had a e-mail from a moss contact sat. intresting to say the least. have .Rushton Spencer St Lawrence Baptisms 1860-1864
 14th Aug 1861.Elizabeth Moss  .DAUG. Alice Maria. Ruston Spencer.
 In Brackets Beside It Says
 Spinster.
            This Woman Had The Misfortune To Be Married To A Man Named George Wood.Who It  Turns Out Had A Wife Living In An Asylum.This Child Is The Issue Of  That Marriage.Wood Was Convicted
 Of Bigamy At Stafford Spring Assizes 1861.
 ps. The Poor Lunatic Died Soon After Wood & Moss Were Married At Ruston 25th 1861
               Alice Maria Moss
   Baptised 29th July 1832 Bosley Chesire
     1851.
           She Is No Longer At Home But Living With An Aunt And Uuncle In Hurdsfield Macclesfield.
 She Is Working As A Silk Winder
       1854
       She Becomes An Unmarried Mother With The Birth Of Walter James Moss. At Ruston Spencer
          December Quarter 1860
                      She Marries George Wood.
 1861
        She Is Living At Lymford Tollgate.Ravens Clough.Ruston Spencer.With Her Widower Father.
Son Walter And Siblings..She Is Back Using Moss As Her Surname
                Wood Is In Prison
 August 1861.
          She Is Christening Her Second .Child .Elizabeth At Ruston Spencer.The Vicar Notes In The
 Margin That She Has Been Bigamously Married By George Wood Who Had A Wife Alive In The Asylum.He Was Convicted Of Bigamy At The Spring Assizes In 1861.hIS Wife As Since Died.
         DECEMBER QUARTER 1861
                  She Once Again Marries George Wood.
 1871
       Now Living At Lower Mills.Bosley.Cheshire.With George And Her 3 Youngest.
 Rachel Ellen. George R.And Eliza Ann.
 He Is Working As A Labourer On The Railway.
  Walter James Is Living With Is Grandfather.
 Belive Elizabeth Moss.Alices Daughter Christened At Ruston Spenser.May Have Died Young.As There Is Not A Trace Of Her
            1881
       She Is Now  A Widow.
        Her 3 Youngest Children Are Living With Her And They Are All Silk Workers.
     They Live At Timbersbrook,Buglawton.Cheshire
        So There You Have My Long Winded Account,
   Is There Any Way To Find Out About The Court  Case. Would Be Intrested .What Was Said
          Thanks
        Mike

[ciderdrinker]

hi
Not got a lot of time so excuse me if I'm brief.
Geogre Wood convicted of bigamy Stafford azzises 11.3.1861 3 calender months.
It should be in a local newspaper but tried 19th century index and nothing,
sorry
Ciderdrinker

[xpq194z]

Hello Ciderdrinker
                      Yes tried myself not a lot of luck.but i do thank you for looking.hopefully my topic might stir some intrest.and i might be lucky.
                    mike

[Tittensor ONS]

Hi Mike,

Staffordshire Record Office holds printed calendars of prisoners at the assizes 1841-1880  (document reference Q/SPc/10/1-3).

The are also Staffordshire assize records at the National Archives; ASSI 5/181/19 to ASSI 5/181/21 cover 1861.

Regards,

Paul

Tittensor One-Name study homepage: www.tittensor.com

[xpq194z]

Hello Paul
           Thank you so much for the ref numbers.died put bigamy trial in national archives.even the name george wood .but did not find
               thanks again
                            mike

[..claire..]

Hi

Found a small mention of the case

STAFFORDSHIRE SPRING ASSIZES:  Birmingham Daily Post, Thursday, March 14, 1861.

Bigamy at Leek ~ George Wood a labourer of about 40 years of age was charged with having feloniously intermarried one Alice Moss, his former wife Adale Wood being then alive. Mr Matthews prosecuted. Police sergeant Crisp produced the last certificate of marriage between the prisoner and his wife, proved that his wife was alive with three children, and that they being destitute had been charged to the Union. Francis Stenier parish clerk of Kingston proved the first marriage had taken place in 1847. Alice Moss stated that December last the prisoner had told her he was a single man and she then consented to marry him. She said she knew nothing of his first wife until told of it by the police and had known him 6 months before she married him. The prisoner said his wife had left him some years ago and said she would not live with him again. Verdict : Guilty. Sentence: 3 months imprisonment.

claire

[xpq194z]

Hello  Clare T
                How clever.and wonderful you are.how on earth did you find that.thank you very much.lots of information on it.do not have.no wonder this is the number one site to ask for expert help. you very rarely fail to come up with the goods.was surprised when i clicked on your post.did not expect any-thing.but you soon changed that.well done
               mike

[xpq194z]

HELLO
       Got a reply today from stafford records office .they do not have a photo of george wood from is trial.as too early.would have newspaper item.but had this kindly sent to me.so not sure if need to ask for more information.found is too marriage ref numbers for 1860 and 1861.but not 1847.thought had .but this name was mary.so wrong one.
    thanks
           mike

[..claire..]

Hi

Just had a quick look at the newspaper article again at the name of George Woods first wife ~ it definitely says ADALE which is quite unusual, but there is this marriage which looks interesting

George Wood mar. ADAH Deauville March Qtr 1847.

George (aged 27)  and Adah Wood (aged 36)  are in Kingstone in the 1851 census with 2 yr old daughter Elizabeth.
Class HO107,  Piece 2010,  Folio 303, Page 12.

A death also 3rd Qtr 1861 Stafford for ADAH Wood.

claire