The Mystery of the DENTON/WRIGHT Family - Help Please? - COMPLETED - THANK YOU

[avm228]

Looking at it again - apparently Henry didn't leave, Mary Ann did.

In 1871 the address of the WRIGHT family, with MANNING lodgers was Bunkers Hill, Lound.

In 1881 Ellen MANNING and offspring were at Bunkers Hill, Lound; Henry in hospital in Lowestoft. (Mary Ann DENTON now in Browston Rd, Belton).

In 1891 Henry and Ellen WRIGHT were at Bunkers Hill, Lound (Mary Ann DENTON still in Browston Rd, Belton).

Mary Ann DENTON appears to have died Jun qtr 1898 Mutford.

In 1901 Henry and Ellen WRIGHT were in Browston Rd, Belton. (Did they grab Mary Ann’s house after her death?)…

[jeffery1_6]

This is fascinating.....poor Mary Ann. She really didn't come out very well from all this.

It's very strange that Henry and Ellen ended up in her house after her death. Mary seems to have been very accomodating in changing her and her childrens surname to her maiden name of Denton, making it easier for there to be another Mrs Wright in the same village/town of Lound.

Surely all the locals would have I would have known about this and Mary Ann must certainly have known. How on earth did Henry get away with his bigamous marriage?

It all seems a bit too cosy with them all continuing to live in the same village/town. I'm beginning to wonder if there was some kind of arrangement between them?

It would be interesting to see if there's any newspaper coverage on any of these goings on........but then if there were, I would have expected to see Henry in jail rather than hospital!

I would imagine the house would have been rented rather than owned (Mary's father Robert was an agricultural labourer, so there wouldn't have been any money in the family).

I also note what you said about Ernest - I too wondered if this was Mary's grandchild. Given the 9 year gap since her last child and Henry's history, I rather think think this is the most likely scenario.

This just gets more and more intruiging. 

[jeffery1_6]

Sorry, just realised they didn't stay in same village (put it down to festive fogging of the brain)!

Belton and Lound are a little distance fom each other, so I suppose he could have made out that Mary Ann had died, especially if she never went back to Lound.

The fact he ended up living with Ellen and family in the same place where Mary had lived in Belton after she had died is just too much of a coincidence and suggests they did have some contact after they seperated.

What do you think?

[avm228]

I must say, I do think it surprising that Henry apparently lived bigamously with Ellen in exactly the same place as he had lived with Mary Ann and their children.

Even if their bigamous "marriage" took place in a parish where they weren't known (we only know it was Mutford district) one would have expected the locals (nosy neighbours, priest etc) to be just a little bit interested if Mary Ann simply vanished without an illness or burial and her place was immediately taken over by the young lodger.

I wonder whether Henry "looked after" Mary Ann (e.g. by paying the rent on her new house and/or providing other financial support) and in return she tolerated the situation and kept quiet. Perhaps she'd gone off him anyway and was relieved to be free, deciding that he and Ellen deserved each other.  Who knows?  

[jeffery1_6]

It's a puzzling situation isn't it? Like you though, I think there must have been an 'arrangement' between Henry and Mary. You may be right about Henry 'looking after' Mary and their children.

As for the locals, it's most strange they didn't cotton on to what was going on.........maybe the local gossip didn't reach the ears of the authorities and Henry was just a very lucky man.

You've been an absolute star...........thank you so much for your time and help in unravelling this intruiging mystery. 

[avm228]

No problem - glad to be of help.

My own ggg-grandfather was a bigamist - but he did the sensible/cowardly thing and sailed to America with his new "bride" (my ggg-grandmother) immediately after the wedding.  I always wonder whether his lawful wife, left behind in Glasgow with children, ever found out what had become of him - perhaps he walked out of the door one day and simply never returned. (She called herself "married" for at least two more censuses, before settling for "widowed").

Oh well!

[jeffery1_6]

It's a fascinating tracing your ancestors - you never know what you'll find.

It provides such a wealth of information. Whilst it may answer some questions, it leaves you with even more!

I guess there's some questions we'll never find the answers to but that's why it's so addictive..........

[Brenda Waters]

hi my ancestors were the dentons my great grandmother was Elizabeth I have picture of her I found the site by accident am still researching the family I know they lived on bunker hill not far from where I live please get in touch we can put our knowledge together a mystery about henry wright I am going the the hopton ruins on the the fist of july might find out more then regards brenda

[sarah]

my gggrandmother was mary ann of lound DENTON ihave a lot of info

Posted on behalf of Brenda who sent the post to me in error.

Regards

Sarah