Hi all,
Bit of a strange one this, and it's got me baffled. I always thought that my great grandfather was an only child, his parents married in 1874 and he was born shortly after. By the time of the 1881 census he was living with just his father and there was no sign of his mother, infact I've never found any trace of her again whether it be BMD or census returns. Her husband married again in 1889 so I presumed that she had perhaps died.
A couple of years ago I made a surprising discovery in an old newspaper. The husband's second wife had taken out a court order against him to pay maintenance. However it turned out that he was still legally married to my great grandfather's mother. Not only was he a bigamist but so was she, the court heard that she was still living, had married again and had ten children.
Despite searching I have been unable to find her, her second marriage or any of the ten children she was reported to have had with her second husband.
Names & dates are:
William Coates b. 1852 (West Bromwich) married Matilda Foster b. 1857 (Smethwick) in 1874 at Christ Church, West Bromwich.
Their son, my great grandfather William was born in 1874 (West Bromwich).
William senior married again in 1889 to Lucy Taylor nee Judge.
The newspaper report was dated 1891 and it stated that Matilda claimed that she had left her husband 15 years ago so roughly 1876.
Can anyone help in anyway or suggest anything that would help in my search.
Thanks