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I have a mystery which has had me stumped for a good 15 years.  There are two women born 22 years apart in Kilton, Somerset, both with the name Elizabeth EXON who "married" the same man named William MANN.

The first Elizabeth EXON was born in 1844 and married William MANN in Kensington, 15 April 1875.  They divorced in 1889 and another woman named Elizabeth EXON is named under the claim for adultery.  The "new" Elizabeth EXON and William MANN then have two children; Cecilia Exon MANN born in 1890 and William MANN born in 1891.  Both are described as the children of William and Elizabeth MANN of 101 Walmer Rd in their baptism records.

In the 1891 census they family are recorded under the surname MANN.  In the 1901 census, Elizabeth is living with her son William EXON and is recorded as the boarder of William MANN.  She is also using the surname EXON again.  Their daughter Cecilia has died of measles.

In the 1911 census, William, Elizabeth and their son are recorded with the surname EXON.  They are recorded as being married for 22 years which would have been 1889, the same year as the first wife Elizabeth EXON filed for divorce, but there isn't a marriage record.

William MANN senior died sometime between 1912 and 1918.  His son William MANN, is using the surname EXON when he married in 1918 and his death in 1936 is registered under the surname EXON.

The mystery is Elizabeth EXON as she doesn't exist prior to 1881 and disappears after 1911.  Co-incidentally, both Elizabeth EXONs worked for the same family with the surname WALTHAM who lived in Stanford Rivers, Essex.  Elizabeth (b. 1844) worked for the WALTHAM family in 1861 and Elizabeth (b.1866) worked for the same family in 1881.

Its a very complicated situation and if anyone can find details of the Elizabeth EXON (b. 1866) prior to 1881 or after 1911, I will be eternally grateful.

Thanks for reading my long winded post

I don't know and wouldn't have a clue as to which newspaper it would be in if it was.  My father was 12 when he left and his older siblings were 15 and 17.  I'm not sure if he would paid for the children until they reached a certain age and if he would still have to pay maintenance to his wife after the children left home.

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That does sound incredibly familiar and what a huge coincidence!!  Is the forum on the FindMyPast website or is that the Facebook FindMyPast group?

It's their "forum" on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/findmypastofficial/?post_id=2804959043125821

Good grief...this is an amazing coincidence as we are definitely researching the same family!!!  There was another post on the group discussing the duplicate marriages 5 years apart.  Thanks ShaunJ for pointing me in this direction.

There was this query in the FindMyPast Forum a couple of days ago ...seems a familiar tale:

"I was wondering if anyone can give me some tips for researching Grenadier Guards Records in the 1860’s. 
I know the person’s name and his death details (he died whilst in The Guards and a question was asked in Parliament about his death!). .. He was a Colour Sargeant in the 3rd Battalion."

That does sound incredibly familiar and what a huge coincidence!!  Is the forum on the FindMyPast website or is that the Facebook FindMyPast group?  I don't have a subscription to FindMyPast but couldn't see a forum on their site using my free membership.

I had seen the record for George BROWN with the regiment number of 1536 on the Forces War Records website but had initially put it to the side as he was recorded as "1st (or Grenadier) Regiment of Foot Guards".  However, now I suppose it could also be him. 

Previously, I have been successful in receiving records for another relative who served in the Grenadier Guards but he served a bit later on from 1908.  Thanks again for your help.