Two wives

[alimac44]

I have a William Harvey, b. 1848, married to Emma Chirgwin in my fam tree. However on the 1891 census there is a child Asenath Harvey (parents William and Catharine Harvey) listed as being grand daughter of William & Phillis who are also parents of Emma's William. so it seems I have 1 William Harvey 2 wives and lots of children. There is a spell of 5 yrs when no children were born to either "wife" I have marriage certs for both marriages and all seems like same william. Was the 5 yr gap a spell inside for bigamy? anyone any ideas how i can try and sort this out?

[osprey]

think you've got 2 different families here.
1881 census has William & Emma, with William a general labourer RG11/2344 folio 110 pg 5.
William married to Catherine is a fisherman RG11/2344 folio 56 pg 21.
Their ages are different as well.

[Barbara F]

Following on from Osprey's post - the marriage of William to Emma Chirgwin is on the Cornwall OPC site.

http://www.cornwall-opc-database.org/moreinfo.php?ID=471689&dbtype=marriages&debug=

This indicates that William was a labourer as was his father.

William, the husband of Phillis, is a Fisherman on the censuses as is his son William.

Barbara

[alimac44]

Thanks for the comments. I have the 2 marriage certs, and both Williams are the same age and both their fathers were called william.  In 1873 William and Emma married william aged 23, in April 1876 William married Catharine aged 27 allowing for birthdays and when they fall, Emma's William could of been 27 in 1876 when Catharine and William got married. Its such a coincidence that 2 families linked through marriage would have 2 William Harveys the same age whose fathers were called William. I know Emma and William are ours because my Mum hs told me of her aunty having the middle name Chirgwin and she hated it. I wonder if the error is William and Phyllis Payne being Emma's Williams parents.

[osprey]

If your William is the labourer with father labourer, then he was the son of Jane, not Phillis.

1861 Navy Inn St, Newlyn RG9/1592 folio 46 pg 16
Wm Harvey head mar 39 fisherman
Phillis wife 36
Wm son 12
Robert son 10
John son 7
Phillis dau 6
Ellen dau 2
all born Newlyn St Paul

Factory Place, Newlyn RG9/1592 folio 44 pg 11
Wm Harvey head mar 48 labourer
Jane wife 40
Grace dau 12
Wm T son 11
John son 10
Jane dau 8
Thomas son 7

marriage reg
Willm Harvey march qtr 1848 Penzance vol  9 pg 221 with Jane Thomas on the same page
transcribed on the OPC database
www.rootschat.com/links/06xm/

There's also another William Harvey, fisherman, who marries Mary Edwards Thistleton in Paul in 1848.

[osprey]

can't see a baptism for William son of William & Jane, but there is one for his older sister Grace
www.rootschat.com/links/06xn/

possible IGI baptism for William 18/4/1813 son of John & Julia in batch C023411 for Paul

 

[osprey]

forgot to add this, the baptism of William the fisherman

www.rootschat.com/links/06xt/

[alimac44]

Thank you very much for your help, Phillis is definately William's wife as my mum is Phyllis and its come down the female line.