Thank you everybody for the warm welcome and the wise words.
Considering how common bigamy seems to have been, there must be plenty of people in a similar position. Yes - I sam the Kim C episode and it was astonishingly reminsicent of my family's situation: the man could run away, but the woman, with the children could not restart her life so easily. She couldn't remarry, or claim life insurance/pension, and working with children in tow would be tough. Not easy on those who were left behind.
Unlike Kim C's case, no-one who knew him is left alive - on this side of the Atlantic, anyway - so the mixed feelings are on behalf of relatives now dead - and I would certainly never blame his new 'wife' and kids - but I would very much like to know more about what he did and when!
I did find an extensive family history written by an in-law of one of his descendents, and including my forebear - but alas the email address included was long out of date. They would have made a perfect first contact - I'll have to follow a more circuitous route!
Yes, I've got photos, even the so-and-so's birth certificate! Unfortunately I don't have celebrity or fortune to offer. I don't want to upset anybody: I'm guessing they don't know what he did (the details are worse in many ways than Kim Catterall's). Goodness knows, finding revelations yourself can be pretty emotive. Having them thrust upon you could be a big shock.
I'll let you know if I go for it, but don't hold your breath...
