Northern Echo - WIGHAM

[EmmaZomb]

Hi all,

I have been told by some family members that my great great grandparents came to a gruesome end where the husband murdered the wife and then committed suicide. I have also been told that it was reported in the Northern Echo.

I am not entirely sure when this happened but it would have to of been after 1936 as this was when my grandmother was born and she remembers her mother taking on all her younger sibling when their parents died.

If anyone could help it would be greatly appreciated.

EmmaZomb.

[CaroleW]

Hi

Can we have their christian names please - lots of Wigham deaths in Northumberland

You would need to establish which year they died first

[EmmaZomb]

Hi CaroleW,

I believe the names to be Richard and Sarah Ann but have not completely verified this. I wouldn't be able to get an exact date anytime soon as the majority of the family have passed away and so am lacking people to ask for details. My great grandmother was Dorothy Hardy (nee Wigham) who took the younger siblings in.

Not sure if this helps any?

EmmaZomb.

[Matilda1]

Hi

www.freebmd.org.uk has:

Marriages Sep 1931   
Hardy    William C    Wigham    Easington    10a   1028    
WIGHAM    Dorothy A    Hardy    Easington    10a   1028

If you buy this marriage certificate it will give you the name of Dorothy's father which should help.

You can buy certs on-line here:

http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/

I found two Hardy children with a mother's surname Wigham, both born in Co. Durham.  Do you have information suggesting that the tragedy you refer to took place in Northumberland?

Unfortunately there is currently only one supplier of the 1911 census & it does not permit lookups.  The free index, however, shows 2 or 3 possibilities for a Dorothy Wigham, assuming that she was born before 1911, all in Co. Durham.  If Dorothy was very young when she married in 1931, she won't show up in the 1911 census.

Good luck,

Matilda

[Matilda1]

Hi
You need to work back methodically from what you know, so the first step would be to get the Hardy- Wigham marriage. If you are right about the names of your great great grandparents, the following may be of interest.

FreeBMD also has this marriage:

Marriages Dec quarter 1902 
Jarvis    Sarah Ann        Auckland    volume 10a   page 330         
Wigham    Richard         Auckland    10a   330   

I cannot see deaths for a Richard & Sarah Wigham at the same time but have a look yourself on www.freebmd.org.uk 

Of course re-marriages can throw spanners in the works - another reason for working backwards carefully.

If these names are right, then there are a large number of births of Wigham children with the mother's surname of Jarvis born in or after the September quarter of 1911 (the mother's maiden name is not listed in the GRO indexes for earlier births):

Births Sep 1912
Wigham    Ivy    Jarvis    Lanchester    10a   783    
Births Mar 1915   
WIGHAM    Joseph J    Jarvis    Durham    10a   863    
Births Dec 1915   
Wigham    Richard    Jarvis    Lanchester    10a   624    
Births Sep 1917   
Wigham    Edith    Jarvis    Durham    10a   641    
Births Dec 1918   
Wigham    John    Jarvis    Lanchester    10a   643    
Births Mar 1920   
Wigham    Albert    Jarvis    Durham    10a   1023   
Wigham    William    Jarvis    Durham    10a   1023    
Births Mar 1921   
Wigham    Milley    Jarvis    Durham    10a   838    
Births Jun 1924 
Wigham    Thomas    Jarvis    Durham    10a   789

There are several  Dorothy Wighams born before 1911 in the Durham registration district:

Births Sep 1904   
Wigham    Dorothy Ann         Durham    10a   431    
Births Dec 1908   
Wigham    Dorothy Ann         Durham    10a   437
Births Jun 1909   
WIGHAM    Dorothy         Durham    10a   456

Not sure if this helps, but my electric blanket is calling to me!

Matilda

[Michael Dixon]

EmmaZ,

I don't think the Northern Echo had a target population in Northumberland.
I think it mostly covered County Durham.
Michael

[Radcliff]

Looking at the death records on free bmd I can see a Richard in September 1940,Durham NW aged 54,
Susannah aged 56 Durham NW,March 1940,

but I agree the easiest way would be to buy a birth certificate,

[EmmaZomb]

Thank you all for the input, advice and time.

I think I am going to have to take it on the chin and order a birth certificate or a marriage certificate to find out the names for sure.

Radcliff - Thank you, I may try and look into that further as Susannah is a familiar name to me.

[ipsley]

Hi,

I have noticed you are looking for your great grandparents - Wigham. They are in my family tree. The story you tell is of William Wigham who murdered his wife Mary Ann Wigham in December 1934.
William Wigham was the stepbrother of my grandfather William Hopson. William Wigham was the son of George Wigham who was killed in the Trimdon mining disaster of 1882. His widow Dorothy Bowen Wigham eventually married my great grandfather Thomas William Hopson after she had married two other gentlemen.
In 1901 William is living in Brandon with the Hopson family. He married Mary Ann Hughes of Trimdon in 1903.

My mum told me the sad family story of how William and Mary were always arguing, and one day they were out for a walk when he pushed her over a stile and killed her. He then went to the local fever hospital and committed suicide by drinking poison.
I hope this is useful to you. If you need to know more about his mother Dorothy please get in touch,

Chris