I appear to have stumbled on a serial bigamist in Matilda Brooks during the 1860s to 80s and wondered if anyone had any suggestions of what might have been going on. All show her father as George Brooks, a Merchant Navy Captain/Mariner/Master Mariner. Lucy or Lucy E or Lucy Elizabeth Brooks is a witness in marriages 2 to 5. They are all mainly considerably older men mainly widowed. I have not been able to find her birth but the ages she gives make it 1840-1852.
The marriages are in London’s East End and are as follows:
1866 as Matilda Brooks to John Mews aged 60 who didn’t die until 1878.
1869 as Matilda Brooks to Frank Bruno (35) a seaman. This appears to be the only record of any Frank Bruno in the 19th century. The signature is not clear though.
1874 as Matilda Mews to William Garland (shown only as full age). Don’t know when he died.
1878 as Matilda Letitia Garland to Zachariah Summers (looks like either 58 or 38 was in fact about 53) who didn’t die until 1888.
1880 as Matilda Letitia Garland to Henry Edward Dean (60) who didn’t die until 1890
1889 as Matilda Letitia Dean to Henry Goodall (58 real age about 62).
In 1871 census she is with John Mews, in 1881 census with Henry Dean and in 1891 census with Henry Goodall. Her place of birth is given as Greenwich.
What happened to her after 1891 I don’t know, there is nothing suitable under the name Matilda Goodall in marriages or deaths, and where was she before 1866, I can find no trace.
All I was doing was trying to find out more about Zachariah Summers (a possible bigamist himself although he may not actually have married the person who appears as his wife in baptism and census records).
Simon
