Divorce in the 1850s England

[Lyn Riley]

Thanks everyone for your responses above, they are all helpful and interesting. I have just purchased the GRO marriage certificate for the first wife to see whether its my relation or not but I have to wait for its arrival by English post to NZ. Couple of days maybe and then I can post details.  My rellies name is Richard Wallis (1831-1887). He was born Bromsgrove about 1830/31.  The only parents I can locate are Richard and Mary Wallace (sp) who were married in Kingswinford 1830 and on 1841 census in Bromsgrove with a Richard (wrong age) and daughter Phoebe (wrong age).  Richard's possible 1st marriage took place in 1853 in Mansfield Nottingham.  In 1858 he emigrated to NZ. He remarried in NZ in 1859 to Isabella Bird (from Suffolk).  I have tried searching for the first wife's possible death or remarriage but her name was Ellen Wallis (nee Parkin) and there are dozens of possibilities (hence needle in haystack). Ellen Parkin is new information to me but was born c.1834 in Sutton Nottinghamshire if I have the correct person (marriage cert may confirm more exact details about her).  Richard's NZ marriage certificate to wife number two states he was 29 (1859) and that he was a Bachelor. Just has local NZ address and his occupation as fellmonger. Haven't got much else to go on so hard to prove it was him who married Ellen Parkin in Mansfield Nottinghamin 1853 prior to coming to NZ in 1858.  Same place, same name, and the timing is right for Nottingham residence (1853-1858). Certificate hopefully will shed some more light.  Any help is gratefully received in due course. I will post GRO certificate on its arrival.  thanks Lyn

[wivenhoe]

BDM NZ  marriage
1859/1902  Richard   WALLIS  marr.  Isabella   BIRD

Can you please give all the information on this record please.

It is best to list the details........are you looking at a transcript......or....image of a handwritten document?


Where does this information come from for your Richard WALLIS, married NZ 1859?
"..He was born Bromsgrove about 1830/31"

[wivenhoe]

Is this your Richard WALLIS........?

Headstone for Richard WALLIS, died 1887, and wife Isabella, died 1927.
https://www.goredc.govt.nz/do-it-online/search-it/cemeteries/view/2742

Otago Witness 13 May 1887  p9
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/OW18870513.2.23?
..obit for Richard WALLIS......arrived ship "Maori" 1855.......

[maddys52]

I think the family you have in the 1841 census are Richard and Elizabeth (Betsy) WALLACE who have children baptised at Bromsgrove between 1822 and 1831:

1822  William  (parents Richard and Betsy, Worcester St, sawyer)
1823  Felisia   (Richard and Elizabeth, High St, nailer) buried 1823
1825  Phoebe (Richard and Betsy, Strand, sawyer)
1826  Henry   (Richard and Elizabeth, Strand, carpenter)
1829  Esther  (Richard and Betsy, Roundabout Yard, sawyer) buried 1830 (St John's St)
1831  Richard  (Richard and Mary, St John's St, sawyer) "Mary" seems like it could be an error? Or a second marriage, maybe the one you found in Kingswinton)?

(all records from FreeReg)

Whether this is your Richard WALLIS, I'm not sure. 


Modified to add:
A possibility - Richard WALLIS married Betsy POTTER 4 Jun 1820 at Kingswinford, both otp.

[maddys52]

"Mary" seems like it could be an error? Or a second marriage, maybe the one you found in Kingswinton)?

Burial of Betsy WALLIS aged 29 at Bromsgrove 25 Nov 1829

[Lyn Riley]

Apologies but I am not sure how to respond to each message individually so this is a catch all to the above responses.

Maddy:  Richard Wallis/Wallace(sp) Snr married twice. Both marriages in Kingswinford. Betsey in 1820 and Mary in 1830. Betsey died 1829 and Richard married Mary in 1830 then had who I believe to be my Richard Wallis in 1831.  I am certain it is the same Richard for both marriages.

One of Richard Wallis's son's birth certificates in NZ (registered by Richard himself) stated father born Bromsgrove, Worcester so that is why I know Richard was born in Bromsgrove (first level info) and that is where my search started. 

Wivenhoe: I have everything I need from the NZ end thank you including Richard's obit and headstone thank you.  The paper obit is incorrect in the 1855 year of sailing to NZ for my Richard (2nd tier info), who I know arrived on the Maori 1859 (immigration papers first level info).  The Maori did come to NZ in 1855 but not with my Richard on board so they have the story mixed.

The NZ marriage record is from the parish handwritten "intention to marry" registration and actual certificate that both Richard and Isabella signed. There is no information about his background in the UK at all on these documents.  He states he is a Bachelor and Isabella is a Spinster. (first level info), but quite possibly never divulged his first marriage.

Family legend has him born in Mansfield Nottingham, however, again this is 2nd level info as the only evidence family have to support this theory is the shipping immigration record which states his last UK address.  However, his son's birth certificate provides me with the info he was born in Bromsgrove. 

The only issues I need to confirm:  have I picked up the correct mother and father for Richard Wallis born Bromsgrove 1831 ie Richard Wallis and Mary Butler from Bromsgrove back in 1830 (1841 census as only evidence); however there are other Richard Wallises born around that time but they appear to be on later census records post my Richard's departure from the UK. And did he marry Ellen Parkin in 1853 Mansfield Nottingham given that was his recorded last residence.  Did Ellen die or remarry before Richard's 1859 departure or did one of them abandon the other?  I will await the marriage certificate's arrival to see if there is any further evidence to support the connection.  I can't locate a death or remarriage for Ellen Parkin/Wallis before my Richard departed in 1859.

My only other spurious connection back to Bromsgrove is William Wallace/Wallis (half-brother to my Richard Wallis), apart from picking up his father's timber/carpenter/joiner trade, lists an address on the 1881 census as living at 58 Dollman St Birmingham, an address listed in a family bible here in NZ. And either William or an uncle William (can't remember which right now) but one of them named their children the same names as my Richard in NZ (Arthur; Sidney; Frederick; Richard etc) My gut feeling tells me I have the correct family from those connections.

Hope that clarifies a little.

[majm]

    If I am reading this correctly,  you already have his signature on two NZ BDM official records ... his marriage and when he registered the birth of one of his children.    So it would be good to compare those signatures with his signature on the UK 1853 marriage 

JM

[Lyn Riley]

yes fingers crossed. hopefully he signed it!

[majm]

Hopefully he signed it as Richard Walter WALLIS which is how his name is likely recorded on the birth of his son Richard Frederick WALLIS in NZ in 1860.    

ADD

"New Zealand, Civil Records Indexes, 1800-1966," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q24J-KGY2 : 27 November 2017), Richard Walter Wallis in entry for Richard Frederick Wallis, 1860; citing Birth, New Zealand, registration number 1860/10493, Archives of New Zealand, Wellington.

and

https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/search/search?path=%2FqueryEntry.m%3Ftype%3Dbirths

JM