Remarriage while husband in asylum ?

[brigidmac]

Sorry folks it took me lomger
I found the asylum record too mabel

I think Lily must have been Sarahs daughter.because she was only 2 in 1901 census.but given surname MASON  because  George acknowledged her or maybe the couple had already  been living as man and wife before the census but told truth census takers Sarah  was housekeeper .

Yes in 1901 Harriet is acknowledged as daughter of sarah in 1891 she is living with grandparents john and Ann DOBSON

But I dont know if she was the mother of john William DOBSON the grandchild who.is living with the MASON s in 1911
Or whose child isb2 year old  grandchild annie Williamson who is also  living with them .

[brigidmac]

Tree on ancestry has Harriet Dobson marrying john north MASON ....the brother of her mothers second husband...having 3 children and dying in 1910 .
I.ll follow that up tomorrow.

[Guy Etchells]

husband  Charles Williamson was in asylum since 1891 leaving wife Sarah nee Dobson
 with 5 young children

He was still there in 1911 listed as married farmer

 But wife seems to have remarried in 1907  to the man she was housekeeper for in 1901
 George Mason

Could she have had first marriage annulled ?
Where would records be .?

There would be no legal obstacle to her marrying for a second time if she did not know if he was alive after 7 years.
See-
http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~framland/genealogy/acts/1604.htm
Cheers
Guy

[guest189040]

husband  Charles Williamson was in asylum since 1891 leaving wife Sarah nee Dobson
 with 5 young children

He was still there in 1911 listed as married farmer

 But wife seems to have remarried in 1907  to the man she was housekeeper for in 1901
 George Mason

Could she have had first marriage annulled ?
Where would records be .?

There would be no legal obstacle to her marrying for a second time if she did not know if he was alive after 7 years.
See-
http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~framland/genealogy/acts/1604.htm
Cheers
Guy

I would not think that this is relevant in this case or at the very least is tenuous.

It is not as though the Husband has done a runner and his location has been unknown for 7 years, he was locked up and she must have known that this was the situation.

The information also goes on to give an indication that a Court Ruling can declare the marriage void and if this was the case then there sould be case records

[brigidmac]

Thanks for the information and link Guy

Biggles ,  she must have known when he was admitted to west riding lunatic asylum in Beverly walkington

By look of census it was a huge place with  lots of staff : surgeons attendants nurses

But we dont know if she ever visited or had been told he'd died .

She could presume he.d died and be honest if questioned that she hadnt SEEN him for 7 years

Though legally it wasnt desertion I think she.d have public sympathy .

[Girl Guide]

I guess it would partly depend on whether she had any contact with the asylum re her husband.  No way of knowing if she ever visited him.

Would the asylum have had any means of contacting her?  If she left no address with them then they wouldn't have been able to let her know about him.

I don't know what the usual attitude was to those who were put in asylums.  Did families keep in touch or were inmates just forgotten about?

Must have been bewildering and probably unpleasant being incarcerated in an asylum.

[guest189040]

I don't know what the usual attitude was to those who were put in asylums.  Did families keep in touch or were inmates just forgotten about?

Must have been bewildering and probably unpleasant being incarcerated in an asylum.

I worked in such a place in the 1970’s and there was very little visitation by relatives hence I think it is pretty safe to assume that they were forgotten.

The Staff at the one I worked at for three years did a superb job making the lives of the inmates as pleasant and as entertaining as possible but what it was like many decades prior will be a moot point and remember these places were not built and managed by the State.

[AntonyMMM]

I think Lily must have been Sarahs daughter.because she was only 2 in 1901 census.but given surname MASON  because  George acknowledged her or maybe the couple had already  been living as man and wife before the census but told truth census takers Sarah  was housekeeper .

Children don't get given a surname on birth registrations until 1969 - what the index is showing is the surname of one (or both) of the parents who are named on the entry, depending on their marital status.

[brigidmac]

Thanks Anthony

As for the Dobsons and Masons they lived complicated lives too

John North Mason did indeed marry  his sister in law.Sarahs daughter but before that he married Annie DOBSON who was Sarahs sister
So effectively he married his deceased wifes neice
( I thought that was illegal but I they are not blood related )