Did Sarah marry her sisters husband

[brigidmac]

Ann Fullagar 1831-1861
Married railway guard Richard CLIFFORD  18 NOV 1855 at St.Nicholas Guildford her father given as william FULLAGAR fruiteter
They had two daughters elizabeth and Ann
 After her death Richard CLIFFORD remarried Sarah FULLAGAR
1862 in st pancreas father also named as William but farmer

There is a family with both girls names in 1841 but apparently it was illegal to marry sisters then .
I. Working on my cousin's tree #1 on Ancestry but have doubts about some of the facts

[brigidmac]

Brothers George and Henry also site fruiterer on marriages 1847 & 1852 respectively

Another thing I have doubts about is Ann age 30 in 1841 is not wife of William born 1801
Who I have as Elizabeth Betty TOVEY
Fresh eyes please

[Rosinish]

When was the last census you have William (father) & what was his occ?

When did William die & what was his occ?

He may have become a farmer in those 7 yrs?

Annie

[Flemming]

Have you seen the 1862 marriage record and does it say Richard was a widower?

Are Richard and Sarah in Maidstone in Kent with children that include Elizabeth (born 1857 Guildford) and Annie (born 1861 Maidstone)?

Despite it being against the law to marry a late wife's sister, do you think some people went ahead and did it anyway? It could be why they married in St Pancras and maybe why the father's details were altered slightly.

I've got two marriages to a late wife's sister in my tree. It always startles me to see them but there were young children involved who quickly needed a familiar, trustworthy mother.

Any chance of DNA helping out?

[Flemming]

In 1851, Sarah Fullagar is in Boxley, born there in 1839, with father William, a farmer - is this the one?

There's a marriage for William Fullagar to Elizabeth Tovey 1825 Boxley and then a series of bps and later brs with mmn Tovey.

[brigidmac]

Some answers
Yes sarahs marriage to Richard says he was a  widower
The william farmer I found on 1841 to 1881   but different groups of children and wife elizabeth has different birthyears  & plabces1807 runcorn hertfordshire & 1797 Wilmington  which is one reason I.thought I.might have accidentally merged two William s

Sorry its taking me a while to access and verify

[Flemming]

Do you have any census entries for William the fruiterer?

[Jebber]

Although against the law to marry one’s late wife’s sister at that time,  it was not that unusual. I have several examples in branches of my tree. Usually they married away from home, sometimes in London, but I have at least one example where the second marriage took place in the same small village as the first marriage.

[brigidmac]

More answers
Yes dna leads to a connection with Anns daughter elizabeth
& I have just seen another post about the legality of sisters marrying

I did wonder if william could be a fruit farmer

In.1841  age 40 ann 30 in Sandling 7 children

1851sandling  farmer wife elizabeth from.Hertfordshire

1861rochester road farmer of 8 acres employing one man elizabet age.54 cant read origin.

1871 sandling farmer 10 acres wife 54 from hertfordshire

1881 age 79  retired farmer wife from Herefordshire

This farmer left probate to his daughter Eliza Jarrett
I.ll answer the Clifford questions next