The fact she kept having children after 1861 and naming them Mennel indicates she was certainly acting still married. Joseph's disappearance in the 1861 census is intriguing, to say the least. Obviously, she wouldn't be allowed to marry if Joseph was still alive. And Divorces weren't common at all then were they.
How many more children did Maria have prior to re-marrying in 1868?
Have you looked at who the informant was for each child i.e. did Joseph register any of them?
The census is only 1 night in 10 yrs.
It's possible Maria & Joseph had gone their separate ways between 1861 & 1868 but any children she had would legally have the surname Mennel as that was her legal surname.
It was assumed any children registered by a married woman, her husband was the father although she may have declared he wasn't the father?
I'm unsure what the procedure was in England for a married woman registering an illegitimate child even if she admitted her husband wasn't the father...
I have a birth cert. for a chap born (a lot later) 1929 to a married woman & her partner/lover who registered the birth & he's indexed under 3 surnames, his father's surname, his mother's married surname & his mother's maiden surname.
Annie
