A possible case of bigamy?

[Davedrave]

There can be little doubt that John Hunt who married Sarah Tacy in St Nicholas, Leicester, in 1814, is the same John Hunt who married Rebecca Roscoe in Bolton-le-Willows, Lancashire, in 1824. There is nothing wrong with that other than that I haven’t found a burial for Sarah Hunt, and that John’s marital status in 1824 was apparently “bachelor”.

In 1851 John and Rebecca were in Jewry Wall Street, Leicester, and he was born in “Boulton, Lankashire” and Rebecca was born in Leicestershire. In fact John was baptised in St Nicholas, Leicester and Rebecca was almost certainly Rebecca Roscho, baptised in Bolton in 1793 or 1794 (age matches census).

Either there is a whole series of errors in the records, or something a bit suspicious. Given that John’s brother William had a record of abandoning his family to “vagabondize” all over the country, I’m suspicious. And John and William share the same grave, so obviously they were close.

[BumbleB]

1841 - HO107/605/14 folio 44, page 19

John and Rebecca are in Leicester, and both born in County.

Just a thought - have you seen the actual parish register entry for the 1824 marriage?  Reason for asking is that the 1814 marriage entry shows that John signed the register.  I can only see the BT entry for the 1824 marriage.

[majm]

   some thoughts .... assuming your theory is on track  ....  ...

   Could Sarah have been transported beyond the seas? If so marriage was ended when she embarked ....
  Could Sarah have quit the marriage and was not known to be alive .... Seven year rule ...
  have you looked for any children for John and Sarah ... if none,  she may have quit and gone beyond the seas of her own accord or stayed local but joined a convent or retired to a nunnery

Outside the square thinking 


JM

[Davedrave]

1841 - HO107/605/14 folio 44, page 19

John and Rebecca are in Leicester, and both born in County.

Just a thought - have you seen the actual parish register entry for the 1824 marriage?  Reason for asking is that the 1814 marriage entry shows that John signed the register.  I can only see the BT entry for the 1824 marriage.

The 1841 Census is, I think, just wrong about born in county. I must admit that I haven’t seen the 1824 register original image, but was informed on here recently that it states “bachelor”. I think that the point about his not signing is either probably for benign reasons (sprained wrist etc) or could even add to my conspiracy theories. John’s brother William signed at John’s marriage in 1814, but not at his own in 1815. Maybe he’d hurt his hand or maybe an attack of nerves precluded writing (something he probably did very infrequently).

In 1841 John was a dyer in Jewry Wall Street, as you say. In 1826 he was in Thornton Lane, Leicester, a dyer. His father Thomas died in this street in 1830. In 1841 William Hunt was nearby with mother Esther (North Bond Street). In 1842 Esther Hunt died in Jewry Wall Street, widow of Thomas Hunt, dyer; informant John Hunt of Jewry Wall Street. There can be little doubt that John was the son of Thomas and Esther Hunt, baptised was in St Nicholas, Leicester, in 1792, and brother of William, a son of the same parents, who was baptised in the same church in 1790, and buried to the same grave in 1857 that John was subsequently buried in, in 1858.

[Davedrave]

  some thoughts .... assuming your theory is on track  ....  ...

   Could Sarah have been transported beyond the seas? If so marriage was ended when she embarked ....
  Could Sarah have quit the marriage and was not known to be alive .... Seven year rule ...
  have you looked for any children for John and Sarah ... if none,  she may have quit and gone beyond the seas of her own accord or stayed local but joined a convent or retired to a nunnery

Outside the square thinking 


JM

I think that some of your suggestions are distinct possibilities, especially the first. I hadn’t appreciated the existence of the seven year rule. I haven’t found any children yet, or transportation, and I doubt she got herself to a nunnery (but who knows  )

[rosie99]

Previous post about John Hunt here
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=850570.0

[majm]

1810s, 1820s .... a clergyman says to you .... "sign here" ...you sign, but do you slow the ceremony by taking your time to read the document, or do you obey the clergy's command ....

1810s, 1820s .... a clergyman says to you ""make your mark here" ... so do you say " excuse me, but I can read and  write, I want to sign my name, and I want to read what I am about to make my mark as a witness so dont rush me ... I am a slow reader" or do you obey the clergyman's command ...

JM

[trish1120]

FreeREG has a 24 Mar 1822 Burial for a Sarah Hunt age 32, abode Loughborough

[Davedrave]

FreeREG has a 24 Mar 1822 Burial for a Sarah Hunt age 32, abode Loughborough

It’s possible, but I see that there are a few Sarah Hunts baptised around the right time in villages closer to Loughborough. OTOH there was a Sarah Tacy baptised there around the right time, as well as one of similar age baptised in John’s own parish of St Nicholas in Leicester. Two individuals named Sarah Tacy were married in St Nicholas in 1814, so maybe related, and possibly John’s bride was from the Loughborough area, and returned there for some reason. I still can’t see why he would be described as “bachelor”, unless just a clerical error.

Dave