Caroline Bennett, Knight Bennett etc Knight Gudger

[Vixen999]

Hi was hoping for some help with the following information as I am rather confused and trying to unstick myself on doing a friends family tree.  There are family trees on ancestry but Im not convinced that they are necessarily correct and so Im looking for proof and records

Im confused with regards a Caroline Bennett, born 9th Oct 1879, registered 1880 Wolverhampton mmn Cooper.  She had a number of children as follows which I believe to be correct

Knight Bennett
1899–1960

Gladys Bennett
1904–

William Bennett
1906–1983

Elizabeth Bennett
1909–

Harold Bennett
1911–

Robert Bennett
1914–2004

Hilda Bennett
1914–

On the 1911 Census, she is single, unmarried living with Knight Gudger aged 63 and is down as married.  However, his wife, Anna Oliphant remarried in 1903 to a Joseph Strafford.  Caroline is down aged 30 in 1911.  On Caroline's sons wedding bans, william, it has his dad as Knight Bennett, deceased.  I cannot find any marriage records at all for Caroline or a Knight Bennett.  Carolines parents are Jane Cooper and William Bennett.  Also on the 1911 census is a son of Knight Gudger a William Radcliffe Gudger who is married, aged 24.  Caroline and her children are down as boarders.

Any help in deciphering what is going on with this one would be gratefully received as Im not sure why William would put that his dad is a Knight Bennett when Caroline is unmarried.  Knight Gudger is clearly older than Caroline and was married to someone else.  Did they have an affair despite the massive age gap?  Caroline went on to marry George William Willmer and is a widow on the 1939 census as he died 1935
 Thanks all

[CaroleW]

Knight Gudger or Knight Bennett?

Knight Gudger married Annie Oliphant 1881 South Shields

Knight Gudger - only death is 1918 Oldham aged 70 which ties in with this birth but not with his 1911 birthplace of Yorkshire.  Living in Oldham in 1911

March qtr 1848 Ashton & Oldham 20 120

Looks like the Strafford marriage was bigamous & no marriage between Caroline & Knight

[CaroleW]

In 1891 Knight Gudger is 43 & Annie is 29 so a 14yr age difference there.

Caroline BENNETT married 1927 to George Willmer which indicates there was no marriage between her & Knight Gudger

The only issue I can see here is a bigamous marriage in 1903

[softly softly]

Info re Knight Gudger only

Gaol Record Detail For: Knight Gudger

Record ID:   34114
Commital Year:   1875
Reference Doc:   BLARS QGV12/2
ID in Reference Doc:   606
Age:   26
Gender:   Male
Occupation:   105th Regiment Private 1434
Offence:   Desertion
Date Received:   15/09/1875
Type of Gaol:   Bedford Gaol
Sentence:   112 Days & Stoppages
Discharge Date:   26/12/1875

He appears to have used an Alias as well

Name:   James Smith
[Knight Gudger]
Age:   27
Birth Year:   Abt 1849
Birth Place:   Oldham, Lancashire
Desertion Date:   3 Jun 1876
Desertion Place:   Aldershot
Publication Date:   30 Jun 1876
Regimental Number:   1434
Military Corps:   105th Foot

Knight had banns of marriage read in 1880 Prestwich St Mary, other party Geneva Ward.

In 1867 sentenced to 14 days hard labour for being drunk & disorderly.

John

[softly softly]

William Radcliffe Gudger is a son from Knight's marriage to Ann Oliphant

John

[Vixen999]

Knight Gudger or Knight Bennett?

Knight Gudger married Annie Oliphant 1881 South Shields

Knight Gudger - only death is 1918 Oldham aged 70 which ties in with this birth but not with his 1911 birthplace of Yorkshire.  Living in Oldham in 1911

March qtr 1848 Ashton & Oldham 20 120

Well thats where the confusion lies.  On one of carolines kids wedding bans, it has the dad down as Knight bennett!!!  but is a boarder with Knight Gudger in 1911.  I have found no marriage for Caroline for either a Knight Bennett or a Knight Gudger.  On the 1911 Census it has Caroiine as single.  Gudger is down as married.  So I know Caroline was born as a Bennett and the fact that none of her kids have her mmn down on the gro records indicates born out of wedlock to me

Looks like the Strafford marriage was bigamous & no marriage between Caroline & Knight

[Vixen999]

Info re Knight Gudger only

Gaol Record Detail For: Knight Gudger

Record ID:   34114
Commital Year:   1875
Reference Doc:   BLARS QGV12/2
ID in Reference Doc:   606
Age:   26
Gender:   Male
Occupation:   105th Regiment Private 1434
Offence:   Desertion
Date Received:   15/09/1875
Type of Gaol:   Bedford Gaol
Sentence:   112 Days & Stoppages
Discharge Date:   26/12/1875

He appears to have used an Alias as well

Name:   James Smith
[Knight Gudger]
Age:   27
Birth Year:   Abt 1849
Birth Place:   Oldham, Lancashire
Desertion Date:   3 Jun 1876
Desertion Place:   Aldershot
Publication Date:   30 Jun 1876
Regimental Number:   1434
Military Corps:   105th Foot

Knight had banns of marriage read in 1880 Prestwich St Mary, other party Geneva Ward.

In 1867 sentenced to 14 days hard labour for being drunk & disorderly.

John

Hi John you mentioned banns of marriage in 1880 when he married Geneva Ward.  What name was he using then??

[Vixen999]

Knight Gudger or Knight Bennett?

Knight Gudger married Annie Oliphant 1881 South Shields

Knight Gudger - only death is 1918 Oldham aged 70 which ties in with this birth but not with his 1911 birthplace of Yorkshire.  Living in Oldham in 1911

March qtr 1848 Ashton & Oldham 20 120

Looks like the Strafford marriage was bigamous & no marriage between Caroline & Knight

Well thats where the confusion lies....Knight Gudger was already married and Caroline was single on the 1911 census.  One of her children on the marriage bans lists their father as Knight Bennett not Gudger.  But there are no marriage records for a Knight Bennett or a Knight Gudger having married Caroline.  Also if Knight Gudger was infact the dad of her children why would he then change his name to Bennett as put down on the sons wedding bans.  It does however say that Knight Bennett is deceased when her son married in the late twenties and Knight Gudger did die before this.

[CaroleW]

There is a Knight Gudger tree on Ancestry - have you seen it?