Lying about being a widow on a marriage certificate?

[JOOBLES]

Hi everyone,
I’d like to hear your thoughts on this please…..

A lady in Penryn met a man in the Royal Marines who was serving on a ship docked in Falmouth harbour.
They married in 1860 in Penryn.
A few months later he is there on the 1861 census, still aboard the ship.

In 1862 they have a baby.
In 1865 she remarries but uses her maiden name and calls herself a ‘widow’.

But …….
I know for certain she wasn’t a widow because I have his service records and in 1863 he changed ships, so I assume he left Falmouth.

His service conduct was appalling - constantly drunk, using foul language, disobedience of orders, and theft. Also, leaving the ship to go ashore when he shouldn’t have many times, often being brought back by Police !

His term of service ended in 1865 so it seems he decided to leave his young wife and baby to go back to London where he came from.
She wouldn’t have seen a body or had a burial because he was still alive so if he just disappeared could she claim he was dead and legally remarry ?

Presumably back then the vicar didn’t need proof she was a widow. She certainly didn’t have a death certificate!

He is back in London by 1871, remarried with several more children (bigamy ?!).

Thanks,
J.x

[trish1120]

It happened more than you would think, divorce was hard to get and expensive.

[BumbleB]

I agree with trish - however, I do have a couple who married in 1850.  In 1872 the wife obtained a divorce, I have the paperwork.  In 1873 they both re-married - she as a "Divorced woman", he as a "Widower" AND he was a Police Officer 

[radstockjeff]

My wife's gt grandmother left her husband after four children with him; went to live with her new man just a few streets away. He had left his wife and family and had assumed a new name.
Subsequently they married, under his proper name, but she gave her condition as "Widow".
They subsequently assumed another name and moved about 10 miles away. At each subsquent census their birthplace was shown differently each time. Took me ages to finally track them down.

[Neale1961]

This discussion may provide some answers for you.
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=400889.msg2704589#msg2704589

[JOOBLES]

That’s interesting, thanks everyone.
My chap was only ‘missing’ for less than 3 years !

[osprey]

I have one where a the bride marries in London March 1893 and marries again as a spinster in Plymouth April 1896. No idea what happened to her first husband. He was from Stockholm according to the marriage notice in newspapers so perhaps he just went back there.