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Hello again. On the 1911 census William Alexander Bass describes himself as single. Is there any way we could find a divorce for him? Maybe he knew she was dead? If she re-married between 1901 and 1911 then any subsequent death before he married yet again in 1921 would have been in a new name. If she did not remarry or die then he was a bigamist!!!

I don't know what Kaye Kilpatrick meant saying that I am the daughter of Berry Isabel Money. No way Jose. I am granddaughter of Emma Georgina Bass who was Wm A's sister. (Got away cheaply at the dentist - £18!)

regards

jennifer

Family mis-transcribed in 1861 but definitely Herbert on image. So elizabeth Jane definitely did belong with the family

HARBERT, William Head Married M 35 1826 Block & Mast Maker Sunderland, Durham
HARBERT, Elizabeth Wife Married F 33 1828 Bishopwearmouth, Durham
HARBERT, Thomas Son Unmarried M 9 1852 Scholar Bishopwearmouth, Durham
HARBERT, Mary Ann Daughter Unmarried F 7 1854 Scholar Deptford, Durham
HARBERT, Elizabeth Jane Daughter Unmarried F 5 1856 Scholar Deptford, Durham
HARBERT, William Son Unmarried M 3 1858 Deptford, Durham
HARBERT, Margaret Daughter Unmarried F 1 (19M) 1860 Deptford, Durham
HARBERT, Isabella Daughter Unmarried F 0 (2M) 1861 Deptford, Durham

Piece: 3768 Folio: 46 Page: 22
Registration District: Sunderland
Civil Parish: Bishopwearmouth
Municipal Borough: Sunderland

Address: Walker Street, Bishopwearmouth, Sunderland County: Durham

I've checked both Ancestry and the National Archives and the only divorce I can find for WAB is the 1895.

Harriett may have lived with someone and just taken their name so don't know what the chances are of finding her. Have checked newspaper archives - nothing.

Will have a poke around ..

So, the family must have gone down to Gloucester and left the older ones in Sunderland then? as Harriett was born down there. My earlier comment of WAB's 3rd marriage was incorrect. It was actually 1916 - to Sarah Batt widow of Walter Batt nee Cook.

Divorces were expensive for the working classes. He only got the 1st on the grounds of her bigamy.

Whatever happened it seems likely that there were no children of Harriett's marriage to WAB.

The question of the other William Alexander Bass's marriage in 1919 to Beatrice Rumfitt remains. The man he describes on the marriage cert as his father "Henry Frederick Bass" deceased just does not make sense as that man had a son named William Charles Bass and he would not have had two sons with the name William (3 years apart) - unless the first William died in childhood?
Enough to give you nightmares. Thanks for all your help in this. At least we now have a better picture of Harriett and her family. You are probably correct and she moved in with some chap and took his name and then had her death registered in that name. Nobody to argue - No computers! Same as my other mystery lady Mary Ann Bass nee Connor.

Night night
jennifer