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It has been very interesting following your family. It is always good to have a challenge to keep the old brain ticking over and to add to our research experiences. It's surprising, perhaps to younger researchers, to find how many of our ancestors "lived in sin".

OHs great grandmother had seven children with four different fathers. She never married any of them even although she was free to and so were the men. She herself was the illegitimate daughter of a widow and only ever used her father's surname. OHs grandfather used the same surname although paternity had been proved in court. The grandfather divorced his wife of 18 years to marry my husbands grandmother. That was in 1920 and he got custody of six of his seven children from his first marriage. So really there is nothing new today. Our grandparents and great grandparents were there before us lol.

nudge

Hi-ya Just want to say a big thank you for all your help mainly Misty and rootgatherer what a journey tragedy, lies sex outside marriage,illegitimate children and bigamy, but have solved the mystery of how Caz's dad was relation to the oldfields.
so thanks again and all the best
Jackie

Bit late to be proper wasn't it,
haven't found a marriage for Ben was he really married? on 1901 census he is single then after that he was with Mabel.
Jackie

I wonder why they gave different addresses on the cert.....they were living together in 1911...perhaps they were wanting to be "proper"

Maybe Ben was still married too.....

Misty x

The witnesses were H K Cooper and A E jackson haven't come across these names but they could have draged them in off the street.
We know William couldn't have been her father but as you say we noe know that georgina was mabel but why wait so long to marry.
Jackie x

Interesting Mabel/Georgina named father on this marriage cert but not on her first to Charles Clarke, I guess maybe as her first marriage was in her home area people would have known the truth....

Who were witnesses on this one please Jackie...

And Ben a widow, that's a turn up.....

Misty x

Ah, well now we know that Mabel was really Georgina!

Now, I wonder if we can find any more on Benny boy.

Ok got it here goes
The register office Wolverhamton 9th oct 1917
Benjamin Oldfield 37yrs widower coal miner, back of Royal Exchange Inn, Chapel St, Bilston John Oldfield[deceased] tin plate worker.

Mabel Clarke,42yrs widow 37, George st Ettingshall, Bilston.william woodland[deceased] waggoner on farm.
so it looks like william was still fathering kids from the grave ha ha!
if the death you found Misty 1924 for charles is right then Mabel was a bigamist.
He may have died in the name Joseph Charles because that was his name on1871 and 1881 census
and who was Benjamin married to? the mystery deepens!!
Jackie

Thank you Jackie. You being able to collect it has fairly cut the waiting time. Eager to know if Mabel describes herself as single and if she names a father.

Hi misty and rootgatherer getting cert tomorrow so will let you know
regards Jackie

yes rootgatherer, they had really hard lives if they were unlucky to be poor, When you think what we have today the woman didn't need to go to gym's because they worked so hard.
we lived with my nan and didn't have a lot of things like hot water loo at the bottom of the yard, black leaded grate which we had a tin bath in front of, didn't have a proper bath unill I was 13 my nan had a fish and chip shop in which my nan and mom worked really hard and my dad went to work didn't make a lot of money but we had a good life.
It must have been awful for them having to go into workhouses through no fault of there own except lack of money and watching their childreen die we have come a long way but not all for the good.

Yes, so sad for Julie. Losing first her husband then her son. I do think though that it was illness rather than poverty that led them to the Workhouse. In those days things like TB could so quickly wipeout a family. These are the findings when researching family history that sure make me count my blessings today. So many of our ancestors had such hard times by today's standards. Many of the men worked long hours at hard physical work and the women had so many babies to rear without all the mod cons of today. No wonder then that at 60 they were often old and infirm, if they were lucky enough to live to that age.

I too look forward to hearing details from the cert and echo Rootgathers hopes we are on the correct track...

I have to say I have really enjoyed our hunt for the truth but yes your right Jackie, it is a tragic tale, whatever lead to the circumstances we have unearthed must have caused those involved so much heartache....

Misty x

That's good Jackie. Looking forward to hearing what's on that marriage certificate. I just hope we're on the right track.

Its a tragic tale about all of them , i,m getting ben and mabels m/c in a couple of days because where they married is not far from me, so going to the register office in wolverhampton. will let you know the outcome.
you two are great still helping thank you
Jackie

Oh dear...Thank you Rootgatherer, apologies for misleading...

One of my rules whilst researching stuff is....."never just assume" that's exactly what I did, because Elizabeth was where Fanny etc were I assumed she was one of them and didn't follow her.....then when I saw marriage cert with an Elizabeth as witness, again I assumed!!!!!

New rule made....Always follow own rules!!!

Mist x

Edit....Julia's is a tragic tale.......

Julia also died in the Workhouse. So looks like the family were there because they were ill and couldn't afford a doctor.

Name: Julia Vincent
Birth Year: abt 1851
Age: 30
Burial Date: 3 May 1881
Burial Place: Puddletown, Dorset, England

Julie's in the Workhouse too in 1881

1881 England Census about Julia Vincent
Name: Julia Vincent
Age: 30
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1851
Relationship to Head: Pauper
Gender: Female
Where born: Ilsington, Dorset, England
Civil Parish: Fordington
County/Island: Dorset
Country: England
Street address: "Union Workhouse"
Marital Status: Married
Education:

Employment status:

View image
Registration district: Dorchester
Sub-registration district: Dorchester
ED, institution, or vessel: 10b
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 2111
Folio: 93
Page Number: 33

Only other child for them?

Name: Geoffrey George Woodland
Gender: Male
Christening Date: 7 Jan 1872
Christening Place: Stinsford, Dorset, England
Father's Name: George Woodland
Mother's name: Julia Russell

Looks like he died in the Workhouse

Name: Geoffrey George Woodland
Birth Year: abt 1871
Age: 10
Burial Date: 12 Mar 1881
Burial Place: Puddletown, Dorset, England