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How did you find this article, I can't seem to find it. It definitely confirms that it's our James though. I guess he was then sentenced to 12 months.

As to the info from AG I'm still trying to sort it out but she could be onto something.

Wish they didn't all move around so much.

AG- nice find. I think that is the father of our James. Maybe our James had already moved to Ireland for work by 1851, so wasn't with his family?

There is an article in 1877 which refers to the bigamy case- again, I don't have access but have tried to piece it together:

"On Monday, at the Liverpool Police Court, an elderly man named Jas. H. Brock, Irish game keeper, was charged with having committed bigamy at Sheffield. The prisoner was married in 1858 to his first wife Margaret Jane, and in August last while she was alive he again went through the form of marriage, at Sheffield, with Ellen Hannah. The magistrate remanded him for a week."

27 October 1877 - Sheffield Independent - Sheffield, Yorkshire, England

Just been going through the info from ArgyllGran. If my James Edwin was the bigamist then he can't be the same James who died in 1876, since he married his second wife in 1877, so is my James Edwin the son of the James who died in 1876 as ArgyllGran suggested - I don't know. On a marriage record for my James and Margaret Jane his father was shown as James, so could be.

Interesting.

Since he married Ellen Hanna in 1877 I thought he should show up in the 1881 census but I couldn't find any sign of him or Ellen or Margaret Jane.

Thanks ArgyllGran, that's a lot of info so I'll have to look at it more closely.

As to the two references that Austin gave, I've had a look at both of them and things do get more interesting.
One of the references just says that he was charged and convicted of bigamy and sentenced to 12 months.

The second one was a bit more forthcoming and gave more detail. It gave his name, and under his name it said - Liverpool Borough Prison, 30 September 1876, stealing wearing apparel. On remand and discharged. The next column gave his age as 47, trade as none, it gives dates of the warrant and when he was received into custody and then a description of the offence as charged, which reads as - Having at Sheffield on 9 August 1877 feloniously married Ellen Hanna, his former wife being alive.

I checked on freeBMD for the marriage to Ellen and sure enough, he married her in Sheffield in 1877.

Seems he was quite a character.

Birth:

BROCK
JAMES
JAMES BROCK/ISABELLA EMBLETON FR444 (FR444)
M
14/05/1827
601/
30 42
Kirkoswald


But no middle name.

James (son) isn't with the family in 1851

Frances Brock [ Francis ]
in the 1851 England Census
Name: Frances Brock
Age: 18
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1833
Relation: Son
Father's name: James Brock
Mother's name: Isabella Brock
Gender: Male
Where born: Rufford, Nottinghamshire, England
Civil Parish: Rufford
Phillimore Ecclesiastical Parish Maps:
View related Ecclesiastical Parish
County/Island: Nottinghamshire
Country: England
Registration district: Southwell
Sub-registration district: Kneesal
ED, institution, or vessel: 3
Neighbors:
Household schedule number: 12
Piece: 2135
Folio: 41
Page Number: 7
Household Members:
Name Age
James Brock 50 - Somesfield, Notts - park and game keeper
Isabella Brock 50 - Haggerston, Northumberland
Charles Brock 20 - Kirkoswald, Ayrshire
Frances Brock 18
John Brock 13 - Kirkoswald
Isabella Cartlidge 27 - daughter, Kirkoswald
Elizth Brock 20 - Kirkoswald
Chas Cartlidge 39 - son-in-law, Wellon [?], Notts
Mary L N 19 - servant
Isac Charnes 37 - servant

Perhaps your James Edwin is a son of that James who died in 1876 ??

(And perhaps you already know all this ??)


James Brock
in the 1841 England Census
Name: James Brock
Age: 15
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1826
Gender: Male
Where born: Scotland
Civil Parish: Rufford(Liberty)
Hundred: Bassetlaw (Hatfield Division)
County/Island: Nottinghamshire
Country: England
Registration district: Southwell
Sub-registration district: Kneesal
Neighbors:
Piece: 851
Book: 5
Folio: 8
Page Number: 10
Household Members:
Name Age
James Brock 40 - Park keeper - not born in county
Frederick Brock 20 - gamekeeper, not born in county
James Brock 15 - born Scotland <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Charles Brock 10 - Scotland
Francis Brock 8 - Scotland
John Brock 2 - Nottinghamshire
Isabella Brock 40 - not born in Notts.
Mary Brock 20 - Scotland
Isabella Brock 15 - Scotland
Hannah Brock 15 - Scotland
Elizabeth Brock 10 - Scotland
Benjaman Brock 10 - Scotland

??? This would make a nonsense of some of those census records - but would fit with Margaret Jane being a widow when she died in 1883.
Perhaps the sons were from his first marriage, and Margaret was the second (bigamous?) wife.

James Brock
in the England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966, 1973-1995
Name: James Brock
Death Date: 2 Apr 1876
Death Place: Nottingham, England
Probate Date: 11 May 1876
Registry: Nottingham, England

BROCK, James.
11 May 1876.
The Will of James Brock, late of Rufford Park Lodge near Ollerton in the County of Nottingham, Park-keeper and Gamekeeper who died 2nd April 1876 at Ruffington Park Lodge was proved at Nottingham by Frederick Edward Brock of Normanton-on-Soar in the said County, Gamekeeper, and John Thomas Brock of Eakring in the said County, Joiner, the Sons two of the Executors.
Effects: under £3000.


EDIT:

But no - following that up -
this is Frederick in 1871 - far too old to be your James Edwin's son:

Frederick E Brock
in the 1871 England Census
Name: Frederick E Brock
Age: 54
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1817
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Mary Ann Brock
Gender: Male
Where born: Wallington, Norfolk, England
Civil Parish: Rufford
Town: Rufford
County/Island: Nottinghamshire
Country: England
Registration district: Southwell
Sub-registration district: Kneesal
ED, institution, or vessel: 7
Household schedule number: 23
Piece: 3536
Folio: 22
Page Number: 6
Household Members:
Name Age
Frederick E Brock 54 - gamekeeper
Mary Ann Brock 50
Lucy Brock 20
Arthur Brock 18
Edwin Brock 14
Eliza Brock 13
Elizabeth Ward Brock 10
William J Brock 9
Ellen Brock 7

Thanks Austin ... just on my way out but will check those two records when I get back.

I think it's likely the bigamy record is for the same James.

FMP has two records under Crime, Prisons & Punishment for James Edwin Brock, the one stating he was born 1830. Wondered if that record had anymore details on it.

Just for info- the family went through a really tough time, son James dying age 8, and also Lucy Jane dying in 1881 (Irvinestown), just aged 16. Interestingly Lucy doesn't appear to be with the family in 1871.

Death:
Lucy Jane Brock
death date: 22 Feb 1881
Place: Irvinestown
Age: 16 years
Occupation: Servant
Cause: phthisis pulmonalis 4 months
Informant: Jane Brock

Yes, looks like James did die in childhood, so though he was born in Kildare he died in Irvinestown where sister Margaret Catherine was born in 1873. Interestingly, two (possibly three) children born between James and Margaret Catherine were born in England. Maybe the reason is because of the bigamy conviction mentioned above!!

Did James Irving die in childhood?

James Brock
in the Ireland, Civil Registration Deaths Index, 1864-1958
Name: James Brock
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1868
Date of Registration: 1876
Death Age: 8
Registration district: Irvinestown
Volume: 7
Page: 138
FHL Film Number: 101588


I suspect the family were in Ireland at the time of the 1881 census.

Well that's interesting. The record says he was convicted of bigamy on 29 Oct 1877 in Liverpool and was sentenced to 12 months. Don't know how we find if it's the same James Edwin though.

Ahhh, yes, I think when Ollerton was stated in 1871, it was meant to be Ollerton in Nottinghamshire, rather than Cheshire.

This is James in 1901:

Name: James Brock
Age: 71
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1830
Relation to Head: Boarder
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Rufford, Nottinghamshire, England
Civil Parish: East Adderbury
Town: East Adderbury
County/Island: Oxfordshire
Registration district: Banbury
Sub-registration district: Bloxham
ED, institution, or vessel: 10
Piece: 1401 Folio: 114 Page Number: 6
Household schedule number: 28
Household Members:
Name Age

Elizabeth Hopcraft 52
James Brock 71 Boarder, Widower, ordinary AG Lab, Rufford, Notts
-------------------------

Note that Rufford is just 2 miles south of Ollerton, Nottingham

Although 1871 states Ollerton, Cheshire, I'm wondering if it was meant as Ollerton, Nottingham? Worth keeping in mind.

I don't have access to FMP, but wondering if this record was related to your James Edwin?: (Perhaps someone could look?)

Brock James Edwin — — 1877 England & Wales, Crime, Prisons & Punishment, 1770-1935 Great Britain

Definite similarities but that 1891 census gives James as being born in Nottinghamshire but the 1871 census shows him born in Cheshire, so maybe your doubts about 1891 census are founded.
It's strange too that Margaret Jane died back in Irvinestown.

Not sure about that 1891 census- although it does seem to be them- unless James left Margaret? When Margaret dies in 1883 she's listed as a widow:

Death: Margaret Jane Brock
16th October 1883
Place: Irvinestown
Age: 48
Status: Widow, Housekeeper
Cause: Phthisis 2 years
Informant: Ann Isabella Brock- daughter

I think this is father James and son Sidney in 1891:

Name: James E Brock
Gender: Male
Age: 60
Relationship: Boarder
Birth Year: 1831
Birth Place: Nottingham
Civil Parish: Adderbury
Residence Place: Adderbury, Adderbury, Oxfordshire, England
Sub registration district: Bloxham
ED, Institution or Vessel: 12
Piece: 1180 Folio: 120
Household Members:
Name Age

Richard Hopcraft 56
Elizabeth Hopcraft 42
Mary J Hopcraft 13
James E Brock 60 Boarder, Widower, Ag Lab, Nottingham
Sydney H Brock 20 Boarder, Ag Lab, Cumberton, Worcestershire
------------------------------

Possible death for Sidney:
Name Sydney Herbert Brock
Event Type Death
Registration Quarter Oct-Nov-Dec
Registration Year 1892
Registration District Banbury
Event Place Banbury, Oxfordshire, England
Age 21
Birth Year (Estimated) 1871
Volume 3A
Page 501

This is the family in 1871. Ancestry has gone mad with the transcription, but it's definitely them:

Name: Sidney Brock
Age: 1
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1870
Relation: Son
Father's name: James Buck
Mother's name: Jane Buck
Gender: Male
Where born: Eckington, Worcestershire, England
Civil Parish: Eckington
Town: Eckington
County/Island: Worcestershire
Country: England
Registration district: Pershore
Sub-registration district: Eckington
ED, institution, or vessel: 4
Household schedule number: 168
Piece: 3062
Folio: 57
Page Number: 31
Household Members:
Name Age

James Buck 37 Game keeper, Cheshire Ollerton
Jane Buck 34 Ireland
Henrietta Buck 9 Ireland
Bella Buck 5 Ireland
James Buck 3 Ireland
Sidney Brock 1 Worcestershire, Eckington
Mary Brock 1 Month Worcestershire, Eckington