I am helping a friend with his family tree and we have an interesting puzzle.
His grandfather Hendrikus Klassen (Henry Klaassen) married his grandmother Kate Barrett, Hackney June 1910.
There was a child born in Amsterdam 1911, then several in England, 1913, 1914, 1916, 1918, 1920, 1922, then 2 more in Holland 1924 and 1926.
Strangely, Hendrikus Klassen married Lucy M Bendy, Brentford September 1913. He said he was a batchelor but his occupation, his father's name and his father's occupation were identical to the Henry who married Kate.
Henry and Kate were said to have divorced at some stage, and they then remarried in Holland in 1937, when they said they were unmarried since 1914 but had been living and registered as a married couple in Holland.
Lucy Bendy married in 1930 using Bendy as a surname, not Klassen.
I know this is a bit of a long story, but I am getting to the point.......
How long did it take to obtain a divorce at that time? Would it be a quicky divorce because of his possible bigamy? I am imagining that it was bigamy if he and Kate were unmarried since 1914 and he married Lucy in 1913.
Should there be some indication on a marriage certificate that there was a subsequent divorce? If it was bigamy should there be a marriage certificate for Lucy and Hendrikus? There is one because we have it!
He did name Kate as his wife and next of kin in his army records in 1915!
I can't see in that lineup of children how they had time to divorce. They obviously stayed close friends. :D
Is it worth getting some of the childrens birth certificates to see what it says in the space for father's name? If they were divorced would Hendrikus still be the default option, or should there be no father named??
Any hints on how we can work this all out?
His grandfather Hendrikus Klassen (Henry Klaassen) married his grandmother Kate Barrett, Hackney June 1910.
There was a child born in Amsterdam 1911, then several in England, 1913, 1914, 1916, 1918, 1920, 1922, then 2 more in Holland 1924 and 1926.
Strangely, Hendrikus Klassen married Lucy M Bendy, Brentford September 1913. He said he was a batchelor but his occupation, his father's name and his father's occupation were identical to the Henry who married Kate.
Henry and Kate were said to have divorced at some stage, and they then remarried in Holland in 1937, when they said they were unmarried since 1914 but had been living and registered as a married couple in Holland.
Lucy Bendy married in 1930 using Bendy as a surname, not Klassen.
I know this is a bit of a long story, but I am getting to the point.......
How long did it take to obtain a divorce at that time? Would it be a quicky divorce because of his possible bigamy? I am imagining that it was bigamy if he and Kate were unmarried since 1914 and he married Lucy in 1913.
Should there be some indication on a marriage certificate that there was a subsequent divorce? If it was bigamy should there be a marriage certificate for Lucy and Hendrikus? There is one because we have it!
He did name Kate as his wife and next of kin in his army records in 1915!
I can't see in that lineup of children how they had time to divorce. They obviously stayed close friends. :D
Is it worth getting some of the childrens birth certificates to see what it says in the space for father's name? If they were divorced would Hendrikus still be the default option, or should there be no father named??
Any hints on how we can work this all out?
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