These are the details I know.
Matthew Williams WASLEY, born c1824 in Gwennap, Cornwall, son of Stephen & Mary (nee WILLIAMS), christened 30th January 1825 in Gwennap. He married Catherine WILLIAMS on 20th November 1856 at the Parish Church, Kenwyn, Cornwall.
Daughter Catherine was born 30th March 1857 in Creegbrause, Chacewater, Cornwall.
On daughter Catherine's wedding certificate, Matthew is shown as deceased, and a seaman in the Royal Navy. All other instances of him show his occupation as a copper miner (wedding cert, daughter's birth cert and baptism). He does not appear in any census that I can find. I'm not convinced that he was a seaman.
I am even more confused as to what happened to Matthew after the birth of his daughter Catherine in 1857. There is no indication on her birth certificate to say that he is deceased, nor on her baptismal record.
However, wife Catherine marries William Hodge 6th December 1860 claiming that she is a widow. It is defintely her as her father is Joseph WILLIAMS, and that is the name on the marriage cert for her father.
I have scoured the death indexes from 1857 to 1860, and there is no death that I can find that can be Matthew, unless somebody else can see one.
Is his wife Catherine genuinely a widow, or is she a bigamist?
Anybody help?
Matthew Williams WASLEY, born c1824 in Gwennap, Cornwall, son of Stephen & Mary (nee WILLIAMS), christened 30th January 1825 in Gwennap. He married Catherine WILLIAMS on 20th November 1856 at the Parish Church, Kenwyn, Cornwall.
Daughter Catherine was born 30th March 1857 in Creegbrause, Chacewater, Cornwall.
On daughter Catherine's wedding certificate, Matthew is shown as deceased, and a seaman in the Royal Navy. All other instances of him show his occupation as a copper miner (wedding cert, daughter's birth cert and baptism). He does not appear in any census that I can find. I'm not convinced that he was a seaman.
I am even more confused as to what happened to Matthew after the birth of his daughter Catherine in 1857. There is no indication on her birth certificate to say that he is deceased, nor on her baptismal record.
However, wife Catherine marries William Hodge 6th December 1860 claiming that she is a widow. It is defintely her as her father is Joseph WILLIAMS, and that is the name on the marriage cert for her father.
I have scoured the death indexes from 1857 to 1860, and there is no death that I can find that can be Matthew, unless somebody else can see one.
Is his wife Catherine genuinely a widow, or is she a bigamist?
Anybody help?
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