bigamous marriages

[darannon]

Hi, I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction on this one -
my grandfathers stepmother was born charlotte read/reed in 1867. She married Edward Caplin in 1886, in St Pancras, and he died in 1895 in Mile End. I have all these certificates. Then in 1898 she married walter hand (transcribed on ancestry as Haud), who was 20 years older than her, and a widower. His father was Thomas Hand, a gold lace manufacturer. I cannot find them together in 1901.
In 1903 she had a child with my great grandad, John Poole, then another child in 1905, before finally marrying in 1906. On all these certificates she used the surname Caplin, and stated she was a widow. This was all still in the same area of Mile End, East London.
I have now had contact with a descendant from charlottes first marriage, who told me that the family story was the second marriage turned out to be bigamous, and walter hand had another wife and children. Charlotte was left destitute when she found out, and her elder daughter (charlotte florence caplin, usually known as florence) was sent away to Leavesden Industrial School to train as a servant.
Sure enough, she is there in 1901. More curiously, John Poole (as pool) and his 2 children are living as one family at 36 Beachy Row, Bow with a lady named Ellen and her two children, rose and nellie. Rose and Nellie are the names of Charlotte caplins other two daughters.

So, is there any way that I can find out if there was indeed a bigamous marriage? What records should I be looking for? Given that charlotte finally married John in 1906, I would have hoped to find a death/divorce/legal proceedings shortly before that.

And what are the chances that Charlotte Read/Caplin/Hand would be living as Ellen Pool in 1901? Given that the daughters with her have the same names and ages, and there is no other record of this Ellen Pools existence?

Any pointers in the right direction would be appreciated
Thankyou
Darannon

[Olde Crone Holden]

But if the marriage to Walter was a bigamous one then Charlotte was free to remarry immediately - no need to wait for divorce (you cannot divorce someone you are not married to) or death.

How does your contact know the marriage was bigamous?

OC

[darannon]

Well that's a good point, and one I don't know the answer to! The contact is charlotte's great grand-daughter from her first marriage, and she said that was the family story told over the years. Her grandmother (charlotte's daughter) was the one who was sent away to Leavesden (st pancras industrial school) and she was told it was because the family was left destitute when walter hand returned to his original wife and children. Having said that, I'm having difficulty finding out anything about walter hand, despite having his age and father's name from the marriage certificate. I'm also puzzled why charlotte never used the surname Hand? On her marriage to John Poole she states she is a widow, and uses the name caplin.
They didn't marry until they already had two children, and they had one more child in 1908. The second marriage was unknown to my father's family until this contact told us about it.
Thanks for the reply
Darannon

[Olde Crone Holden]

Sorry to be picky but there are small things which don't add up here. Industrial Schools were (usually) for naughty children. Why would you send your daughter to an industrial School to learn to be a servant, when that same daughter could be out earning money as a servant anyway, especially if you yourself had been left destitute.

I think it's more likely that John Pool was already married and could not marry Charlotte until 1906.

It is very remotely possible that Charlotte THOUGHT she needed to wait 7 years before she could remarry, I suppose, but she was wrong.

OC

[darannon]

I have searched for John Poole marrying again - his wife died in Oct 1899, at age 24 when my grandad was 5 and his sister was 3. So I thought it was unlikely that he stayed on his own with two young children. In 1901 he is living with a lady calling herself his wife - ellen pool (the family name is often misspelt without the 'e'). I can find no record of a marriage. She has 2 daughters with her, Nellie and Rose, both giving their surname as Pool, as if they were all one family. I can't find any births for these children.
John and Charlotte had their first known child together in May 1903, meaning she got pregnant around August 1902. Their next child was born in sept 1905, and they finally married in nov 1906. Charlotte gives her name on the birth certificates as Poole, formerly Caplin (Hand and Read aren't mentioned). I have had this information for years, and had left it as a brick wall.
Recently I was contacted by a greatgrandaughter of Charlottes, who told me the bigamy story. I agree that things don't add up - I thought that maybe it was a real marriage and she waited for Walter to die (he was 20 years older than her) but I can't find anything on him. Apparently the first family also lived in the East End, but Charlotte didn't know about them. If I could just find Walter in 1901, I would be able to see who was with him. I cant find charlotte either in 1901, under Read, Reed, Caplin or Hand.
I can't find Nellie or Rose (born Rosina) Caplin either. It may be a total coincidence that the girls living with John Poole have matching names and ages, but I would like to find them elsewhere to confirm this.
I thought they may have been in the workhouse, but haven't found them so far. Florence Caplin (as far as I have been told) was sent away as her mother couldn't afford to keep her - she did enter domestic service in Kent and never returned home - she married in 1910 and Charlotte didn't keep in touch.
Obviously, I really don't know the answers, I'm just casting around for inspiration really (-:
Thanks for your thoughts on the subject
Darannon

[Olde Crone Holden]

OK, this won't help at all, it's just me ruminating aloud, lol.

I reckon Florence was put into the workhouse when Charlotte married Walter Hand. The workhouse (or maybe an orphanage) may have sent her onto the Industrial School and that would explain why she was there at a relatively late age (15) instead of out earning money, which she could have been doing since she was 12 or so.

I don't have ancestry to look for Walter Hand - is he still alive in 1911, do you know? Or have you found him in 1891?

OC

[darannon]

That sounds likely from what I have learnt about charlotte - she had no time or affection for my grandad, and not much for the children of her first marriage. Florence died in 1940, 5 years before Charlotte, and she didn't go to the funeral. One of Florences daughters is still alive, and never met her grandmother. She says there was no contact between them, and florence never returned to London after being sent away. I have tried wading through some of ancestrys workhouse records, maybe I'm doing it wrong but it takes me forever and I've found nothing so far. I haven't found a definite match for walter at any time, I thought I would have more luck with a relatively uncommon name. There are a few but I have no way of knowing which is him unless I find him in earlier life with a father called Thomas, or in 1901 with a wife called Charlotte - and so far I haven't.
And yes, you're right, if the marriage was bigamous it wouldn't have counted, so why the delay in marrying John. It's a real puzzle

Thanks again
Darannon

[Night Owl]

I've been trying to find Walter Hand who was supposed to be 51 (b about 1847) when he married Charlotte Caplin in 1898.

There is an earlier marriage on Ancestry on 26th October 1857 of a Walter Hand to Eliza Pavitt. This Walter was 19 (b about 1838). The reason I mention this is that his father was Thomas Hand, a lace weaver.

I then looked for a Walter b around 1838 with a father Thomas and found this one in 1851: HO107, piece 1543, folio 485, page 7

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/iexec?htx=view&r=5538&dbid=8860&iid=MDXHO107_1543_1543-0507&fn=Walter&ln=Hand&st=r&ssrc=&pid=351361

Walter D Hand son of Thomas (48) and Mary (33) - Thomas was a gold lace weaver. All born Bethnal Green.

Perhaps Walter was lying about his age. If not it seems quite a coincidence.

[Olde Crone Holden]

Jackie

I can't access Ancestry but what you have found sounds very good.

however, it's "our" Walter, then his family with Eliza would be quite grown up by the time he married Charlotte, so to talk about him going back to his wife and children is a bit misleading......

I've looked for a divorce just in case but cannot find one. I'm no great searcher on TNA though, so if anyone wishes to check I won't be a bit offended!

OC

[darannon]

Thankyou for finding that, it does look very promising, he may well have lied about his age as Charlotte was so much younger. Now I'm going to try and find where eliza was in 1901
Darannon

[darannon]

Strangely, I have managed to find a Walter and Eliza Hand living in west derby in 1891, and he was born in shoreditch, London around 1841 - no children with them, just an 11year old servant -don't know if it's him, but will try to eliminate/confirm this couple anyway
Darannon

[darannon]

Ok, have been searching around for this couple

Walter and Eliza married in 1857 in Shoreditch
I can't find them in 1861 or 71
In 1881 there is a Walter and Eliza (mistranscribed as Elna) living in west derby - Eliza is born in cheshire 1841, walter is born poplar 1852 (so the age doesn't correspond) - no children with them
In 1891 Walter and Eliza are still in west derby, eliza is born cheshire 1837, walter now says born in shoreditch 1841
In Jun 1892 Eliza Hand dies, age 51 in West Derby (b1841)
In Jun 1917 Walter Hand dies, age 79 in West Derby (b1838)

So, this Walter definitely had links to the East end. But if he is the one who married Charlotte Caplin, it was after his wife died. And he then returned to west derby. I haven't found him in 1901, it would be a big help if I could.

Interestingly, there was a Walter Thomas Hand b Mar1899 in stepney and dying in Sept1899. Walter and charlotte married 15th Oct 1898. If I wanted to let my imagination run away with me I could think that walter, a widower in his 50's, was visiting family in the East end, met the much younger charlotte and felt he had to marry her when she got pregnant. Then when the baby sadly died he returned home to west derby, leaving charlotte and her other children destitute.

Anyway, the only way to check the parents will be to order the certificates - which I will probably be curious enough to do. And finding Walter or charlotte in 1901 would be a huge help too.
Nothing is ever straightforward in family history (-:

Thanks again for the help
Darannon

[Night Owl]

There's a baptism for a Walter Thomas Hand in Dec 1898 (born 25th Nov 1898) and the parents are Joseph and Lydia so I think that's the one you've found.

There are several children on the Ancestry LMA baptisms with parents Walter and Eliza. If they're right, it might be worth following those to see if you can track Walter in the missing years

[JudithM]

In 1901 there is 63 year old Walter Hand, widower, inmate (in a workhouse?) in West Derby RG13 piece 3457 folio 67 page 8

[Olde Crone Holden]

Hm, starting to wonder if you have a sob story on your hands, to cover up Charlotte's behaviour perhaps?

"Poor me" says Charlotte "I married this man, this rotter who turned out to be already married and went back to his wife and kids, leaving me destitute, Mr Poole." Nicely covers up the fact she's ditched Walter because he's old and ill, and ditched Florence too.

OC

[darannon]

Oh my word, what a tangled web this seems to be! Thanks very much for the info. Shame about Walter Thomas Hand not being charlotte's child, it would have made some sense of the story. But given the family names and same area it's a fair bet that joseph and lydia were in Walter's family. I'm going to have a look at the walter/eliza baptisms now (I'm meant to be packing to go on holiday tomorrow lol).
That is sad if it's the same walter in the workhouse I wonder where he was in 1911.
I'm beginning to think that the lines of the story have become muddled - Florence Caplin died in 1940, so anything her (still living) daughter was told was told was over 70 years ago - I'm wondering if the real bigamous marriage was the one between John and Charlotte. Florence would have been 12 when her mum married walter, old enough to remember it happening - maybe Charlotte never wanted Florence around to tell John Poole the truth?
Off to do some more digging
Darannon

[darannon]

Ok, I have found 7 children for walter and eliza, 4 of whom died in childhood. This left them with Eliza b1858, Walter b1860 and Joseph b1865. In 1881, when walter and eliza have moved to west derby none of their children are with them. Joseph Hand married Lydia Millett, and they were the parents of the Walter Thomas I found. I also now have Walter and Eliza in 1861 and 71, mistranscribed as Hands - at this time they are still in the east end, and confusingly eliza says she was born there. Only in 81 and 91 does she become born in cheshire (if it's the same person).

I think my core problem remains the same - I can't find a trace of charlotte caplin/hand in 1901, or her daughters nellie and rose - unless they were already living with john poole and using his name. I also can't find any record of charlotte using the surname Hand, she seems to have pretended the marriage never happened. And I can't find a divorce for charlotte and walter, if there ever was one.

Thanks for all the help and tips - I think it will take a long time before I solve this one (-:

Darannon