RootsChat.Com
Research in Other Countries => Australia => Topic started by: mabeljessie on Monday 20 February 17 01:20 GMT (UK)
-
Hi,
I am trying to find information on this marriage which took place in Teworie, South Australia under the Baptist rites on April 7th 1883. I can't seem to find it listed.
The names were Walter Edward HALLS and Mary Alice DRYSTER.
I am particularly looking to see if I can see any further information on Walter, DOB, previous marital status, parents country of birth, place of residence or anything that can tie him into the Walter Halls that I am looking for. I know that South Australian certificates have less information but I can't even find it listed.
Thanks in advance. :)
-
try this link
https://www.genealogysa.org.au/resources/online-databases.html
1883 135/25
HALLS Walter Edward
and
DYSTER Mary Alice
district Burra
JM
-
From my resource
HALLS Walter Edward 25 years Status Widower Father James HALLS
DYSTER Mary Alice 23 years Status Single Father Thomas DYSTER
7 Apr 1883
At the Baptist Manse, Terowie Bur 135/25
Cando
-
He committed bigamy....married again in Victoria in 1908 and in court in 1910 in Victoria :o.
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article103874844
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88392532
Cando
-
Thanks Cando
It may indeed be him.
-
Who was his first wife? He stated he was a widower on the 1883 marriage reg.
Cando
-
Yes I know, I wasn't going to comment in case any family members may be alive.
However I am searching backwards and wondering if he was really a widower when he married poor Mary Alice.
-
His 1908 marriage is available to download from Vic BDM
#1895
JM
-
I am not 100% sure if it is the woman I am looking at without going back through but gut feeling looks like it.
I am helping a friend of a friend in the UK so want him to look at all the data first.
-
It can be very very tricky with bigamy some families still get quite upset by the whole thing.
My own family still wont accept that our upstanding family has a great grandfather who left his wife in Poplar, he was a seaman and met our great grandmother on a sea voyage and jumped ship to marry her in Australia. It is not allowed to be written about or discussed. If you add it to the tree or mention it to others - bang you are cut out of any further dealings.
-
My goodness don't some people have an ignorant attitude to family research ::). Perhaps you should use one of my frequent phrases....don't do your family history if you aren't prepared for some unpleasantness along the way. :P
I gave lots of info about a second marriage of one of my female ancestors - the 2nd husband committed suicide. It was well covered in the press of the day but the person seeking information would not accept it and yes you've guessed it, she was a descendant.
I'd be putting an accurate public tree online with an untraceable username.
I'll have a look at my other resources for you.
Cando
-
I am not 100% sure if it is the woman I am looking at without going back through but gut feeling looks like it.
I am helping a friend of a friend in the UK so want him to look at all the data first.
Are you researching Mary Alice DYSTER or Walter Edward HALLS?
Cando
-
Researching Walter Halls.
Oh the joys of the past. I love the gritty family secrets and boy have we got a lot. But some still want to find the heroes and heroines and not those who did anything wrong at all.
I love to think how families have had to master all sorts of difficulties to get to where they are today. It was a different world, people had to live on their wits and like the great animal kingdom adapt to survive. Rules and laws were a shifting platform, once the authorities turned a blind eye to bigamy as it served their purpose to let the convicts marry here to populate the new land. They hoped the married couple would stay in the new country and continue on.
-
Looks promising
http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl
Births Dec 1857
HALLS Walter Edward Thingoe 4a/402
Cando
-
Bigamy
I am quite certain that when a convict married in any of the colonies, that it was not breaching English bigamy laws. I am quite certain that the English marriage had effectively ended with the carrying out of the sentence "seven years transportation beyond the seas"
There are many threads at RChat re this subject. I have contributed to several.
You may be interested in the following article from 1810
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/627938 Sydney Gazette 3 March 1810
And this from one of the RChat threads
Certainly convicts were allowed to remarry if they'd been 'out of/away from the marriage' for more than seven years - but I don't think this was considered bigamy - the more so as they had very little hope of ever returning to England.
Their partners in England could also remarry if their convicted OH's had been gone for more than 7 years . . . so, not just occurring in Australia. The marriage was considered void is my understanding, so not bigamy.
No doubt someone will correct me if I am wrong.
Wiggy
You are correct Wiggy
The law "An Act to restrain all Persons from Marriage until their former Wives and former Husbands be dead" was introduced in 1604.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~framland/acts/1604.htm
Section 2 of this 'bigamy' act allowed partners to remarry if the other was overseas for at least 7 years or if they had no knowledge of their partner being alive for 7 years.
The wording of section II puts it like this :
"II. Provided always, That this Act, nor any Thing therein contained, shall extend to any Person or Persons whose Husband or Wife shall be continually remaining beyond the Seas by the Space of seven Years together, or whose Husband or Wife shall absent him or herself the one from the other by the Space of seven Years together, in any Parts within his Majesty’s Dominions, the one of them not knowing the other to be living within that Time. "
Cheers
Guy
Fingers crossed this will help you to re-open some communication lines.
JM
-
You are correct JM however I think bigamy was viewed a little differently in 1910 ;).
I haven't time to type up the census returns...but Walter Edward HALLS had a father James, which matches with the SA marriage reg, and mother Sarah Ann on the census.
There are a number of public trees on Ancestry also including some photographs.
Cando
-
Walter Edward Halls father's name is correct i.e. James. Mother's name Sarah Ann(e) . Her surname changed on official documents to Hearn(e). The Birth Index information for Walter would appear to be correct . I have lots of information on this family from 1797. I noticed one posting said that Walter Edward Halls was a widower when he married Mary Alice Dyster . I will look into this further.
-
Thank you Merryman,
I can't look at my details until this evening.
But so pleased to find someone with family information.
Cheers
-
Walter Edward Halls father's name is correct i.e. James. Mother's name Sarah Ann(e) . Her surname changed on official documents to Hearn(e). The Birth Index information for Walter would appear to be correct . I have lots of information on this family from 1797. I noticed one posting said that Walter Edward Halls was a widower when he married Mary Alice Dyster . I will look into this further.
I posted the information. Information on marriage certificates only as accurate as given by the participants.
From my resource
HALLS Walter Edward 25 years Status Widower Father James HALLS
DYSTER Mary Alice 23 years Status Single Father Thomas DYSTER
7 Apr 1883
At the Baptist Manse, Terowie Bur 135/25
Cando
-
Yes, we know that this marriage certificate states he is a widower.
But he continues to enter into bigamist marriages so his propensity for lying to women, their families and the clergy was not uncommon.
Following other documents, can in fact verify whether statements on one document is true or untrue. Or the succession of documents may also help too.
-
Walter Edward Halls father's name is correct i.e. James. Mother's name Sarah Ann(e) . Her surname changed on official documents to Hearn(e). The Birth Index information for Walter would appear to be correct . I have lots of information on this family from 1797. I noticed one posting said that Walter Edward Halls was a widower when he married Mary Alice Dyster . I will look into this further.
It appears he is related to the other tree. If you could post here it would be great, you just need to make 3 posts to send and receive PM's.
-
Presently working on leads. Awaiting replies from various sources. Hopefully will receive some information soon.
-
One of the sources is the brother-in-law of the person I am helping. But by the time they worked it out the B-I-L has gone on holidays. So I was asked to get in touch with you again.
He is really excited to have found so much information about Walter Edward Halls.
-
Thank you for replying also for the information on the forum. I was only recently aware of the situation which was disconcerting . A researcher in Australia I asked for help sent me information. Then I saw your posting on the forum and thought I should give as much information as I could as this will benefit those researching the marriages. I am going to London next week to visit some major research facilities. Hopefully, I will get some more information which I will pass on.
-
I will pm you with and explain what I know.