Greensleeves Scavenger Hunt...Everyone Welcome To Join In

[deb usa]

GS ...you said you didn't have RS marriage to Dorothy Middleton ...

IGI extracted:
ROBT. SHADFORTH = DORO. MIDDLETON
17 MAY 1752, Easington, Durham

deb

[Trees]

I wonder if its worth a quick look at the witnesses William Burrell and Ann Coulson. to see if there is a connection to the family
H

[toni*]

scroll down to the reply from Old Crone!

[toni*]

this  link is a book about illegitimacy
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0b43/

[toni*]

From another forum:
Just look at the words legitimate and illegitimate! These are legal terms. An illegitimate child, originally, was one which was not recognised in law. Illegitimacy quite specifically barred children from inheriting estates or offices. William I of England was illegitimate but gained the throne through conquest.

[Ruskie]

I wonder if its worth a quick look at the witnesses William Burrell and Ann Coulson. to see if there is a connection to the family
H

I think angelfish found one back on page 3 ...

Is that even remotely possible here in that Alice, being older, could have been married to Robert's brother, who then died?

That's an interesting thought Angela. But would the same apply if Alice was (bigamously) married to any other man - not just a brother of Robert?

[deb usa]

hi

not that this helps but I've been frantically googling and found this drawing of the Friary in 1780.

[toni*]

A child of 2 unmarried parents was illegitimate that we know, if the parents married after the child can only be legitimized if one of the parents was not married to a third party when the child was conceived – this doesn’t help in this case but a bit of information for you!

[AngelaR]

Is that even remotely possible here in that Alice, being older, could have been married to Robert's brother, who then died?

That's an interesting thought Angela. But would the same apply if Alice was (bigamously) married to any other man - not just a brother of Robert?

It would certainly apply to bigamy in any circumstances, but this anomaly where a man couldn't marry his dead brother's widow and a woman couldn't marry her dead sister's widower did complicate matters a lot   Not remotely bigamy, just a forbidden relationship....