Was my Albert Baldwin a bigamist?

[Stanwix England]

I've really struggled to pin down the details of the life of my 2nd Great Grandfather, Albert Baldwin.

I did some more work tonight and either my work is wrong, or he was a bigamist!

What I have uncovered, and believe to be correct, is this.

He was born in about 1856 in Halifax in Yorkshire. His parents were Frederick Baldwin (b1832) and Sarah Ann Eastwood (b1830).

According to my records on the 1861 census he was living with his parents in Ovendon. His father Fred was working as a 'Clog and Patton maker'.

In 1871 he was still in Ovendon. For some reason on this census their name is spelt 'Bauldwin'.

I see a marriage banns record for 1877 for Halifax, St John the Baptists. His father is listed as Fred Baldwin, clogger. His bride Susan Tay was from Laith in Ireland and born roughly 1853.

They were living together on the 1881 and 1891 census, in Southowram. They had two children, John born 1881 and Walter born 1890.

Then in 1896 I have a record of an Albert Baldwin, with a father called Fred Baldwin who was a clogger, marrying an Alice Ann Hulme in Lancashire in 1896. He describes himself as a widower and knocks 5 years off what I think is his real age.

They move to Leeds and have two children Thomas Hulme Baldwin (b1897), who is my direct ancestor, and Gladys Baldwin, according to the 1901 census.

According to the 1901 census there is a Susan Baldwin living in Halifax with children called John and Walter. Their ages match up to what I have found so far. Susan Baldwin describes herself as a widower, but I can't help but wonder.

So it's possible that I have made a total and complete mess up and have two Albert Baldwins confused. I have made big mistakes in the past so this is a distinct possibility. Or he actually was a bigamist.

I'd be really grateful if anyone could confirm or deny my research. 

[Mabel Bagshawe]

Interestingly Albert & Alice Ann baptise a child called Fred in May 1897 - I suspect this could actually be Thomas Hulme, as the dates match and Gladys is the only other child I can find them baptising.

remarrying when not free to do so wasn't as unusual as you might think, as divorce normally was too expensive for the working man

[wilcoxon]

I have found something , but it refers to an Alfred Baldwin with a wife named Susan who was trying to commit suicide because of her husbands intimacy with another woman.
In 1894 they are living at Lock St, Caddy Field , Halifax. One of their children is a boy aged about 12.

Does this fit in ?

Newspaper date - February 19, 1894

[Stanwix England]

Reply to Mabel

That is interesting.

I also suspect as you do, that if I do have the correct Albert, this might have been a case of him not being able to divorce from his first wife.  She lists herself as a widow on a later census and unless he was able to fake his own death and pull the wool over her eyes, it would suggest it was mutual consent to some degree.

[Stanwix England]

I have found something , but it refers to an Alfred Baldwin with a wife named Susan who was trying to commit suicide because of her husbands intimacy with another woman.
In 1894 they are living at Lock St, Caddy Field , Halifax. One of their children is a boy aged about 12.

Does this fit in ?

Newspaper date - February 19, 1894

Oh my giddy aunt! Yes it would fit in.

I would be grateful if you could tell me where you found that paper.

[Stanwix England]

I've found the newspaper! That is a shocking read. What a b------d

The ironic thing is that side of the family and his son from his bigamous marriage were supposed to be really uber religious and hoyty toyty. If only they knew (or maybe they did know!).

[Stanwix England]

Oh my word it gets worse.

Basically his wife had recently been released from a small pox hospital and her husband, Albert Baldwin was treating her badly, she alleges. She was seen running towards a canal, with her son running behind her, trying to kill herself. She was stopped and said that he'd threatened to kill her the night before and she was determined to kill herself. She was sent to court for trying to commit suicide. I haven't found out yet what happened in that case, but she was sent home to a relatives care and the case was ajorned for a month.

Then a few months later her husband is charged with threatening her and he is ordered to give a £20 bond and 'keep the peace' for three months. He is quoted as saying

"I'll go to prison to plague her."

I found those words chilling!

[Bryn Celyn]

I assume that you have the birth certificate for Thomas Hulme Baldwin, from which you have worked backwards, and that has led you to look for an Albert Baldwin born in Halifax about 1862?  There is no birth record that corresponds to that.  As a complete aside when searching I did see a “Prince Albert Edward Baldwin” registered in Bradford in 1863!

Widening the search to bring in births back to 1850, shows that there is only one Albert Baldwin registered in Halifax, and that was in 1855.

I assume that you have his father's name from the marriage record that you have and if you search the 1871 Census for an Albert Baldwin living in Halifax (no age specified) with a father called Fred or Frederick, then there is only one result and that is the one that you found.

I am inclined to support your view that he was indeed a bigamist.  By the way in 1911 Walter Baldwin could be found in Armley Prison!  His brother John was married and living in Halifax, and I can’t find Susan either in the census or the death records.

[Mabel Bagshawe]

Possible death for susan?

Susan Baldwin
Date Q3 1914
Age     60
Halifax Vol 9a, p   558

she's buried 3 Nov 1914 at Mount Pellon (Halifax), Christ Church