Grandfather jailed for bigamy - missing link

[M3D1C_Dan]

I'm sure there will be elements of truth in this once we get to the bottom of it.

I'm puzzled though by the choice of surname if he was using if this is as an alias.

Looking at the birth, marriage and death indexes, Markinson is almost unique to Leeds and Yorkshire uUntil the later parts of the 20th century) in its distribution. Of all the surnames, why chose this one?

I'll have another look through the newspapers and the later bigamy reports, the papers are transcribed using ocr software and they aren't always accurate.

This was my thoughts entirely. Surely if the bigamy tale is true and he was trying to bury his past, he would've gone for a more common surname?

There are a number of Markinson lines within the Jewish community, non to my knowledge related to my family.

If I need to spend time looking through somewhere for clues, please let me know as I'm not 100% sure where I need to be digging but don't mind. My thoughts and intentions at this point are to contact the prison archives and look through archives of Yorkshire Post editions, even for totally different names of bigamists at that time.

[Milliepede]

If the bigamy was in a newspaper then it should be under the name Markinson because that is the name he was a bigamist under. 
He wasn't one until the marriage in 1945 as everything was "above board" until then.

He carried on in life with that name so that must be the name he was charged under.  I don't see how looking at bigamists with different names is going to help.
 
That's just how I see it I'm no expert but I do think newspapers is the way to go.  I know there was a Leeds Mercury but not sure what years it covered.

[M3D1C_Dan]

If the bigamy was in a newspaper then it should be under the name Markinson because that is the name he was a bigamist under. 
He wasn't one until the marriage in 1945 as everything was "above board" until then.

He carried on in life with that name so that must be the name he was charged under.  I don't see how looking at bigamists with different names is going to help.
 
That's just how I see it I'm no expert but I do think newspapers is the way to go.  I know there was a Leeds Mercury but not sure what years it covered.

I'm no expert either but the way I saw it was that if the police caught up with him and he had changed his name, they must have had another name for him, presumably his 'real' name, so would he not be either jailed under that name, or have both names listed, as in an a.k.a.?
The Yorkshire Post in Leeds has been running since 1754.

[Milliepede]

Yes I understand what you're saying.

I should be at the library tomorrow so will check what papers they have online.

[M3D1C_Dan]

I tried to work out possible dates for him being 'caught' and based on my father and uncles ages: my dad was born in '47, his brothers were born in '48 and '51 so reckon it to be somewhere around these days. it might narrow it down somewhat?

[Milliepede]

None of the publications listed for Leeds on the British Newspapers Archive site go up as far as 1945

Had a thought if his name doesn't come up probably his wife's name would be mentioned wouldn't it as the innocent party.  If her maiden name went in a search maybe that would bring up something?  If we can find a paper covering the right time that is.

[M3D1C_Dan]

I've had this email from the Wakefield Archives in West Yorkshire today who handle the prison deeds for Armley Prison. It might be something to go on.

We have now undertaken a search of the Armley Prison collection (ref. C187) and I am afraid we were not able to find an entry for Gordon Richard Markinson.  There was, however an entry for a Gordon Rowland Markerson imprisoned at a similar date to your enquiry.  This gentleman seemed to match the description you had given and was imprisoned for a similar offence.  He was admitted to the prison on the 22nd of October 1949 and was released on the 9th of January 1950.
 
I have undertaken a search on the website freebmd.org and was able to find a marriage entry for George Markerson to Phyllis Oakley in March of 1934.  I was not able to find a birth entry of registration of death for Gordon R. Markerson.

[dawnsh]

4 Markerson/mmn Oakley children born in Aylesbury 1934-1945.

Won't name them here as they are most probably still living.

[dawnsh]

Looks like Phyllis remarried in the 1950's and died in 1972.