Marrying your dead wife's sister

[mrsericnorthman]

I've noticed it quite a few times and once or twice with distant relations in my tree, during the period when it wasn't allowed. Though I've noticed its with quite well to do people! Quite morbid but I think marriage was rarely about love back then.

[Redroger]

Remember that at the time concerned there was no welfare state; and marriages were often contracted a very short while after the death of the first wife in order to provide security for the children from the first union. In my paternal tree I have one case where a farmer's wife bore 13 children to her first husband, he died, shed then married by relative and bore him 3 more. He went from farm labourer to farmer in one easy move. This was before women had property rights and on marriage he became the farm owner c1850 Lincolnshire

[jennywren001]

I've just discovered this morning that in this instance William Easton did not marry his dead wife's sister. Sometimes you just get lucky.

Yesterday, I finished writing up my Russell branch more than a little disappointed that I had not been able to find Charlotte Easton's grandparents but glad I was done and 'only' facing the editing process . Couldn't let it lie...woke up this morning thinking if I get one of Charlotte's sibling's death certificates maybe I'll get a clue - long shot I know and nothing helpful on her brother David's .  But, sister Betsy who died in 1858 was another matter - her uncle signed her death certificate a William Wallace living in Logie Pert...tracked him back and forwards in the census then found his death certificate which give's his parents and therefore Elizabeth's as Peter (Charlotte has a brother called Peter) Wallace and Elspeth Walker. Isabella Wallace, William's second wife dies in 1863 and her parents are Thomas Wallace and Georgina Hogg so definitely not sisters....
Jen

[777777]

Widowed men often *had* to remarry if they wanted to keep their children, as it wasn't acceptable back in the day for a man to raise children on his own. It needed to be done quickly, so a maiden sister-in-law would be a pretty convenient choice.