Bigamist?

[Hils Hoppo]

My Great Aunt Sophia Walls married Ludolf Withowski in Hastings in 1867 but he is on the 1851 census living in Hertford married to Amelia Small. In 1869 he pops up in Eastbourne marrying Annie Woodhall! I'm sure this is one and the same person as the name is so unusual and the dates of birth match. I can't find death certificates for either Amelia or Sophia that suggest he was twice widowed. Is it possible he divorced his first two wives or do we have a bigamist in the family?

[AdeleE]

Here's one death registration:

Name: Sophia Witkowski
Est birth year: abt 1830
Year: 1868
Quarter: Oct-Nov-Dec
Age: 38
District: Eastbourne
County: Sussex, East Sussex
Volume: 2b
Page: 37

[djamb]

Possibly another -not sure though


Name: Amelia Witkowski
Year of Registration: 1855
Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec
District: Hertford
County: Hertfordshire
Volume: 3a

[Jules]

In 1891 Lewdolf Witkowski b. 1830 London, living alone but listed as married, occupation: living on own means, in Wantage, Berks.

[Jules]

In 1881 Lewdolf Witteowski b. 1828 London, still living with Jane and 5 children now in Halstead, Essex.

[Jules]

I think he married Jane in 1869 and not Annie Woodall. The marriage record only lists 3 people instead of 4, the missing name must be Jane.

Edmund Caton
Ludolf Withowski
Annie Woodall

There is an Edmund Caten married to an Annie with a 6 month old daughter in the 1871.

[Jules]

Hi, just to make things worse, there is a Ludolf Witkowski b. 1829 London (upholsterer) on the 1871 in Eastbourne married to a Jane, with 2 children aged 17, and 9 months,

Wow he gets about.

Jules

[gwendolen]

My Great Aunt Sophia Walls married Ludolf Withowski in Hastings in 1867 but he is on the 1851 census living in Hertford married to Amelia Small. In 1869 he pops up in Eastbourne marrying Annie Woodhall! I'm sure this is one and the same person as the name is so unusual and the dates of birth match. I can't find death certificates for either Amelia or Sophia that suggest he was twice widowed. Is it possible he divorced his first two wives or do we have a bigamist in the family?

Ludolph was my gggrandfather he died in 1897. Amelia his first wife died of consumption in 1855.

Marry Anne - his mother died in 1872 while working as a nurse assistant.

So he wasn't a bigamist or a divorcee. Hope this helps

[Hils Hoppo]

Hi Gwendolen

Apologies for jumping to the inital conclusion that your gggrandfather was a bigamist!!

The mystery has all been solved now - I have the certificate for Sophia's death and it appears that she died from 'Placenta Previa' (which probably indicates that she died in childbirth) just a year after she married. I think the child must have been stillborn as I can find neither a birth or death cert for it (stillbirths weren't required to be registered then) He married again just a year after Sophia died - which marriage are you descended from?

[gwendolen]

Hi Gwendolen

Apologies for jumping to the inital conclusion that your gggrandfather was a bigamist!!

The mystery has all been solved now - I have the certificate for Sophia's death and it appears that she died from 'Placenta Previa' (which probably indicates that she died in childbirth) just a year after she married. I think the child must have been stillborn as I can find neither a birth or death cert for it (stillbirths weren't required to be registered then) He married again just a year after Sophia died - which marriage are you descended from?

I am a descendent of the marriage Ludolph and Amemia. I am fasinated and proud of the Witkowski family, I have been investigating into the name for about 25 years now and I really feel I know them all personally - crazy I know!!

Happy searching