raineshoe
27-01-2009, 6:01 PM
I have Henry Cootes married to Sarah Ann nee Simpson in 1876. Last known child born 1882. Disappear of the face of the earth and he then pops up married to Fanny Williams in 1890. 1911 census says been married to Fanny for 25 years which doesn't add up. Also, no death anywhere for Sarah in Scotland or England.
Anyhow, something made me look on the National Archives divorce documents and a Henry Cootes and Sarah pop up in 1887.
I applied for the documents and so far have 10 pages which confirm they are our Henry and Sarah. It is certainly explosive reading especially as he is only a steel smelter in the 1880s and divorce I am sure was still frowned upon a bit.
The National Archives say there are another 30 pages to the document :eek:
On the one hand an extremely lucky break for a family historian, but my partners poor credit card can't take it. I have to have the rest of the pages though as I only have half the story.
Cutting a long document short suffice to say Henry Cootes is subject to the drink, wife beating to the point she had a black eye and a damaged leg which became diseased and never repaired itself and also had an affair with the woman he later married. She it would appear may have had a fling with someone else too on two occasions with different men. Suffice to say the co respondents are denying it all.
Of course the it then made me wonder if all the children they had were Henry's. Can guarantee the mother but not the father as they say. (Well at least then you could).
|woohoo||woohoo||woohoo||jumphappy
You can tell I'm soooo excited |woohoo|
Anyhow, something made me look on the National Archives divorce documents and a Henry Cootes and Sarah pop up in 1887.
I applied for the documents and so far have 10 pages which confirm they are our Henry and Sarah. It is certainly explosive reading especially as he is only a steel smelter in the 1880s and divorce I am sure was still frowned upon a bit.
The National Archives say there are another 30 pages to the document :eek:
On the one hand an extremely lucky break for a family historian, but my partners poor credit card can't take it. I have to have the rest of the pages though as I only have half the story.
Cutting a long document short suffice to say Henry Cootes is subject to the drink, wife beating to the point she had a black eye and a damaged leg which became diseased and never repaired itself and also had an affair with the woman he later married. She it would appear may have had a fling with someone else too on two occasions with different men. Suffice to say the co respondents are denying it all.
Of course the it then made me wonder if all the children they had were Henry's. Can guarantee the mother but not the father as they say. (Well at least then you could).
|woohoo||woohoo||woohoo||jumphappy
You can tell I'm soooo excited |woohoo|