The mysterious Hardy

[Megan Roberts]

Just a thought... was there any rules about marrying once you were already married? Albert and Agnes were together for at least 7 years and had 3 or 4 children together before getting married. It seems a bit strange that they would wait so long. If she had divorced from Tom Ardrey then there would be a record?

Today divorce is very easy and relatively easy. But up until the probably 30-40 years ago (I not really certain of the dates) that wasn't the case. You would have prove "cause" - use a solicitor - sort out maintenance payments etc. So although today bigamy is a rare crime up until probably the 1960s or so it wasn't. It was easier to vanish and start again than to go through the rigmarole of a divorce. To illustrate my point, albeit not very scientifically, I searched Findmypast's newspaper archive using the word "bigamy".

Between 1850-1899 there are 123,000 hits; 1900-1949 78,000 hits; 1950-1999 1332 hits and 2000-2017 4 hits.

[geneius]

A bit more about Thomas Ardrey

B 1879 to John & Ellen Ardrey

1883 - 1888
Manchester Withington Workhouse with his parents & sister Nellie

Attested 21 April 1897 No 5281 3rd Royal Lancaster Regiment states employed by Lewis's Market Street

Ardrey Thomas 1880 — 1899 England & Wales, Crime, Prisons & Punishment, 1770- 69 months hard labour for breaking 3 window panes

Prisoner said he was mad when he did it.— He was sentenced to three months' imprison- ment. BREAKING THREE PANES OF GLASS. Thomas Ardrey, and William Alfred Townsend two soldiers, were jointly charged with unlawfully and maliciously committing damage to the
08 April 1899 - Hampshire Advertiser - Southampton, Hampshire, England

1901 married Agnes SMITH

Then I lose him!

[Ashleigh_]

A bit more about Thomas Ardrey

B 1879 to John & Ellen Ardrey

1883 - 1888
Manchester Withington Workhouse with his parents & sister Nellie

Attested 21 April 1897 No 5281 3rd Royal Lancaster Regiment states employed by Lewis's Market Street

Ardrey Thomas 1880 — 1899 England & Wales, Crime, Prisons & Punishment, 1770- 69 months hard labour for breaking 3 window panes

Prisoner said he was mad when he did it.— He was sentenced to three months' imprison- ment. BREAKING THREE PANES OF GLASS. Thomas Ardrey, and William Alfred Townsend two soldiers, were jointly charged with unlawfully and maliciously committing damage to the
08 April 1899 - Hampshire Advertiser - Southampton, Hampshire, England

1901 married Agnes SMITH

Then I lose him!

How interesting! How did you find this information? I would love to see the documents if possibke

[Ashleigh_]

In case anyone is interested. I finally have managed to find out what happened to Thomas Ardrey/ Hardy. I have done this search hundreds of time and by a complete fluke something came up.

He died in WW1 in 1916 and his memorial is in Thiepval. When I was a teenager I went on a school trip to France & Belgium (History trip) and we visited Thiepval. Little did I know that I had such a close connection there.

[Ashleigh_]

He died on the Somme