Joseph Smith Cheltenham??

[Jomot1]

Bloody hell...

Indeed!

It also throws up more question as the only marriage I can find was to Ellen Green. The banns are online, and were later than March 1869, but he was aged 40 and a labourer of Sankey Street.

A transcript of what I assume must be the full marriage gives a date of 22 Aug 1869, with Joseph aged 40 and the son of Samuel - hardly 'a young man'

[brentor boy]

Two births that may be of interest:-
Sarah Ann Richings Mar 1862 Cheltenham. No mmn
Annie Louisa Richings Sep 1865. Cheltenham. No mmn

Did you miss this? The birth records of the two eldest children.

Marriage Mar 1866 Cheltenham. Joseph Smith/ Mary A Richings

[blacklace]

Did he get away with it then as he was on Louisa's baptism record in '78?

[blacklace]

Did you miss this? The birth records of the two eldest children.

Marriage Mar 1866 Cheltenham. Joseph Smith/ Mary A Richings

Sorry, I did miss that, thanks

[Jomot1]

An update in the Manchester Times 9 Dec 1871 (may also be in others):

A man named Joseph Smith, aged 29, pleaded guilty to a charge that, at Warrington, on 1 Mar 1869, he unlawfully married Ann Grimes, his former wife, Mary Ann Smith, being still alive. He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment

ADDED: It looks like this was at the Crown Court, Manchester

FURTHER ADDED: The criminal record online confirms him as 29 and a Lath Splitter. The trial was 4th December

[Lesley Robertson]

That's what I said in #20.
I've looked until 1874 and there's no other mention of him, so we don't know whether Mary took him back when his time was up. Of course, Mary was still his wife while he was alive, and any kids she had during the marriage would have been considered as his unless he protested and could prove he was not.

[Jomot1]

Now we have the correct name of the second wife I've found the marriage - and Joseph used a false name!

Joseph WILLIAMS 22 Lath Cleaver of Warrington. Father - Joseph Williams, Lath Cleaver
Ann Grimes 20 Spinster of Warrington. Father Charles Grimes, farmer.

Its only the banns again, but there is a note that the marriage was set for 1 Mar 1869

[Jomot1]

That's what I said in #20.

Yes, but I think you may have added that after your original post (either than or I'm having a slight episode of word blindness )

[blacklace]

I can't wait till I tell my dad about his grandad lol (he never knew his grandparents).

Now I need to find where he born (now that I know he was born in 1842/43).

[blacklace]

Now we have the correct name of the second wife I've found the marriage - and Joseph used a false name!

Joseph WILLIAMS 22 Lath Cleaver of Warrington. Father - Joseph Williams, Lath Cleaver
Ann Grimes 20 Spinster of Warrington. Father Charles Grimes, farmer.

Its only the banns again, but there is a note that the marriage was set for 1 Mar 1869

He also gave a wrong age, sly bugger