Bigamy Blues – Part 2

(Continued from previous post – Bigamy Blues)

Tragic Story

The revelation that her new husband was actually a bigamist must have been very upsetting for Reuben Lamb’s new bride, Mary.

Mary E. Mitchell had already become a young widow just three years before meeting Reuben; discovering her second marriage was invalid would have come as quite a blow.

Through a combination of the 1939 register and marriage records, I found that Mary E. Mitchell was born Mary Evans White. In June of 1942, when she was 19, Mary married Richard Mitchell, a young soldier who served in the Sherwood Foresters. The marriage was cut tragically short when, only a few months later, Richard was killed in a vehicle accident.

The story becomes even more heart-breaking after finding out the accident happened while Richard was returning home on leave – presumably eager to see his new bride.

Nottingham Journal, 24 August 1942, p4, c6

THREE DEAD IN MANSFIELD ROAD CRASH
A serious road accident, involving the deaths of two soldiers and a sailor, occurred at Mansfield on Friday night.
At 10.30 p.m. an Army truck was being driven to Mansfield along the Nottingham road near Mansfield cemetery, when it mounted the off-side pavement and struck an electric standard.
The vehicle turned completely round and the occupants were thrown into the roadway, the three men being killed.
The driver is in Mansfield Hospital in a serious condition.
The men who lost their lives were: Pte. R. Mitchell, of “Bryson,” Millersdale-avenue, Mansfield; Pte. F. Hallam, whose home address is at Doncaster, but who intended staying the night at Mansfield Woodhouse with friends; and the sailor, John W. Childs, of 7, Baums-lane, Mansfield.
Upon inquiry at the hospital on Saturday it was stated that the driver was suffering from severe head injuries, but was going on fairly well.

(Nottingham Journal, 24 August 1942, p4, c6)

Nottingham Journal 05 November 1942, p4, c4

Van Tragedy Sequel

Case Against Driver Fails at Mansfield

THE triple tragedy on Nottingham-road, Mansfield, near the cemetery gates, at 10.30 p.m. on 21 August, when two soldiers and a sailor going on leave were fatally injured in a motor accident, had a sequel at Mansfield police-court yesterday, when the driver of the Army utility van concerned, John Unsworth (19), whose home address is 1, Allen-row, Paddock, Huddersfield, was charged with dangerous driving. After a long hearing, the magistrates dismissed the case, stating, however, that it was a proper charge to be brought for investigation.

Unsworth, who was returning from Nottingham, where he had been on duty, was at the time giving a lift to the three men who were killed in the crash. the dead were: John William Childs, Navy signalman of Baum’s-lane, Mansfield; Pte. R. Mitchell, Sherwood Foresters, of Millersdale-avenue, Mansfield, and Pte. F. Hallam, R.A.S.C., whose home was at Doncaster.

“Broken Lamp-post”

Supt. W. Boler (prosecuting) said that at a bend in the road the van had apparently travelled 80 yards on the offside grass verge, broken off a lamp-post, and swerved back to its correct side, where it collided with a tree. Practically the whole of the nearside of the car was torn away.

An Army sergeant named Maitland would say, said the superintendent, that an Army van passing him about a mile before the scene of the crash was travelling at at least 55 m.p.h. and he saw no other traffic.

In a statement to the police Unsworth said that in passing the road barrier at the top of the hill he reduced speed to 30m.p.h. from about 35-40 m.p.m [sic]. “About 50-100 yards past the barrier,” he continued, “I hit an obstacle which might have been a large brick. The steering wheel flew out of my hands, and I think I swerved to the right-hand side of the road. I wrenched the wheel over to the left, and then to the right, to make myself square on the road. I felt a crash. Something thing [sic] hit me on the head. It might have been a lamp-post or a tree. I don’t remember anything else.”

Still in Hospital

Supt. Boler said that after the accident the steering-gear was found to be in perfect condition, and he found nothing which would cause a vehicle to “bump.”

Mr. W. Gamble (defending) contended that there was no direct evidence as to how Unsworth was driving other than his own statement. From the moment he hit some obstacle he knew little about what happened. He sustained severe injuries and was still in hospital

Nottingham Journal 05 November 1942, p4, c4

Nottingham Journal, 02 December 1942, p4 c5

TRAGIC STORY OF A LIFT
Verdict on Three Dead Soldiers at Mansfield

A SOLDIER, Pte. R. Mitchell, and sailor, John W. Childs, belonging to Mansfield, and a second soldier, Pte. F. Hallam, of Doncaster, were killed on the Nottingham road, Mansfield, on the night of 21 August, when an Army utility vehicle in which they were being given a lift from Nottingham collided heavily with a tree.

The driver of the vehicle, John Unsworth, of Paddock, Huddersfield was also injured, and he appeared at the Mansfield Borough Court on 4 November on a charge of driving the vehicle in a manner dangerous to the public.

The Bench, after a hearing lasting over three hours, dismissed the case, finding that the accident might have been due to an error of judgment.

Yesterday the District Coroner (Lt.-Col. Bradwell) held an inquest at Mansfield on the three victims of the accident, and the chief witness was the driver. He was still wearing the hospital blue.

Statement By Driver

The long statement he made at the police hearing (which appeared in the ‘Journal’) was read over to him, and in reply to the Coroner he added that in approaching Mansfield he slowed down to 30 m.p.h., when suddenly the vehicle got out of control. In trying to steady it with the foot brake, he might have accidentally put his foot on the accelerator. That was the opinion on thinking further over the matter

The Coroner returned a verdict of “Accidental death,” and expressed his sympathy with the relatives.

An officer, who accompanied the driver of the vehicle to the inquest, also offered sympathy on behalf of the Army authorities.

(Nottingham Journal, 02 December 1942, p4 c5)

Three years later, Mary was to meet Reuben and the aforementioned drama would unfold. But their story wouldn’t end there!

(To be concluded in Bigamy Blues – Part 3)

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Bigamy Blues

A while ago, while researching the Lamb family, I stumbled across a few newspaper articles regarding the trial and conviction of a family member for bigamy in 1947. Obviously I needed to know more…

Reuben Lamb and Kathleen Morgan had married at a young age – Reuben was just 17, Kathleen 19. After about a year of marriage, they were recorded living with Kathleen’s father at 30 Bradshaw Street, Derby in the 1939 register. (Note: For some reason, Kathleen was crossed out but added to a later page with the same information.)

The young couple on the 1939 register

The reports are a little unclear, but at some point Reuben joined the army and eventually found himself in Nottingham. It was here, in 1945, that Reuben met canteen worker, Mary Evans Mitchell who worked at a Navy, Army and Airforce Institute canteen located near Nottingham Castle. The NAAFI was established in 1920 to ‘run the recreational establishments needed by the Armed Forces, and to sell goods to servicemen and their families (source: NAAFI.co.uk). Reuben told Mary that his first wife “had been killed in an air raid, and that his marriage had in any case been a great mistake.” (Nottingham Journal, 19 February 1947, p3, c3). Reuben and Mary grew ‘fond’ of each other – so much so that Reuben moved in with Mary at her sister’s home and they married in February the next year (1946).

“She was everything that the other one wasn’t…”

Less than a year later, the new life Reuben had built for himself came crashing down. Reuben went to Derby to see Kathleen ‘in response to a telegram’. While there, he may have let something slip, which led to the first wife arriving in Mansfield on the 21st of January to reveal the truth to poor Mary.

Reuben told the Nottingham Assizes:  “after he had deceived her [Mary] for so long, he simply had not the courage to tell her the truth when it actually came to the point of marrying her”. Kathleen claimed Reuben ‘thrashed’ her; Reuben denied this and claimed Kathleen had been ‘associating’ with other men. Regardless, the judge found that Reuben’s actions had been quite deliberate and sentenced him to three months in prison.

It’s impossible not to feel for Mary who, I was to find, was already no stranger to heartbreak…

(Story to be continued in Part Two)

Nottingham Journal, 30 January 1947, p4, c7
Mansfield Man For Trial on Bigamy Charge

A meeting in a N.A.A.F.I. canteen near Nottingham Castle in April, 1945, between a soldier and a canteen worker, which led to an alleged bigamous marriage at St. John’s Church, Mansfield, on 9 February last, was referred to at Mansfield yesterday.
Reuben Alfred Lamb, of 40, Titchfield-street, Mansfield, was charged with bigamously marrying Mary Evans Mitchell, a widow, of the same address, during the lifetime of his wife, Kathleen Lamb (27), of 30, Bradshaw-street, Derby. He pleaded “Guilty” and was committed for trial at the Notts. Assizes, bail being renewed.
Mr. E. B. Hibbert, prosecuting, said accused was legally married at the Derby Register Office in June, 1938, but he and his wife separated in 1945. At the second “ceremony” he described himself as a widower, stating his wife was killed in an air raid at Derby.
Mrs. Mitchell said, after demobilisation, Lamb lodged with her at her sister’s home. After Mrs. Lamb called he revealed the whole truth.
Lamb said that after meeting Mrs. Mitchell they became fond of each other. “She was everything that the other one wasn’t,” he said.
(Nottingham Journal, 30 January 1947, p4, c7)
Nottingham Evening Post, 18 February 1947, p4, c1
THREE MONTHS FOR BIGAMY

Sequel To Unhappy Marriage

Sentence of three months’ imprisonment was passed at the Notts. Assizes, to-day, on Reuben Alfred Lamb, 25, a grinder, who was committed from Mansfield on a charge of bigamy at Mansfield on February 9th, 1946.
“There is no doubt that what you did you did quite deliberately,” said Mr. Justice Morris in passing sentence.
Mr. Nigel Robinson, prosecuting, said the legal marriage was in 1938 at Derby, accused being 17 and his wife 19. He served in the army and on his discharge had a quarrel with his wife and left to lodge with a widow, Mrs. Mitchell, a N.A.A.F.I. worker whom he illegally married.
Lamb later went to see his wife in response to a telegram, and subsequently was alleged to have thrashed her.
Mr. W. A. Simes, defending, explained, in interrogation, that accused’s legal wife had been associating with other men. It had been an unhappy marriage. Lamb denied thrashing his wife. 
(Nottingham Evening Post, 18 February 1947, p4, c1)
Nottingham Journal, 19 February 1947, p3, c3
Said Wife Was Killed in Raid

Bigamy Sentence at Notts. Assizes

SEVERAL cases of alleged bigamy were dealt with by Mr. Justice Morris at Notts Assizes yesterday.
Reuben Alfred Lamb (25), a Mansfield grinder, who admitted bigamously marrying a young Mansfield widow on 9 February last year, was sent to prison for three months.
The widow was Mrs. Mary Evans Mitchell, of Mansfield, and Lamb was accused of marrying her while his legal wife, Kathleen, was still alive.
N.A.A.F.I. MEETING
For the prosecution Mr. Nigel Robinson stated that Mrs. Mitchell was a widow whom defendant met while she was working in the N.A.A.F.I. at Nottingham.
“He deceived Mrs. Mitchell by telling her that he was a widower; that his wife had been killed in an air raid, and that his marriage had in any case been a great mistake.”
THRASHED HER
Mr. Robinson added that on 21 January this year the legal wife went to Mansfield to see Lamb. She told Mrs. Mitchell that he was already married, and Lamb thereupon thrashed her.
Lamb was defended by Mr. W. A. Sime, who stated that the legal marriage had been most unhappy Lamb had already taken steps for divorce, and proceedings were still going on
He and Mrs. Mitchell were very fond of each other and after he had deceived her for so long, he simply had not the courage to tell her the truth when it actually came to the point of marrying her
(Nottingham Journal, 19 February 1947, p3, c3)

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An Ebbans By Any Other Name

The Ebbans surname is not a particularly common one. Spelling is a relatively recent convention so I’m used to seeing names spelled in a variety of ways in records – and that’s not including mistranscriptions! (See below for a list of Ebbans variations I’ve found so far – my favourite is ‘Ebbags’.) But something about the name ‘Ebbans’ intrigues me.

The family theory was that the name had mutated from Evans and that there were probably Welsh connections – a quite reasonable assumption considering the family’s proximity to Wales.  However, the further back I went, the further the family got from Wales. Also, the further back I went, the less likely I was to see the name spelt with a final ‘s’. I decided to track the name from the earliest Ebbans ancestor found so far.

In 1822, Mary Ebbon, an unwed woman, gave birth to Thomas Ebbon at Old Buckenham, Norfolk. Her surname was also recorded as Ebben, Ebbin and Ebborn in the Overseer’s Accounts for the parish.

From the 1841 census onwards, Thomas was recorded in official records as Thomas Ebben:

Thomas Ebben in 1841 census
Marriage of Thomas Ebben and Sarah Collins – 1855
Birth registration of William Ebben – 1856
Thomas, Sarah and William Ebben in 1861 census
Thomas Ebben on the Wolverhampton electoral register – 1877

The only noteable exception occurred when he was recorded as ‘Thos Evans’ in the 1871 census. Although it’s possible the surname was spoken as ‘Ebbens’, in this case the enumerator seems to have misheard, and/or recorded the more common surname (Evans), since Thomas and his children continued to be recorded as Ebben in subsequent records.

The family is recorded as Evans in the 1871 census
Thomas’ widow and daughter continue to use Ebben – 1881 census

Adding a final s

A deliberate shift to ‘Ebbens’ seems to have been initiated by Thomas’ son William (b1856) around 1880. William was still giving his surname without a final ‘s’ in 1875 (his marriage record), but in the 1881 census was recorded as Evans.

The family is recorded as Evans in the 1881 census

This may have been a simple error, such as in 1871, except that he actually signs his name as ””William Ebbens”” 3 years later, on his sister Mary Elizabeth Ebben’s marriage record. This is despite his sister (and father’s name) being recorded as Ebben on the same document. (Mary also continues to give her maiden name as ‘Ebben’ when later registering her children’s births.)

Marriage of Edward Morris and Mary Elizabeth Ebben – 1884

From 1881 onwards, William (and his children) consistently use a final ‘s’ (regardless of other spelling variants).

In 1895, William was first recorded on the electoral register as ‘Ebbans’ – a spelling which he used consistently until his death in 1926.

William Ebbans on the Walsall electoral register – 1895

The reasons for the shift to a final ‘s’ may never be known but it certainly seems intentional. The ‘Ebbans’ spelling in particular seems to be prevalent around the West Midlands area – elsewhere ‘Ebbens’ is more common. The research is still in progress but my hypothesis is: all those whose name is spelt ‘Ebbans’ are descended from this William Ebbans. We’ll see if that theory checks out.

Official Ebbans Firsts

  • The first official birth registration using the spelling ‘Ebbans’ was William’s son, John Ebbans, whose birth was registered in 1896.
  • The first official marriage registration was William’s son Thomas Ebbans in 1904.
  • The first official death registration was William’s granddaughter (daughter of the above Thomas), Elizabeth Ebbans in 1907.

Some Variations and Mistranscriptions of Ebbans 

Ebbens Ebbins Ebbing
Evans Ettans Ebbon
Ebben Ellen Ebbags
Hebbin Ebbaus Ebbam
Ebbin Hebben Hebbings
Ebbels Ebbers Abon

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Grave Matters

In Port Chalmers Cemetery, there is a headstone for married couple, Alexander Ritchie Buchan & Agnes Buchan (nee Findlay) – but only one of them was actually buried in that grave (Block UO. Plot 126B).

There are also three other memorial plaques naming another four members of the family, but again, only one of those people were buried there. In fact, of the six people memorialised on this grave, only two were actually buried in Plot 126B; Agnes and her son (also named Alexander Ritchie). So where is Alexander?

Headstone1
Plot 126B of Port Chalmers New Cemetery with Buchan family memorials

It turns out, Alexander is not far away at all – he’s actually buried in the grave opposite.

When Alexander died suddenly of a heart attack in 1896, only a few years after emigrating to New Zealand from Scotland, his young family were left in ‘very poor circumstances’. [See the post Inquests and Articles for more information.] The burial register indicates that the Congregational Church and/or their minister, Reverend William M Grant, took pity on the family and allowed Alexander to be buried ‘in the ground belonging to the church’ (Block UO. Plot 2):

433.
BUCHAN Alexander Ritchie – Blk UO Plot 2 Class 1
Died 2 Dec 1896, aged 34 years, of failure of the heart, a fisherman. Resident of Mansford Town. Born Peterhead. Last came from Peterhead Scotland. Lived 3 years in province.
Buried with written consent of the Rev Wm M Grant Congregational Church, in the ground belonging to the Church.

(Transcript of Burial Register, Port Chalmers New Cemetery, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand (1881-1929), p34)

A year later, another man, Robert Jones, who presumably also died in poor circumstances, was buried in the same plot. This time the order was signed by Mr Robert Bauchop – who according to his own obituary, was a senior deacon of the church:

467.
JONES Robert – Blk UO Plot 2 Class 1
Died 17 Dec 1897, aged 77 years, of general decay, a bricklayer. Resident of George Street Port Chalmers. Born Holywell Flintshire Wales England. Last came from Melbourne Victoria. Lived 7 years in province.
Applicant: Robert Bauchop.
Buried in the Congregational Church ground – order signed by Mr Robt Bauchop.

(Transcript of Burial Register, Port Chalmers New Cemetery, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand (1881-1929), p37)

Grant family headstone
Plot 2 of Port Chalmers New Cemetery with the Grant family monument

In 1935, the Reverend Grant who buried Alexander all those years ago, was also interred in Plot 2. Over the years that followed, other members of the Grant family were also buried there before the plot was finally sealed. Interestingly, it seems Rev. Grant’s infant child was actually the first to be buried in the plot – 15 years before Alexander. Reverend Grant’s obituary mentions that he and his family had gone to Australia for a time (the time when Robert Jones was buried) before returning to his congregation in Port Chalmers.

3. Plan: U.O. plot 2 – W.M. Grant. William.
Stone: William Mugford Grant for 27 years Minister of Port Chalmers Congregational Church, born 5 October 1851 died 12 February
Emily wife of Rev. W.M.Grant born 8 March 1849 died 30 November 1924. Also William their son born Orange, N.S.W. died Port Chalmers 1882. Also their son Reginald James born 1881 died 1941. And their daughter Elsie Mary Grant born 1883 died 1961.
Site: Plot sealed.

(Headstone Transcripts, Port Chalmers New Cemetery, p17)

By the time, Agnes died in 1939, the family had the means to buy the plot in which she is buried – directly across from the one in which her husband Alexander had lain for 45 years.

The other Buchan names recorded at plot 162B:

  • (son) Alexander Ritchie Buchan (junior), 1890-1944, plot 126B
  • (his wife) Elizabeth P. Buchan (nee Hendra), 1893-1968, Block NL. Plot 9
  • (son) James Buchan, 1892-1948, cremated
  • (his wife) Doris Agnes Buchan (nee Lewis), 1894-1984, cremated

Details and other images can be found on the Dunedin City Council website – Cemeteries search

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Forbidden Marriage

 

While researching some extended family members, I came across an unusual marriage.

Ernest Wheeley and Emily Marian Phipps were married in 1923 and their daughter, Cissie was born the following year. Sadly, Ernest died only a few years later in 1929 and Emily married the next year. Although a widow remarrying is very common and can be expected, what makes this case unusual is that Emily had married the nephew of her deceased husband.

Ernest’s nephew, Charles Meller – who was was roughly 12 years younger than Emily – was the son of his sister Blanche Wheeley and Joseph Meller.

Tree diagram to illustrate family relationships
Charles was the nephew of Emily’s first husband, Ernest

 

There has long been a list of ‘forbidden marriages’ based on the bible. Way back in 1503, even King Henry VIII had to request a special dispensation so he could marry his brother Arthur’s widow, Katherine of Aragon. In 1907 the law changed to allow marriage to a wife’s sister or husband’s brother but only if the first spouse was deceased. In 1921, marriage to a brother’s wife or sister’s husband also became legal (only if the first spouse was deceased). This change in law likely came about due to the dramatic reduction in population after World War I. The law was again changed in 1931 to allow marriage to an aunt/uncle-in-law or niece/nephew-in-law (again only if the relevant people were deceased). [source: Forbidden Marriage Laws of the United Kingdom] However, in this case, Charles and Emily were married in 1930 – the year before it became legal for them to do so.

By 1939, the couple had a son together, Ronald, and Cissie had taken the name of her mother’s new husband (and Cissie’s first cousin), Meller. A clue to the unusual relationship can be found on the 1939 register entry – upon Cissie’s marriage in 1943, her original name of Wheeley was added along with her new married name of Dickinson (Cissie used the name Wheeley when she married).

There could be many reasons for marrying a the spouse of a deceased family member and at times it was encouraged. It is impossible to know the nature of the couple’s relationship prior to Ernest’s death (without family anecdotes to rely on). A clue that this union may not have had the family’s blessing may lie in their address. Charles and Emily were on Hollemeadow Road, whereas the rest of the family seemed to live more closely together on or near Pleck Road (the other side of town). But, of course, this is just speculation on my part.

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