Belinda Roberts - Serial Bigamist ? Part 1 (General)
During the course of some recent research I came across a situation that warranted further work and I set out in chronological order my findings.
Belinda Roberts was born in 1856. This is her birth registration followed by baptism:
Births Mar 1856
ROBERTS Belinda Westbury S 6a 183
Year: 1856
Month: May
Day: 25
Parents_Surname: ROBERTS
Child_Forenames: Belinda
Fathers_Forenames: Henry
Mothers_Forenames: Ann
Mothers_Surname:
Residence: Osla
Occupation: Collier
Officiating_Minister: Temple Hamilton Chase
Event: Baptism
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: 20811
Page_Number: 15
Parish_Chapel: Lydbrook
Osla is how the local population pronounces Hawsley which is near Joys Green.
Her parents were Henry Roberts and Ann Hall who married at Christchurch on 19 November 1853
At the time of the 1861 Census Belinda is with her family in East Dean:
1861 England Census about Belinda Roberts
Name: Belinda Roberts
Age: 5
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1856
Relation: Daughter
Father's Name: Henry Roberts
Mother's Name: Ann Roberts
Gender: Female
Where born: West Dean
Civil parish: East Dean
Ecclesiastical parish: Holy Trinity
County/Island: Gloucestershire
Country: England
Registration district: Westbury On Severn
Sub-registration district: Newnham
Household Members:
Name Age
Henry Roberts 30
Ann Roberts 26
Belinda Roberts 5
Wm John Roberts 3
Elizabeth Hall 18
In 1871 Belinda is to be found in Yorkley:
1871 England Census about Blenda Roberts
Name: Blenda Roberts
Age: 16
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1855
Relation: Visitor
Gender: Female
Where born: West Dean, Gloucestershire, England
Civil parish: Newland
Ecclesiastical parish: Bream
Town: Yorkley
County/Island: Gloucestershire
Country: England
Registration district: Monmouth
Sub-registration district: Coleford
ED, institution, or vessel: 9
Household schedule number: 26
Piece: 5298
Folio: 121
Page Number: 7
Household Members:
Name Age
Samuel Thomas 29
Elizabeth Thomas 27
Emily S Thomas 8
William H Thomas 5
Elizabeth Thomas 2
Blenda Roberts 16
In 1873 she married:
Year: 1873
Month: Jun
Day: 8
Grooms_Surname: WADDLEY
Grooms_Forenames: William
Grooms_Age: 21
Groom_Condition: Bachelor
Grooms_Occupation: Collier
Grooms_Residence: The Vention
Grooms_Fathers_Surname: WADDLEY
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames: John
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation: Groom
Brides_Surname: ROBERTS
Brides_Forenames: Belinda
Brides_Age: 17
Brides_Condition: Spinster
Brides_Occupation:
Brides_Residence: The Vention
Brides_Fathers_Surname: ROBERTS
Brides_Fathers_Forenames: Henry
Brides_Fathers_Occupation: Collier
Licence_or_Banns: Banns
Date_of_Banns:
Signature_or_Mark: both mark
Witness_1: Edward Roberts
Witness_2: Elizabeth Eddy
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: Henry Tho[ma]s Hoitt
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P208 IN 1/5
Page_Number: 41
Parish_Chapel: Lydbrook
At the time of the 1861 Census William Waddley was with his parents John and Emma in Dixton Parish, Monmouth. William is aged 8 and birthplace is given as Bredon, Worcestershire. This would appear to be his birth registration:
Births Jun 1852
Waddley William Tewkesbury 6a 372
William and Belinda appear to be missing from the 1881 Census.
Next we find Belinda marries James Bridges in 1886:
Marriages Jun 1886
Bridges James Hereford 6a 926
WADDELEY Belinda Hereford 6a 926
and a baptism for George Bridges later that year:
Year 1886
Month Dec
Day 25
Parents Surname BRIDGES
Child Forenames George
Fathers Forenames James
Mothers Forenames Belinda
Mothers Surname
Residence Bye Street
Occupation Hawker
Officiating Minister A.Bannister Curate
Event Baptism
Memoranda
Notes
Register Reference B092/11
Page Number 272
Parish Chapel Ledbury
It is assumed that William Waddley is deceased but the nearest death registration I can find is:
Deaths Dec 1876
Wadley William 24 Marylebone 1a 308
Belinda and James appear in the 1891 Census as follows:
England Census about George Bridges
Name: George Bridges
Age: 7
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1884
Relation: Son
Father's Name: James Bridges
Mother's Name: Belinda Bridges
Gender: Male
Where born: Huntley, Gloucestershire, England
Civil parish: Pembridge
Ecclesiastical parish: Pembridge
Town: Stansbatch
County/Island: Herefordshire
Country: England
Registration district: Kington
Sub-registration district: Kington
ED, institution, or vessel: 8
Piece: 2077
Folio: 88
Page Number: 1
Household Members:
Name Age
James Bridges 50 Licensed Hawker born Bromyard, Herefordshire
Belinda Bridges 39 Wife born Lydbrook, Gloucestershire
Mary Bridges 11 daur born Kington, Herefordshire
George Bridges 7 son born Huntley, Gloucestershire
From the image we can see that there are 2 children but I have not found birth registrations. The daughter is said to be born c 1880 and yet there is a James Bridges, Hawker with his wife Elizabeth and daughter Ann aged 11 in Bromyard at the time of the 1881 Census. Elizabeth died in 1886:
Deaths Mar 1886
Bridges Elizabeth 37 Bromyard 6a 410
and in the 1891 Census there is a James Bridges, Hawker and Widower living with his brother-in-law, Henry Handley in Bromyard.
In 1894 we find marriage number 3 for Belinda:
Year: 1894
Month: Jul
Day: 22
Grooms_Surname: YEMM
Grooms_Forenames: James
Grooms_Age: 22
Groom_Condition: Bachelor
Grooms_Occupation: Collier
Grooms_Residence: Lydbrook
Grooms_Fathers_Surname: YEMM
Grooms_Fathers_Forenames: Thomas
Grooms_Fathers_Occupation: Collier
Brides_Surname: WADDLEY
Brides_Forenames: Belinda
Brides_Age: 38
Brides_Condition: Widow
Brides_Occupation:
Brides_Residence: Lydbrook
Brides_Fathers_Surname: ROBERTS
Brides_Fathers_Forenames: Henry
Brides_Fathers_Occupation: Collier
Licence_or_Banns: Banns
Date_of_Banns:
Signature_or_Mark: he sign she mark
Witness_1: Timothy Roberts
Witness_2: Eliza Ann Roberts
Other_Witnesses:
Officiating_Minister: H T Hoitt
Event: Marriage
Memoranda:
Notes:
Register_Reference: P208 IN 1/5
Page_Number: 89
Parish_Chapel: Lydbrook
It would appear that James Bridges may be still alive as there is an entry in the 1901 Census for a James Bridges, Basket and Brush Hawker and Widower, living in Hereford. Or was there another James Bridges?
cont..