Genealogy Chat

What was your grandfather's registered name?

When and where was he born?

And WHO was his mother?

You haven't answered the AGE question - ref marriage cert(s)

Hi, Amanda, Jax and Reggie.

My great grandfather has always been a mystery. James Alexander Bains, says on marriage certificate, widower, a ship steward, father John Alexander Bains, shipwright. He married Eliza Holland in 1875 Shoreditch. Never found on any census, or his father. He had 4 children and was named on all their birth certificates.

We have various stories about him, ie. he was Spanish and had escaped and came to England where he changed his name to Bains. That when my grandfather was expected he said he had to go away for his health, and if he was a boy to call him Ferdinando Ricardo Bains. Apparently my g.grandmother then had a letter saying he had died, but I have found a 5th child who was born 2 yrs later, with him named on birth certificate, he is then a master mariner.

Who I believe may be him is James Alexander Bains b.1842 South Shields, father Alexander Bains. He married Jane Elizabeth Nicholson. This James was a master mariner, and appears on most census. This James emigrated in 1891 to Ontario. His wife apparently suffered with hereditary spastic paraplegia, which may have been a reason why he sort a further marriage.

Any thoughts would be appreciated I have been looking for him for 16 yrs.

Carol

He must have declared his age when he married.

Didn't he give a father's name?

Was his occupation the same as the 'bigamist's'?

If you want informed help, names and location would be useful

To be a bigamist, he would have had to go through two marriage ceremonies - when and where are the ones which you think are 'his'?

I recently found my grandparents marriage on seax (although dad has the original cert)

we were discussing whether one of the witnesses was my gt grandfather or his son also named William

I checked the signature against the 1911 census and although not exactly the same (15 years earlier) one was signed William the other Wm but the way he wrote the W was the same with a tail.......so my guess it was the same man

So if you can get to see the original parish record his writing may give it away....as long as he could write of course

Hi Carol,

If he was a Bigamist he may not have given the true details with regards to his father or his real birth name.

Sometimes they slip up when registering documents

Kind regards
Amanda

Thanks for that Reggie. All I know about my great-grandfather is on his marriage certificate. We do not know his age, or where born. He married 1871 had 5 children the last being my grandad.

We have lots of stories about him, none of which I now believe were true.

I have found someone who I believe may have been him, if so he was a bigamist.

Carol

You get a copy of the cert as per the GRO records, which does not have original sigs.

If you want to see the original, you need to visit the appropriate Records Office, and hope that they married in Church....and that the man could actually write

Not entirely sure why you think seeing a signature will help - the father's details are probably of more use, and they will be on the copy cert - assuming his identity was known.

Can someone remind me, the certificates you send for are they the original signatures or are they copies. I am trying to prove my great grandfather was a bigamist.

Thanks
Carol