Catterall/Catherall & Fairbrother

[Susanc241]

I am new on here (first post) but does anyone have these names in their tree? I am trying to find others who have Elizabeth Catherall (spinster) b 1837 marrying Benjamin Fairbrother in 1863. I am sure Elizabeth was previously married (1856) to a Peter White and had at least one child by him. I wondered if anyone else had come across what on the surface looks like a case of bigamy (divorce highly unlikely due to cost and availability in those times). They all lived in the Toxteth area. I can provide more 'evidence' that leads me to this conclusion but wanted to connect with anyone else with these people in their tree first (to save boring everyone!).

[MaryA]

Hi and welcome to the forum. I'm not aware of anybody who has the names in their ancestry, but if you wished us to try to help by looking at anything in our resources you would perhaps need to give more information - perhaps one of the earlier censuses may have the child you mention with the family.

If Elizabeth had been married previously she should have married Benjamin by the name of White, but we all know things don't always happen as they should. Do you have the marriage certificates for the two marriages?

[Karen]

A quick search has revealed the following:

Elizabeth Catherall married Peter White on August 3rd 1856 at St. Patrick's RC Church. Parents are given as Joseph & Susanna of Cumbermere Street. No occupation is listed for the father.

Elizabeth Catherall married Benjamin Fairbrother on September 28th 1863 at St. Clement's Church. Father is Joseph Catherall, a shipwright.

[Karen]

Following on:

1851 Census, 8 Court No 6 Combermere Street
Piece:2187, Folio: 280, Page Number: 12

Joseph Catherall / head / mar / 53 / Shipwright / b. Chester, Cheshire
Susanna Catherall / wife / mar / 53 / b. Chester, Cheshire
Elizabeth Catherall / daur / 12 / Scholar / b. Lpool, Lancashire


1861 Census, 141 Woolf (?) St
Piece: 2703, Folio: 33, Page Number: 65

Joseph Catherall / head / mar / 65 / Shipwright / b. Harding, Flintshire
Susannah Catherall / wife / mar / 65 / b. Chester, Cheshire
Elizabeth White / daur / mar / 24 / b. Liverpool, Lancashire
Mary Ellen White / grand daur / 2 / b. Liverpool, Lancashire

[Susanc241]

Thank you for all that info, but except for a hard copy of the actual marriage cert for Peter White and Elizabeth Catherall I have all the associated info as provided by you. I have the copy of the Fairbrother/ Catherall marriage and am coming to the decision that a bit of illegal changing of partners & judicious fibbing takes place here. Peter White also seems to marry again at a later date. Not tracked down the daughter, Mary Ellen White, anywhere as yet, early death or later marriage - too common a name to be able to identify anyone specifically without paying out for certificates on the off-chance. With marrying Peter White at age about 18 I have looked for an earlier child born perhaps close to the wedding date but none found. Perhaps Elizabeth and Peter just decided to go their own ways by mutual agreement, You don't snitch on me and I won't snitch on you!!

Thanks again.

[northmeols]

Lancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1859


SurnameWHITE

Forename(s)Mary

Sub-DistrictMuch Woolton

Registers AtLiverpool

ReferenceMW/7/8

Information from www.lancashirebmd.org.uk