For 20 years, I have been trying to find out what happened to my Great Great Grandfather's first wife. James Nicholas Tremills Patey married in 1842 a Mary Ann Bickle. A few months later in 1843 he married Sarah King. I have put a couple of messages on the board to see if anybody could come up with anything I missed. I could not find Mary Ann (Bickle) Patey on any later census that fitted with the information I already had. Every now and again I get the Bickle file out and search again. Mary Ann appeared to have been born in Lamerton in 1814. I did a search on deaths of a Mary Ann Patey and came up with a burial in Lamerton in 1849 with an age of 31,(a few years out) abode given as Dawlish. I thought this was worth pursuing but could not find the death registration in Newton Abbot of a Mary Ann Patey. I then searched with Mary Ann P* and it came up recorded as Mary Ann Pates. I have just received the PDF of the death cert. and it states "wife of James Patey Wheelwright." This means that my great great grandfather was a bigamist but I wonder why Mary Ann left and went off to Dawlish. I am now looking into the person who was present at the death to see if I can find any connection. It was such a thrill to find the death after all this time and as I said "Don't give up". Just thought it was worth sharing it with you all. Sally.
Re: Don't give up!!
Posted by Deborah on 29/1/2022, 10:55 am, in reply to "Don't give up!!"
It's so satisfying when you can finally sort out a mystery. Well done for persevering.