Can anyone help please ? I am trying to find out some information on the above....Stephen West (b1813) married Eliza Shearman (b 1819)(not sure of year but probably about 1830-ish). Stephen West died in 1854, and on the 1861 census Eliza is shown as Eliza Barker, married to Ezra Barker. This is fine, but on the 1871 census, Eliza is shown as surname West, and Ezra Barker is shown as a lodger at the same address.
Is there an explanation for this, given that divorces were almost unheard of in those days. The only reason I can come up with is that they were not married in 1861, but did have a child together, and possibly 10 years later they were still not married but were not bothered about any stigma that co-habiting might have given in the 19th century.
Grateful for any ideas.

Thanks
Dave