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figuring out a divorce

figuring out a divorce

Posted: 11 Jun 2014 10:33PM GMT
Classification: Query
Surnames: Ingram McParlin Encell
Hi

Just wondering if anyone can figure out exactly what's going on here! These are details from records on Ancestry and also FindMyPast.

Albert Edward Ingram (b. 1903) married Elizabeth (Bessie) McParlin (b. ~1900) in 1923 [reg. Q4 1923 Limehouse, London].

Elizabeth Ingram then married William A. Encell in 1925 [reg. Q3 1925 Leyburn, Yorkshire].

The National Archives has this from 1928: "Divorce Court File: 8364. Appellant: Albert Edward Ingram. Respondent: Bessie Ingram otherwise Elizabeth Encell. Co-respondent: William Alfred Encell. Type: Husband's petition for divorce [hd]."

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?ur...

Albert Edward Ingram married Ellen Kathleen Lee in 1931 [reg. Q2 1931 Fulham].

Then we have Bessie Ingram marrying William A. Encell (again?!) in 1932 [reg. Q1 1932 Knaresborough]. In the index, her surname is given as "Ingram or McParlin".

For the 1928 case, were the couple already divorced but Albert was contesting the terms of the divorce... or was he actually filing for divorce (perhaps having previously separated from Bessie prior to her marriage in 1925)?

I'm sure the papers at the National Archive would give the answer, but I'm curious if anyone can figure out just what went on :-)

Thanks!
Dave

Re: figuring out a divorce

Posted: 12 Jun 2014 6:57AM GMT
Classification: Query
The National Archives catalogue description quite clearly gives a date of 1928, so it is reasonable to assume that that date is either the date of the original petition (when the file would have been opened) or the date the decree absolute was granted (when the file would have been closed). Once that decree (as opposed to the provisional decree nisi) has been granted, there can be no dispute. So there appears to be no conclusion other than that the first marriage in 1925 was bigamous and void and this is borne out by the second one in 1932. Elizabeth was lucky not to have been prosecuted (or perhaps she was?).

Re: figuring out a divorce

Posted: 12 Jun 2014 10:47AM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 12 Jun 2014 12:40PM GMT
Surnames: Ingram, Ensall, Ensell
Caroline's analysis is spot on,
Yorkshire Evening Post, Thursday 18 November 1926, page 7 col 2
York Assizes
Bigamy Cases
Bessie Ingram, alias Elizabet Ensall, pleaded
guilty to having bigamously married Alfred
William Ensell at Leyburn, and was bound over.

That's all it says, belive they have spelt Ensell two diff ways in
the report, is slightly faded
John

Re: figuring out a divorce

Posted: 12 Jun 2014 2:25PM GMT
Classification: Query
Thank you both so much!!!

Just a bit of background, I'm researching director Alfred Hitchcock's family tree and Albert Edward's 1931 marriage was to Hitchcock's sister Ellen Kathleen Lee (née Hitchcock). Ellen and Albert had an illegitimate child in 1928 (Albert William Ingram), which seems to have been hushed up by the family and the child was raised by foster parents.

In one of those odd little coincidences, Albert William Ingram (better known in the industry as Bill Ingram) ended up in charge of operations at Technicolor Ltd in the UK in the late 1960s. When Hitchcock filmed "Frenzy" in London during 1971, Technicolor processed the film rushes and Bill got to meet his Uncle Alfred during a screening session.

Dave
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