CONSEQUENCES OF SUNSTROKE! 
I have written about this within a biography of my Great Grandfather, but amongst many of his great Grandchildren, this story still brings a wry smile and amongst those not so interested in the family history this is a story that sticks in the memory. When I asked my cousin if I could refer to her story in the 'Out of Place' theme her immediate response was 'don't forget the relative who got married (again) whilst suffering from sunstroke.' Well, on that occassion, I felt her story took preference, but when I saw this weeks theme, OOPS, I just couldn't resist retelling this story as a stand alone.
My Great Grandfather, George Arthur Perry 1855-1935 married Jessie Pope, his (as I believe at this time) 2nd wife on 3rd January 1881 at the John Knox Presbytarian Church, Newcastle upon Tyne.
Meanwhile on a trip to the London area, to find accommadation for his new wife and himself, George found himself marrying again, bigamously, under an assumed name, George Arthur Anderson at St Clement, Barnsbury in Islington.
So, how do I know that Mr Perry and Mr Anderson? Well it takes a third name, George Arthur Pye, to tie the two marriages together.
This article in the Reynolds Newspaper ties all the information together.
Reynolds Newspaper (London England) Sunday October 16th, 1881 Issue 1627
Via GALE
Bow Street
Singular Bigamy George Pye age 23 describing himself as a commissioning agent, living at 11 Burleigh St, Strand was charged in front of Mr Flowers with having committed bigamy. Mr Mark Thompson prosecuted, and Mr Knight defended. The defendant was married to Annie Marie Huggins in the name of George Arthur Anderson at St Clements parish church, Barnsbury on the 28th Feb last. They cohabited together and the prisoner had obtained a gold watch, value £20 from her. It transpired that he had been previously married to Jessie Pope, but he informed the proscutrix that he had married Jessie Pope in an assumed name. The certificate of the marriage with that person was at Newcastle upon Tyne on Jan 3rd, 1881 was produced and one of the witnesses to the marriage was called in support of the case and through cross examination by Mr Knight stated that he identified the prisoner through having met him often in church and at Bible class. The prisoners Aunt was called to show that Jessie Pope was at her house the day previous to when the prisoner was arrested by Sergeant Partridge. She was however not in court to give evidence. When arrested the defendant said that he had married them both under an assumed name and that Jessie ‘had forgiven him.’ And suggested he was not quite right in the mind when he had contracted the marriages which had placed him in the position he found himself now. Mr Flowers committed him for trial.
You will note on the marriage certificate to Jessie there is a note to the side of the document. The entry reads:- In entry no.183 for columns 2 & 7 for "Parry" read "Perry" corrected on 16th November 1881, signed by me, ? Registrar in the prescence of ? Senior Registrar and witnessed by 2 others. Interestingly this document was the catalyst to my Grandfathers research and assertion that our family name was actually 'Parry' rather than 'Perry' and why, when he changed his name by deed poll he changed his surname to Parry-Sefton. When he undertook his research, he would have gone to Somerset House to obtain the certificate, but is unlikely to have gone to the British Library, the archive for newspapers.
However, George Arthur's 'oops' moment is reported in the Sunderland Gazette, 21st October 1881.
THE BIGAMY BY A NEWCASTLE COMMISSION AGENT- At the Central Criminal Court, London, yesterday, George Pye, described as a commission agent was charged with bigamy to which he pleaded guilty. For the prosecution, it was stated that he married his first wife in Newcastle in January of the present year, but shortly afterwards left for London and took lodgings in the house of a widow named Huggins, and within 6 weeks of the time of his first marriage, he married the widow, whose age was 54. For the defence counsel said that he suffered from sunstroke, and that when he married the second time he really did not know what he was doing. The common serjeant sentenced him to two months' hard labour.
Giving the benefit of the doubt to George, regarding sunstroke in February! in the UK! I found a website that documents historic weather conditions.
For January 1881 The easterly blizzard between the 18th and 20th in 1881 was most intense in central southern counties of England ( Dorset, Wiltshire, and the Isle of Wight ) giving about 1 metre of level snow in the Isle of Wight with heavy drifting. (One of the greatest on modern record). Affected the whole of England, except far north. About 100 people lost their lives and most businesses were halted for a day. Plymouth deprived of water for a week, and it took about a week before road and rail travel returned to normal. In London, the snow depth was about 25cm, with 1m drifts. Possible 5m drift in Oxford Circus. 2 m drifts in Portsmouth. 45cm depth in Brighton, 30cm in Exeter and on Dartmoor, as much as 100 cm.
This event in my Great Grandfather's life is just one example of the many different stories, I have uncovered, if anyone is interested my very first story in the 52 Ancestors in 52 weeks of 2021 was his biography.
Reynolds Newspaper (London England) Sunday October 16th, 1881 Issue 1627
Via GALE
Bow Street
Singular Bigamy George Pye age 23 describing himself as a commissioning agent, living at 11 Burleigh St, Strand was charged in front of Mr Flowers with having committed bigamy. Mr Mark Thompson prosecuted, and Mr Knight defended. The defendant was married to Annie Marie Huggins in the name of George Arthur Anderson at St Clements parish church, Barnsbury on the 28th Feb last. They cohabited together and the prisoner had obtained a gold watch, value £20 from her. It transpired that he had been previously married to Jessie Pope, but he informed the proscutrix that he had married Jessie Pope in an assumed name. The certificate of the marriage with that person was at Newcastle upon Tyne on Jan 3rd, 1881 was produced and one of the witnesses to the marriage was called in support of the case and through cross examination by Mr Knight stated that he identified the prisoner through having met him often in church and at Bible class. The prisoners Aunt was called to show that Jessie Pope was at her house the day previous to when the prisoner was arrested by Sergeant Partridge. She was however not in court to give evidence. When arrested the defendant said that he had married them both under an assumed name and that Jessie ‘had forgiven him.’ And suggested he was not quite right in the mind when he had contracted the marriages which had placed him in the position he found himself now. Mr Flowers committed him for trial.
You will note on the marriage certificate to Jessie there is a note to the side of the document. The entry reads:- In entry no.183 for columns 2 & 7 for "Parry" read "Perry" corrected on 16th November 1881, signed by me, ? Registrar in the prescence of ? Senior Registrar and witnessed by 2 others. Interestingly this document was the catalyst to my Grandfathers research and assertion that our family name was actually 'Parry' rather than 'Perry' and why, when he changed his name by deed poll he changed his surname to Parry-Sefton. When he undertook his research, he would have gone to Somerset House to obtain the certificate, but is unlikely to have gone to the British Library, the archive for newspapers.THE BIGAMY BY A NEWCASTLE COMMISSION AGENT- At the Central Criminal Court, London, yesterday, George Pye, described as a commission agent was charged with bigamy to which he pleaded guilty. For the prosecution, it was stated that he married his first wife in Newcastle in January of the present year, but shortly afterwards left for London and took lodgings in the house of a widow named Huggins, and within 6 weeks of the time of his first marriage, he married the widow, whose age was 54. For the defence counsel said that he suffered from sunstroke, and that when he married the second time he really did not know what he was doing. The common serjeant sentenced him to two months' hard labour.
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