Oh dear, 'trouble at Mill' as the saying goes in Notts....
The Times, Sturday, Jun 07, 1862: pg. 13: Issue 24266; col E
Under: Court For Divorce And Matrimonial Cases, June 5.
BLACK V. BLACK
Dr. Spinks appeared for the petitoner.
This was a petition by a wife for a judicial separation on
the ground of adultery. The parties were married in 1842,
and lived together at a farm occupied by the husband in the
county of Nottingham. In 1856 the wife discovered that
the husband had formed an adulterous connexion with a
woman named Catley, and separated from him. He has
since lived with Catley. --Judicial separation decreed.
From the Notts.F.H.S. - Anglican marriages in 1842 for 'Black'
Black William = Wilkinson Lucy @ Sturton-le-Steeple on 20 Jul 1842
Friend William and sps Lucy are listed at Littleborough - he a farmer of 153
acres employing 3 labourers - no issue and no mention of a Catley female
servant. (Ref: HO.107.2121.283.p3.#12)
William was reputedly born in 1816 at Darlton, Notts
The nearest I can find for him in the 1851 returns relates to the following:
Grove, East Retford, Notts - RG9.2415.38.p2.#7
William Black . brother. mar. 45 . farmer's son . Notts, North Wheatley
[brother George, a farmer of 110 acres ]
But is this him at Nether Hallam / Sheffield in 1871, address 5 Heavy Gate Road:
William Black . head . mrd . 55 . Gardener . Notts Darlton
Elizabeth Black . head . mrd . 40 . Notts Sturton
Mary Black . dau . sngl . 18 . General Servant . Notts Darlton
....and he's still there in 1881 with 'wife' Elizabeth, 65 & 50
respectively!
Well I believe it is... from the 1851 census at Littleborough, Notts. Toll Bar
House: HO.107.2121.282.p1.#1
Catley William . head . mrd . 53 . Toll Bar Keeper & farmer of 7 acres . NTT
Walkeringham
Catley Elizabeth . wife . mrd . 55 . NTT Sturton
Catley Elizabeth . dau . sngl . 20 . NTT Sturton
Brown Sarah . vstr . mrd . 25 . servant (butler's wife) NTT Sturton
And here's the proof...
1861 - Haxey P'sh, Westwoodside, Williamson Lane: RG9.2405.117.p5.#30
Black William (name crossed-through). sic : 'Visiting Friends' sic
Catley Elizabeth . sevr . sngl . 30 . 1831 . NTT Sturton : house servt
Catley Mar . dau . 8 . 1853 . LIN Haxey : scholar*
Doesn't this tell a tale - I would think that William having started off as
tenant farmer lost the tenancy through his indiscretions - in a word it mean'
ruin as a consequence he ended up as farmer!
Just one more box to tick if a male rello' suddenly goes missing......
David Meredith
Nottingham, ENG