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Married twice ?

By Munchkim |
General Genealogy

I am hoping the expertise here may clear up a conundrum

I have been researching a Liverpool Merchant named John Lightbody(1756-1825). Later in life he moved to Mount House Prenton and was buried at Woodchurch. He was survived by his wife Jane (nee Pemberton) her maiden name is mentioned on the baptism of their daughter, Catherine Hannah in Jan 1791. I haven’t yet found found a marriage before that date. However I have found a later marriage at Christchurch, Hunter St in 1815. This appears to be the same person as the mother of his child. I have confirmed this by examining their wills. John leaves his estate to Jane.Jane then leaves her estate to her granddaughters Jane Alice and Catherine Hannah Gorton, who are the daughters of  Catherine Hannah Lightbody (born 1791) and Giles Gorton.

Is there a prospect that they may not have been married when their daughter was born although the baptism suggests otherwise.

Would there be any other circumstances in which a couple would marry for a 2nd time?

It appears no marriage took place prior to the baptism and without the pretence of marriage, in law the child would have been classed as illegitimate.

Some churches would have that recorded in their records. As far as I know, no proof of marriage is/was required to have a child baptised, it's done on trust, it's down to the honesty of the parents.

Also a second marriage is not permitted, though a blessing of the marriage is.

Bertie is quite right, however we have often found in our research that a marriage may not have taken place before a child was born and in fact this was often the case to prove that the woman was not barren, it seemed to be acceptable although not necessarily legal.