Mexborough and Swinton Times October 13, 1917

Alleged Bigamy

Goldthorpe Woman Sent for Trial

At the Doncaster West Riding Police Court on Tuesday afternoon, before Mr John Brocklesby presiding and Mr GB Shiffner, Florence Mary Gilbert, of Goldthorpe, was charged on remand with having been committed bigamy by marrying Joseph Green, a miner, of Sunny View, Goldthorpe, her husband Joseph Gilbert been then alive.

Mr Frank Allen defended

Superintendent Minty said the prisoner was married to Joseph Gilbert at the Whiston Parish Church on May 19, 1992, and they lived together until December 1911. There had been six children of the marriage, three were still living. They afterwards went to South Elmsall, and there they separated because the old man alleged his wife was carrying on with another man. He husband, Joseph Gilbert, miner, 22 Recreation Drive, Shirebrook, said after he left his wife she had three children by man named Bennett, who last time you heard of him was a soldier.

He last saw her in September 1916, at Bolton Road, Highgate, where she sent him word that his eldest son had had sunstroke.

James Alfred Whelpton, cowman in the employ of Arthur Thompson, who resides at Wickersley, said, he was present at the marriage of the prisoner and Gilbert in 1902. He had not seen Gilbert for a number of years, but he saw the prisoner at Thrybergh in November last year, when she said her husband was killed.

Joseph Green, miner, 6 Sunny View, Goldthorpe, said he had known Prisoner 12 Months before his marriage to her. Before then she was keeping house for a man named Bennett. He is now serving in the Army in France. He was under the impression, she was a widow. She told him her first husband was Joseph Gilbert of Whiston, and that she was a widow, and he believed her. In July she came to live at his house to lock after his aged mother. Three weeks later his mother died, and August 2 he married the prisoner at the Doncaster Register office.

Reply to Mr F Allan, he said his wife told him she had read in the paper that her husband was killed.

Edith Barber, single woman, of Highgate, Goldthorpe, said she had known the prisoner two years. She was present at the Doncaster Register office when prison was married to Green.

Sgt Sykes said it was in consequence of information from the Derbyshire police that he visited prisoner in September at her home. After he cautioned her she replied “Gilbert is dead. I received a letter from his mother in October last saying he was then. I did not want to go to see or make any further enquiry.”

The prisoner said her husband deserted her eight years ago and up to the time she married Green she had not seen him. It was reported he was dead. It was not true he visited her at Highgate in September 1916. Two of his sisters said they saw a report of Gilbert’s death in the “Sheffield Independent” 12 months ago. She only heard of it after she was married.

Replying to the Supt she said she did not write both letters herself.

She was committed for trial at the Leeds Assizes, and bail was allowed as before.