Welcome to The Briercliffe Society Forum

Hello. I am hoping that after years of frustration over my grandmothers relatives someone on this forum may be able to help.

We know very little about my grandmother Edith Brierley's life. She was born in 1920 at 17 Thorneybank Street, Burnley to William Thomas Brierley and Ruth Grainger Latham.

I think she had a brother called Horace Brierley who was born in 1925. This is through BMD records. She never mentioned him.

Edith went to court sometime during the war because she had unfortunately unknowingly married a bigamist (who's name I do not know). Edith's family never spoke to her again. After the war Edith married a Charles Thomas Smith, who had been a prisoner of war, and moved to London.

She never visited Lancashire again.

I am trying to find out where can I get more information about the bigamy case and where if any living relations might be.

Thanks
Connie

Hi Connie,
Looked on ancestry and thought I had hit on something only to realise it is your tree. I also looked in Lancashire Records Office to see if they had anything on the bigamy trial--nothing. i would have thought it would have been reported in the local press, have you any idea of the date/year it happened.

I have loads of Brierleys from Briercliffe which is on the outskirts of Burnley (if you aren't from this area), many of which moved into Burnley, I will see what I can dig up. I see from your tree that Edith's grandfather came from Facit, which is Rochdale way so there maybe no connection unless he moved to Burnley to be near relatives--ie mine.

Not sure if any of that helps your cause
Gloria

_________________
Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

Hi Connie,

I suspect she married William Robert John Toms in 1942 at Burnley Register Office or a Registrar attended church/chapel. On searching the GRO he "may" have also married in Surrey in 1937 as William R J Toms.

On a lighter note My GG Grandmother was a Brierley from Facit so I suspect there is a connection somewhere down the line to Nuttall Brierley, but I can`t find one at the moment. The Brierley/Brearleys were everywhere!

Mo