Bigamy in Cambridgeshire!

Years ago, it was really difficult to get a divorce - and a lot of people simply walked away from marriages and then married bigamously.  One case featured a Cambridge resident in the 1930s.

I came across this story when I was trying to solve a mystery - and I've still got the same mystery.  The mystery on my list that needs solving is: What happened to Albert Edward Morgan?  Where was he, when and where did he die?

But, back to the bigamy case of 1936!

Albert Edward Morgan was a soldier in WW1, he was with the Highland Light Infantry.  He and his two brothers fought in WW1 and he was the only one of those three who survived.  In 1914 Albert was injured and met with a VAD Nurse at the Cambridge 1st Eastern General Hospital, which was set out on the lawns at Trinity College.

Jessie Whitechurch was attracted to Albert Morgan, possibly because he was a likeable and local lad who had knowledge of her home village, where he'd been the postman.  When Albert had recuperated from his injuries and returned to Southampton, she followed him and they got married in the third quarter of 1915:

Jessie May Madeleine Whitechurch was from Harlton, Cambridgeshire, born 1895 (Jessie May Whitechurch).

Albert Edward Morgan was from Cambridge Place, Cambridge, born 1886. Son of Hannah & Edward Morgan.
It wasn't long before they had a daughter, Jean JV Morgan, born in the Southampton area in the second quarter of 1916.  Her full name was registered Jean Jessie Vernieul Morgan - the Vernieul  part must be connected to Verneuil, which is where Pte Albert E Morgan, 8624, Highland Light Infantry, probably got shot in the spine (as he was pulling his Captain into the safety of the trench at the Battle of Aisne) - and due to this injury it'll have lead to Jean's parents (Albert & Jessie) meeting as he was evacuated to the 1st Eastern General Hospital, arriving in Cambridge on 1 October 1914.

Before war ended, Albert and Jessie had their marital problems and ended back in the Cambridge area by early 1919. Things didn't go well and Jessie Morgan applied for a separation order for cruelty in September 1919.  There's a lot written about this in various newspaper reports of the trial at the time and they ended up going their own ways in 1919 with the separation order granted.

However, they were still married and in 1927 Jessie Morgan met a dashing young RAF man Squadron Leader Leonard Young and entered into a marriage with him.

They rubbed along nicely for a few years until Leonard decided he wanted to leave the marriage - and he started thinking about his wife's status of "divorced" which she'd told him when they'd met.

In July 1932 Leonard Young moved out and insisted on proof of Jessie's divorce.  He was away with work a lot for the next three years, including working in China, but, upon his return to the area, it came to a head and he did some investigations, discovering that Jessie was still married to Albert, they'd never divorced.  Leonard then dragged Jessie through the courts for an annulment of their bigamous marriage.  This was successful and the marriage was annulled in November 1936, with Leonard receiving a decree of nullity by Mr Justice Langton.

Jessie's name changes a little, with a birth registered name of Jessie M Whitechurch, when she married Leonard Young in 1927 the entry was recorded as Jessie M M Morgan - then in the annulment case she was Mrs Jessie Madeline Young.

But where was Albert?  At the annulment court case, Albert's sister, Annie Langley, and brother-in-law, Albert Ernest Langley, were presented as witnesses to the fact that Albert was still alive.  They said he was in Canada and they had received some letters from him, as recently as 1935.

Albert's mother died in 1939 and the newspaper report of who was present at the funeral didn't include Albert.  Although there was a Mr & Mrs A Morgan present, this must have been his brother Arthur Morgan.

However, I DO know that Albert Morgan returned to Cambridge at some time - I just don't know in which year.  Or where he went to next, or where he died.

He's a mystery!  I'd love to solve this one, but it's the sort of challenge that really needs some family insider information to know where to start looking!

Albert Morgan is on my tree, so it's not just a nosey passing interest, I really want to know what happened next in his life! And when and where did he die?

If you are a descendant of the Morgan family of Cambridge Place, Cambridge, or even a descendant of Albert Ernest Morgan himself, I'd love to know if you've any information to add to this trail!  Maybe one of your old family stories has just the next lead I need.