In 1833 a 38 year old widow, Mary Hawkins, married publican Richard Bye. Mary had a daughter Sarah from her first, 14 year marriage to John Hawkins who had also been a publican. She was née Hewitt.
Richard was (approximately) nearly 20 years older than his bride. He ran the Two Brewers in St Peter's Street right by the River Thames. He perhaps hadn't been there long as only the year before he had been running Abbey Farm in Little Marlow but gave it up and sold all his stock and equipment by auction. Mary's first husband was the previous licensee of the Two Brewers. It may be that Richard married Mary to take over the business. I do not mean that the marriage was especially selfish or mercenary on his part. Marriage was very often in those days more of a financial practicality than a romantic adventure. Help running the pub would have been just as important to her. At the time of the marriage she hadn't yet been to prove her first husband's will.
In John Hawkin's will Mary inherited all his possessions for life while she remained his widow. As soon as she remarried all those goods went to their daughter Sarah. This was a necessary precaution as marriage robbed women of property rights. Mary's goods if left absolutely to her would have become any new husband's goods instead and could be sold by him, used up, given away or left to someone unrelated to John Hawkins or the daughter he wanted to be his eventual heir and there could be no legal remedy for it.
In the Spring of 1835 Mary, in position of his executor, sold many of these possessions including luxury mahogany furniture, feather beds and a pony and trap. Whether this was legal or not I am unsure. It is my understanding she could sell the property with the next heir's consent but Sarah was not legally yet an adult able to give it.
Did Sarah receive the money raised? It's doubtful for reasons given below, however her mother may have been acting in desperation if there were already problems in her home and she felt the need to leave. Certainly the goods had already been removed from Mary's home to Platt's farm where her mother was living "for convenience". Mary perhaps had in effect already left her second husband.
Certainly by July Mary had permanently removed herself from Richard Bye.
Richard reacted by taking out notices in the local press calling her departure illegal and warning tradesman that he would not pay any bills she accrued for food, shelter or other necessities so they shouldn't give her any such. As her husband he was legally obliged to settle any bills she contracted. In cases of separation it was believed by some that such a newspaper warning could get around that obligation though this seems to have been seen as legally debatable, and not in any case honourable regardless of the circumstances behind it.
Later in the 1800s a form of separation though of course not divorce could be agreed upon. A husband would agree to pay a set amount of weekly support to his wife and she in turn formally agreed not to claim her legal right to live under his roof and under his protection. Judicial records covering Marlow show such cases being agreed in the courts multiple times, but the period of Mary's unhappiness was too early a one in date for this solution even if her husband would have been amenable.
The way Richard expresses himself in the press suggests that he thought she might be trying to organise things for herself but she did have family locally.
The year after Mary left Richard her mother Ann Hewett of Marlow left her half her clothes and an annuity of £10. This legacy was no more or less than Mary's sister received so feels like no sign of disapproval. Mary's daughter Sarah is also remembered in the will.
By 1841 census (if not actually before) Mary was living with her brother William, his wife Susan and other brother John at Marlow Mills.
Richard had left the Two Brewers and was staying at the Three Tuns Inn in West Street Marlow with the Muspratt family.
Sarah Hawkins was working as a servant at the house of Wadham Wyndham of Beech Lodge. This makes me think she did not have the benefit of the money from the sale of her father's possessions. Sad to see she was not also taken in by her Hewett uncles. Theirs was a crowded household it must be admitted, and perhaps Sarah preferred financial independence.
Mary cannot be found by me on the 1851 census. Richard Bye was lodging then at Chapel Street Marlow. He defiantly described himself as married and a retired victualler. He died 1860.
Mary's brothers had moved together to nearby Hambledon, where William was farming.
Sarah Hawkins worked as a servant away from Marlow in another household. That is the last time I see her in records.
Post researched and written by Charlotte Day.
Sources:
My transcriptions of the wills of Ann Hewett and John Hawkins, copies at National Archives, Kew.
Census my transcription from microfilm except 1851 Hambledon which was from Familysearch. Intellectual Reserve Inc. Ran by the LDS church. Accessed online November 2020.
Great Marlow Parish Registers, my old transcriptions.
Reading Mercury 3rd August 1835. Copy at British Library, accessed via the BNA online November 2020.
GRO death registration index, online.
Property records held by my family.
©Marlow Ancestors.
Related Posts:
To find every mention of someone on the blog use the Person Index option on the menu. There is also a Pub Related option for more pub history content.
Landlords listing for the Two Brewers: here
History of Abbey Farm: here
General Great Marlow history posts: here
So far this blog contains mention of approx:
4,000
people from or associated with Marlow.
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