Second marriages

Many marriages in Victorian England involved at least one person who has been married before. The Marriage of William Finch (1835-1912) to Rachel Murray (nee Hilton) evidences and witnesses this tendency. Many of these second marriages included children from a previous relationship as did the marriage of William and Rachel who had a joint child (Edwin Finch b 1877) to join their existing children. We can also see the second marriage of William’s son, Richard Finch and Ellen Adams and their second family.See this link for background reading

A second marriage may have been based on financial necessity and child care needs rather than what the 21st Century may see as a ‘love match’ Starting a new life together may have been seen as exciting as in any culture and it presented other relationship for parents and children alike. In the household there were doubtless many ‘step’ relationships.

William and Rachel will have been aware of the problems of a second marriage and aware of the benefits from such second marriages and the families they created. William may have found it advantageous to have a mother to his 5 children and Rachel to have a man around to support her in the care of her 8 previous children. However, the household must have been overcrowded.

William and Rachel will need to have come to terms with emotions following the death of Rachel’s first husband James Murray (1832-1873) (married on December 5, 1851, Pemberton) who appears to have died in the Workhouse and the death of Elizabeth Gaskill. They will have needed to learn to live in a stepfamily and manage change.