Bigamist and his new wife given six months’ hard labour

In 1920 the marriage of William and Sarah Roberts took place at St. Jude’s Church in Preston by special licence. The pair lived together until August 1922 when he left her and their young son.

In early July 1923 Mrs. Roberts testified before the Chester magistrates as her husband was charged with bigamy, and his companion Nellie Pritchard was charged with procuring, aiding and abetting the criminal offence.

Mrs Roberts, who by then was living in Leyland, told the court that Miss Pritchard had been riding about on the bus that her husband was driving and she had seen the pair attend the Public Hall together. Subsequently, she had approached Miss Pritchard who admitted she had been keeping company with her husband and had plans to live with him.

Mrs. Roberts had then confronted her husband, telling him she was not going to share him with any other woman and he had reacted by packing his bags and leaving home. A few days later she had discovered the pair were living together. Consequently suffering from financial hardship Mrs. Roberts had in December 1922 obtained an order at Leyland against him, by which he was obliged to pay 15 shillings per week in maintenance for herself and their 18 months old son.

However, he had only paid the money for five weeks before disappearing.

William Henry Dobson, of Chester, was next to testify and he stated that the defendant had asked him to act as witness for him at his wedding to Miss Pritchard, telling him that his first wife had died whilst in confinement. Det-Sgt Hughes then stated that the defendants had attended the police station and surrendered themselves on the charges placed before them.

The magistrates then announced that the pair would be committed to stand trial at the next Chester Assizes. The female defendant then created a scene by collapsing in the dock, and was carried out of court, where she fell into a dead feint, it being sometime before she recovered.

The Assizes were held a few days later and motor driver William Roberts, aged 23, and domestic servant Nellie Pritchard, aged 21, of Ivy Cottage, Chester both pleaded guilty. His Lordship Clement Bailhache told the court that in his opinion Nellie Pritchard was the worst of the two because she knew Roberts was married, and nonetheless went through the form of marriage with her having enticed him away from his wife.

Roberts on the other hand had not done her any harm, because she went through that ceremony with her eyes open and knowing the circumstances. His Lordship then announced that each of them was sentenced to six months imprisonment with hard labour.

On hearing the sentence, the woman once more collapsed in the dock. After receiving attention she was carried out of court by a warder and wardress to begin her sentence.

The church of St. Jude was situated at the junction of St. George’s Road and St. Paul’s Road and dated back to 1890 when the foundation stone was laid, being built at a cost of £7,000. In 1973 the congregation of St. Paul’s church were amalgamated with St. Jude’s when the former church was closed.

The doors of St. Jude’s closed in 2001 as congregations dwindled and nowadays an apartment block occupies the site.