Court Appearance - Charles Dunn - Somerton, Somerset - 1871 - Child Abandonment/Bigamous Marriage

Date: 3 Jul 1871 to 12 Jul 1871
Location: Somerton, Somerset, England, United Kingdom
Surnames/tags: dunn sawtell

Transcribed by Nicholas Adams

Contents 1 The Taunton Courier; Wednesday, July 12, 1871; Page 15; Taunton News 2 The Langport Herald; Saturday, July 8, 1871; Somerton

The Taunton Courier; Wednesday, July 12, 1871; Page 15; Taunton News

Charles Dunn, late of the White Lion Inn, North
street, Langport, was brought up on a warrant at the
Somerton police court, charged with leaving his infant
son chargeable to the common fund of the Langport
Union. The defence set up by prisoner was that the
mother of the child was not his wife. He said he
married her on December 23rd, 1869, at S. James's
Church, Taunton, when she gave the name of Ann
Sawtell, widow, but he had since found that her first
husband was living, though he had been separated
from her for many uyears. The Bench adjourned the
case for a month, to enable prisoner to prove that Mr
Sawtell is still living.

The Langport Herald; Saturday, July 8, 1871; Somerton

SOMERTON
PETTY SESSIONS, Monday, July 3.
(Before Mr. F. H. Dickinson and Captain Stuckey.)
THE CHILD OF BIGAMIST PARENTS.- Charles
Dunn, tailor, of Wearne, was charged with leaving
his child chargeable to the "common fund" of the
Langport union. Mr. Flack, master of the union,
said the child was brought to the house on the 8th of
June, by a woman named Rogers. She had also an
order signed by the overseers of the parish of Huish
Episcopi. The name of the child on the order was
George Dunn, son of Charles Dunn. The defendant
said he would pay his part to the support of his
child; but its mother had left him about ten weeks,
and he had no place to which to take it, as he was
then living with his mother, who was nearly 80 years
old. He also said that the woman he married, he had
since heard, had a husband living when he married
her. The magistrates told him if that was the case
he was not liable. Adjourned for a month to enable
the superintendent to make enquiries.