Bigamous Billy-Go-Faster — John Tyldsley 1870

From the Bristol Mercury of Saturday 19 November 1870:

BIGAMY BY AN EX-LOCAL PREACHER

On Monday a middle-aged man, named John Tyldesley, alias John Fairhurst, alias "Billy-go-Faster," described as of Holliwell, was charged at the county session-room, Bolton, with committing bigamy. Witnesses were called to prove that prisoner was married 13 years ago, at the Wesleyan Methodist chapel, Farnworth, by the Rev. Mr. Bond, to Eleanor Eatock,with whom he lived some time afterwards, and who was still alive. Alice Crompton, an inmate of the workhouse, said she was married to prisoner in January, 1860, at Holy Trinity church, by the Rev. Joseph Lowe. Prisoner left her on the 13th December, 1867, and went to live in Bury. Previous to her marriage prisoner told her that he had been married before, but that his first wife was dead. After an absence of six months prisoner returned to Bolton, and again lived with the witness until November, 1868, when witness left him, taking her children with her. Certificates of prisoner's first and second marriages were produced. It was stated that he had been a local preacher at Bury. Prisoner was committed for trial, the magistrates accepting the bail of Messrs. George and John Hesketh, cotton spinners, Summerfield, Great Lever, in whose employ the prisoner had formerly been.

The excellent Lancs OPC provides transcripts of the records of both the marriage and the purported second marriage. It appears from the 1857 record that the bigamist was John Tyldsley—a spelling most common in the Bolton area. For the purported second marriage he used the spelling "Tinsley", derived from the local dialect pronunciation of "Tyldesley":

Marriage: 15 Jul 1857 Wesleyan Methodist, Farnworth, Lancashire, England
John Tyldsley - 20, Tin Plate Worker, Bachelor, Over DarwenEleanor Eattock - 21, Weaver, Spinster, Bridgewater St. Farnworth
    Groom's Father: James Tyldsley, Weaver
    Bride's Father: Jonathan Eattock, Book Keeper
    Witness: Samuel Battersby; Sarah Ellen Schofield
    Married by Certificate by: William Bond Minister, John Hall Registrar
    Register: Marriage 1852 - 1895, Entry 22
    Source: LDS Film 1538360 

Marriage: 8 Jan 1860 Holy Trinity, Bolton, Lancashire, England
John Tinsley - 23, Tinsmith, Bachelor, Gt Bolton
Alice Crompton - (X), 29, Dresser, Widow, Gt Bolton
    Groom's Father: James Tinsley, Silk Weaver
    Bride's Father: Thomas Winstanley, Weaver
    Witness: Adam Platt, (X); Mary Platt
    Married by Banns by: Joseph Lowe
    Register: Marriages 1857 - 1862, Page 121, Entry 242
    Source: LDS Film 1966125 

---