They may have actually gotten married and not had a common-law relationship. The question would remain as to whether there was a divorce from the prior marriage :-) While interviewing a cousin's widow about my great aunt, I asked her if she knew anything about the aunt having been married before and she said YES! and proceeded to tell me a hilarious story of learning this news as my aunt was attempting to file for a pension from her deceased husband's employer (union??). The interviewer asked if she had been married before and she said "Yes." Were you divorced? "No, we didn't get along so he went his way and I went my way and now I'm married to Mr. Church. That's the way people did back in those days." My cousin's widow said 'I nearly passed out' but they managed to talk their way out of this quagmire, possibly because she had been married to "Mr. Church" for about 50 years. This was funny to me but I am sure it wasn't funny when it happened. I am also suspicious that my grandmother did not divorce #2 before marrying #3, my grandfather but, oh, well! I do have records for these two marriages .... haven't checked for divorces, yet, but I do believe #2 was still living when she married grandpa. Maybe not. As my aunt said, "that's how we did things back then!" M. Gillette