How intriguing to see this story again. I encountered it many years ago when looking through my copy of Gardner's Directory of Oxford (1852), pp432-44. It looks to me as if the newspaper version is straight crib from that book. Regards Chris Hicks Chris Hicks * Bookbinder Tor View, Cary Hill, Castle Cary, Somerset BA7 7HL 01963 359019 chrishicksbookbinder@btinternet.com www.book-bindery.co.uk -----Original Message----- From: berkshire-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:berkshire-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of MICHAELCOOMBER@aol.com Sent: 13 June 2010 21:04 To: ENG-BUCKINGHAMSHIRE@rootsweb.com Cc: BERKSHIRE@rootsweb.com Subject: [BRK] Wm. MORRELL - The Man Who Had 18 Wives >From The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser ( NSW: 1843-1893 )(Australia) Saturday 19 December 1857. Page 7 s. BRITISH EXTRACTS. THE MAN THAT HAD EIGHTEEN WIVES. ( From the Retrospective Journal. ) A very notorious imposter, named William MORRELL, lived in the reign of Charles 11. His birth and parentage were obscure, and his first start in the world was as a journeyman shoe-maker at Worcester. He afterwards went abroad, and when he returned to England he took up his residence at Swalcliffe, near Banbury, where he commenced business as a professor of chirugery, and where, from the wonderful tales which he told of his travels, he was looked upon by the country people as a prodigy. Having received some notice from Captain Humphrey WICKHAM, of Swalcliffe, he removed to Banbury, where he resided for many years, and maintained his wife and family respectable. About the year 1674, however, his business, through neglect, decreased, and his wants put him to many shifts. At length, having secured the services of a young country-man as a servant and accomplice, he quitted his home, and went first to Brailes fair, where, by personating a brother of Sir William WALTERS, he cheated a countryman out of a drove of cattle. He then met in the fair a young village lass, a mason's daughter, who permitted him to accompany her home, where her father struck with his assumed name and quality, made the best provision for him. MORRELL tendered his hand to the maiden, and her parents, not only gave their consent to this union, but borrowed all the money they could for the occasion, and the marriage was solemnized. MORRELL now metamorphosed himself into a dashing gentleman, and then went to Ludlow, where he obtained the affections of a daughter of a wealthy tradesman, and married her. He then went to Bristol and Bath in the character of a salesman,and in the latter city he obtained for a fourth wife the daughter of an innkeeper, who possessed considerable wealth. His next appearance was at Slough, where he assumed the character of a merchant , and soon formed an intimacy with a country gentleman, who had a daughter to whom he was able to give £500 for a portion. Though in this case it is said he had to "cope with judgment in the father of the girl, wit and sense in the lady herself, and some ingenuity in her brother; yet he overcame every difficulty, and the marriage was accomplished." Immediately after the ceremony the whole party set out for London, but MORRELL contrived to raise the cry of "thieves" on the road, and galloped off with the property they had taken, in order, as he pretended, to secure it from depredation. He was sought for in vain by the bride and her father who returned to Slough, whilst he continued in London for some time pursuing the same sort of practices. MORRELL's third, or Ludlow wife came to London in quest of her deceiver, and accidentally met, at her inn, at Holborn Bridge, a motherly woman, who had just arrived from Oxfordshire, and who turned out to be the first wife of this wretched impostor. The two thereupon agreed together, and means were adopted to capture MORRELL, who they soon found was about to marry another wife. At this juncture, the Banbury wife accidentally met him as her husband, and after some high words, he succeeding in persuading her that his conduct was the result of his necessities; and that now he had got gold he would be faithful to her. The Banbury wife was thus induced to disconcert the scheme which had been prepared with the Ludlow wife; and sent for all her goods up from Banbury to London, where a home was furnished with them. However, she had not lived in it three days before an errand was contrived to take her from home; and on her return at night, she found neither husband nor goods in the house, and was compelled to return to Banbury and live upon the alms of the parish. Soon after this, MORRELL took the name of a brother of Sir Charles BOWYER, and at Wells married a boarding-school miss, who had a portion of £180, of which he soon deprived her. At Kidderminster, he married an innkeeper's daughter. He then returned to London, courted a rich vinter's widow, by personating Sir Charles BOWYER himself, and obtained £200 from her. After forging a bill for £700, and obtaining the amount he went abroad as a volunteer in the service of the Duke of Monmouth. After a long campaign in Flanders, he returned to London, and married a clergyman's daughter with a portion of £500, by again personating Sir Charles BOWYER. His Ludlow wife now discovered him, and caused him to be placed in Worcester gaol; from which, at the charge of the London clergyman, whose daughter he had married, he was removed to Newgate. Six of his wives appeared against him on his trial - he pleaded guilty to those six marriages, besides twelve more. After sentence he removed himself to the King's Bench, where he behaved so winningly to his keepers that he obtained some privileges which enabled him to effect his escape. About the year 1687, he made another attempt in his old line, and under the name of Sir Charles BOWYER succeeded in marrying the cook-maid at the Castle Tavern, Fetter-lane. For this he was tried and convicted as an impostor, and was set in the pillory before the door of the Castle Tavern. In the latter end of December, 1691, being without money, he represented himself to one CULLEN, a baker in the Strand, as Captain Humphrey WICKHAM, Esq., of Swalcliffe, whose name it seems, was known to Mrs. CULLEN, and obtained lodgings in their house, and a supply equal to all his wants. Being taken ill here, he, on the 28th December, made a will, in which in the name of Humphrey WICKHAM, Esq., he bequeathed large property of Swalcliffe and other neighbouring parishes, together with money in the hands of Ambrose HOLBECH, E sq., of Mollington, and other sums to divers pretended relations, friends, and servants; but the family of CULLEN were especially remembered. MORRELL died on the 3rd January following. CULLEN provided a coffin of £10 value, embalmers were paid, and a sumptuous funeral was prepared. CULLEN wrote to Mr. William WICKHAM, of Garsington, in Oxfordshire, who had been named in the will as one of the executors, to whom the family mansion at Swalcliffe was bequeathed; and in answer to the letter a gentleman came up to London from Oxford, to say that the Christian name of Mr. WICKHAM, of Garsington, was not William, which gave some alarm of an imposture. CULLEN also despatched a messenger to Swalcliffe; for, in the meantime, two gentlemen had inspected the corpse, and pronounced that it was not the body of Captain WICKHAM, but that of a man who had been formerly convicted of having six wives. The messenger returned from Swalcliffe to London on the 12th January, having had an interview with the real Captain WICKHAM, and, upon this full proof of the imposture, the corpse was taken by a watchman, with a lantern, in a 4 shilling coffin, and was buried in St. Clement's Churchyard. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to BERKSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message