I don't really believe that bigamy was a common occurrence at any time in our history.......regardless of how 'hard' it was to get a divorce......our ancestors, in the main, were heavily influenced by their religious beliefs and more law abiding that folks are today. Most lived an insular life, well known by their neighbors and friends, and would certainly not have risked the wrath of their church or meeting, or arrest. These were times when people were publicly chastised for fornication......bigamy was certainly a worse 'sin' than that, I'd think. Of course, someone could, technically, pull up stakes and move to an area where they were completely unknown, and profess oneself a widow, but I really don't think it would have been a common occurrence. Sandra > Yes, it was common for one spouse to run off, and even remarry without > benefit of divorce, as divorce was difficult to get and people didn't have > the resources or want to be bothered.