Introduction: In this article – the first in a four-part series – Katie Rebecca Merkley begins the story of Mary Drapoe’s astonishing eight marriages! Katie specializes in U.S. research for family history, enjoys writing and researching, and is developing curricula for teaching children genealogy. She has a website: krgarnergenealogy.com

Newspapers were the ancestors of social media. Today, interesting or shocking Reddit threads might be reposted. Over a century ago, newspapers published such stories to entertain their communities.

One such story, covered by multiple newspapers, followed Mary J. Drapoe as she married for the eighth time!

Photo credit: https://depositphotos.com/home.html

Data Gathered from Newspaper Gossip

When Mary was divorcing her 7th husband and courting her 8th, she received extensive newspaper coverage, earning the nicknames “the much-married woman” and “the syndicate wife.” The newspapers gave contradictory information, so it’s important to verify the data with other sources.

I examined ten newspaper articles about the event. Some of them named the informant (i.e., the source for the article’s information), but most did not. While the action mainly occurred in New York City, this next article was from a California newspaper.

This article begins:

The Much-Married-Woman has gone and done it again.

Mrs. Mary J. Wakeman-Saunders-Powers-Godfrey-Gay-Lindley-Crowther had made seven matrimonial ventures when last she was in the public eye, two years ago. Some of the husbands died; others she divorced. Now she is married to the eighth – and, of course, the future holds possibilities.

Some newspaper accounts disagreed on how many times Mary had been married, and others on how many times she’d been widowed or divorced. A good way to correlate information like this is to make a chart. You can view a PDF of my chart here.

Husband #1: Edward Wakeman

The newspapers agree that Edward Wakeman was Mary’s first husband, and that she was 14 when they married. One account said he was 16, and another said he was 17. Multiple accounts indicate their marriage was annulled, one saying within a month and another saying within a fortnight. One newspaper provided details of their residences: she grew up on a farm near Milford, Connecticut; he worked at a hat store in Danbury, Connecticut; and they eloped to a neighboring town.

Husband #2: Henry Saunders

The next husband was Henry Saunders/Zaunders of New York. Newspaper accounts disagree on whether she was 16 or 18 when she married him. Several newspapers agree he died, a few specifying that he died four years later. One account said he was a traveling salesman. Another said he was the son of a wealthy contractor. Another said he was rich and surrounded Mary with luxury.

Husband #3: Joseph Powers

The third husband was Joseph Power(s) of Danbury. One account says she married him three years later. Two accounts say she was 21 when she married him. Two other accounts say they were married for two years. Three accounts say he died in a railroad accident.

Husband #4: John Godfrey

The fourth husband was John Godfrey of Jersey City, New Jersey. Mary opened a boarding house at age 23, and she met and married him. The newspaper accounts are consistent in reporting that she married him at 23. Multiple accounts say he was a grocer or grocery proprietor. One newspaper account says they divorced two years later, and another says three years later.

Husband #5: William Gay

The fifth husband was William Gay (reported as William Gray in one account). He was from Bridgeport, Connecticut. Three accounts say she married him at 24 and one says 27. One account says they were married for two years, and two say they were married for three. The newspapers agree that they were divorced.

Husband #6: James Lindley

The sixth marriage was to James H. Lindley of Meriden, Connecticut. One newspaper mentioned that he was a manager at her boarding house. Two newspapers gave her age for this marriage as 27. One said she was happy for a few months, then divorced. Other newspaper accounts said they were married for three years.

Husband #7: Thomas Crowther

The seventh husband was Thomas Crowther, whom Mary married immediately after divorcing James. However, a few newspapers that did not name the previous husbands called him the eighth husband. Many of the newspapers examined were published during their divorce proceedings. They married on 12 June 1901 and divorced in May 1905. When they married, he was 60, and she was 31 or 33, depending on which newspaper you consult. He was a rich hotelkeeper or saloonkeeper.

This article reports:

Mrs. Crowther started her marvelous matrimonial record at the age of fourteen and has since made rapid strides toward establishing a world’s record as the “most married woman.” She declares that her failure to find happiness in married life has not discouraged her. She is only thirty-three years old and still feels that she has a world of opportunity and happiness before her…

“I don’t regard marriage as a failure,” said Mrs. Crowther. “You see, I have merely had a run of hard luck in selecting a life partner. But I am willing to try again, and I am sure I shall draw a prize the next time.”

…Thomas Crowther, who is being sued [for divorce], declares his wife is irresistible.

“She must have hypnotic powers,” he said yesterday. “I’m her seventh husband, and I’ve no doubt she’ll win seven more before she is through.”

Husband #8: William LePage

The articles posted after she married her eighth husband said he was William LePage. One of those said he was a wealthy Englishman who loved to travel. One of these articles said that Mary was 36.

By examining the newspapers, we have a general idea of the husbands Mary married. We also have a rough timeline for each marriage, including its beginning and end. However, a proper evaluation of this information will be discussed in the next article in this series.

Stay tuned…

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Note on the header image: wedding cake and champagne glasses. Credit: https://depositphotos.com/home.html