The Vagabond Husband

There are many ‘child graves’ in Teignmouth old cemetery. This is the story behind one of those.

I choose the phrase ‘behind one of those’ carefully because it is rare that a child’s lifetime would be of historical significance. But the events leading up to a child’s birth and death are a different matter, and that’s part of the sadness.

(Photo by Rolls Press/Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images)

One of the challenges of presenting an historical story is finding pictures to enhance the words and bring them more to life. These days of course we are flooded with visual images – the smartphone is the weapon of choice on social media. But 150 years ago the sabre may have been a weapon of choice when it came to winning a maiden’s heart. That’s the image I want to convey at the start of this story, especially when that sabre is in the hands of a dashing hussar whose intentions may not be that honourable.  Picture Terence Stamp exquisitely playing the role of Sergeant Troy in the film version of Thomas Hardy’s “Far from the Madding Crowd” and you won’t be far from the mark.

I started researching this almost four years ago when I found the grave and then was spurred on by some background information given to me by Tacy Rickard and Tim Whiteaway.  The discovery of the child’s grave was a trigger to a story of family circumstances played out through snippets in the press between 1852 and his death.

A Child’s Grave.

The earliest picture we have of the cemetery is a lithograph from 1864, eight years after the cemetery was opened. There is obviously some artistic licence in these pictures but you have to believe that the artist was trying to be as true to life as possible. One grave stood out to me and I wondered whether it had survived intact to the present day. So I went in search.  The grave was marked by a white cross atop a base of three square white stones laid in a pyramid fashion. I found it. The ‘pyramid’ was intact but the cross had broken and was lying to one side.

This was the grave of William Carl Edward Bodnar who died age 8.

Although the Gothic script of the headstone appears to show him as “William” Bodnar, he is named on his birth register entry as “Wilhelm” Carl Edward Bodnar, born 2^nd May and baptised 19^th July 1854.  His parents were Maria Louisa and Charles Bodnar, married on June 15^th 1853.

Maria Louisa Croydon was the youngest daughter of Edward Croydon, part of a well-established family in Teignmouth who ran a printing/ publishing/ book-selling business as well as the Royal Library which had been established shortly before John Keats arrival in Teignmouth in 1818.

Enter the Hussar

The story starts a few years before the child’s birth.

The European continent was a cauldron of power struggles during mid-Victorian times, leading ultimately of course to the First World War.  One of those struggles was the Hungarian revolution of 1848/49 against what was seen as the oppression of the Austrian empire.  Those who fought in the revolution were called ‘honved’ or ‘defenders of the homeland’.  The revolution was defeated but the name was taken on within the Austro-Hungarian empire by the force named the ‘honved hussars’.  Following the Austro-Hungarian compromise of 1867 the name was recognised in its full glory as the “Royal Hungarian Honved”.

So what does that have to do with our story?  The link of course is Charles Bodnar.

The first we learn of him is from a short notice in the Royal Cornwall Gazette of 27^th February 1852:

Honved Hussar

“Baron Charles A. Bodnar, late Captain of the Honved Hussars, under General Dembinsky, during the whole of the Hungarian war, was landed here (Falmouth) on Monday, he having come passenger by the Royal William, from Constantinople.”

So, an Hungarian Baron with perhaps a romantic military record comes to Falmouth.  We know very little about Charles Bodnar.  The name has probably been anglicised and would have been ‘Carolus’ in his original language.  No records can be found of a Baron Carolus Bodnar; and the closest genealogical records which match some of the details in his marriage record suggest that he was baptised 21^st June 1821 in the village of Hernádkércs in N.E. Hungary.  His parents would have been Andreas Bodnar and Maria Ujfelussy.

Exit the Hussar, Enter the Professor of Music

Once he had landed in England he did not seem to make much of his aristocratic and military background judging from the absence of any reference to him in the newspapers of the time.  In fact the next we hear of him is some fourteen months later with a musical background as evidenced by this short reference in the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette of 16^th April 1853:

“It will be perceived from an advertisement in another part of our paper, that Mr C. Bodnar has commenced giving lessons in Music, &c, in this city and neighbourhood.  This gentleman who is an Hungarian, and honorary member of the Academy of Music at Vienna, is the author of several popular works.”

The advertisement referred to is interesting for its quaintness and the revelation that he was now living in Exeter:

Very soon he was composing music and linking it to local events and people as can be seen from the following item in the Western Times of 28 May 1853:

“NEW MUSIC,
By C. BODNAR,
Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music at Vienna

THE FLOWER OF DEVON QUADRILLES, 4S.  These Quadrilles, which have an Exquisite Floral Title, Painted by Paul Jerrard, are Dedicated by Special permission to Lady Buller Yarde Buller.

The most beautiful and perfect set of Quadrilles that has been published for many a day, which no Pianist should be without, possessing great brilliancy for the executionist, and for the learner is a perfect study.

THE IRRESISTABLE POLKA, 2s.

A truly elegant and melodious Polka of more than ordinary interest, very aptly named and of moderate difficulty.

THE LAUNCH OF THE ST. JEAN D’ACRE, 2s.

A Song, — Dedicated by Special Permission to Miss Ommanney.

These beautiful words, which were written on the occasion of the Launch of the St. Jean D’Acre, have been set to a very striking melody by Mr Bodnar, and will, undoubtedly, become a great favourite.

Teignmouth: E. Croydon, Royal Library,
London: Addison and Hollier, Regent Street,
Exeter: Messrs. Smith; Mr. Ashe, or Mr. Vinnicombe.

This was followed five weeks later by another announcement in the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette of 2^nd July:

Just Published,
’THE TABLE-MOVING POLKA,’
By C. BODNAR,
Dedicated by Special Permission to Mrs. Carey, Tor Abbey.

ALSO, by the same Composer, ‘THE FLOWER OF DEVON QUADRILLES,’ dedicated by permission to Lady Yarde Buller. ‘THE IRRESISTIBLE POLKA;’ ‘THE LAUNCH OF THE ST. JEAN D’ACRE,’ dedicated by permission to Miss Ommanney, and now in the Press.  ‘THE DEVON ARCHERY WALTZ,’ dedicated by Permission to the Lady Patronesses of the Second Grand Annual Archery Meeting; and the Ballad ‘IF I WERE A VOICE,’ the poetry by Dr Mackay, dedicated by permission to C. Langton Massingberd, Esq.; and ‘THE FLOWERS OF HOME,’ dedicated by permission to Lady Sophia Wyndham.

Teignmouth: Croydon’s Royal Library.  Torquay: G. Croydon, Jun., Royal Library, and all book and music sellers.

There are a couple of interesting observations on these articles.

The first is the dedications – Lady Buller Yarde Buller, Miss Ommanney (who was the daughter of Commander-in-Chief Admiral Ommanney KCB), Mrs Carey of Tor Abbey, Lady Sophia Wyndham and the more general ‘lady patronesses of the second grand annual archery meeting’.  Does this suggest perhaps that Charles Bodnar was a bit of a ladies’ man well-versed in engaging flattery?

The second is that this is the first reference of a connection between Charles Bodnar and the Croydon family, suggesting that these musical publications came about through his relationship with Maria.

Three weeks later came a further affirmation of Charles Bodnar’s apparent musical prowess when the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette of 23^rd July reported:

“We perceive that Mr. C. Bodnar, the eminent pianist and composer, now residing at Teignmouth, has been honoured with the appointment of musical preceptor to the family of Her Imperial Highness the Grand Duchess Marie of Leuchtenberg, during her sojourn at Torquay.  This appointment fully confirms the high musical reputation of this talented artist.”

The comings and goings of the Grand Duchess and her royal entourage remained in the news until late in the year.  Their presence would no doubt have been the subject of much social gossip of the time.  Here is the description of their arrival from the Western Courier of 13^th July 1853:

Grand Duchess Maria

“Two Russian ladies of the highest rank are about to visit this country.  The Grand Duchess Maria, eldest daughter of the Emperor Nicholas, and widow of the late Duke de Leuchtenberg, accompanied by her six children, will arrive immediately, and take up their residence at Torquay, for the benefit of her health. Her Majesty’s ship Vivid left Dover on Friday for Antwerp, to convey the Grand Duchess to Dover.  Having done so, the Vivid will return at once to Ostend, to convey the Grand Duchess Catherine, daughter of the Grand Duke Michael, and niece to the Emperor of Russia, who will be accompanied by her husband, Duke George of Mecklenberg-Strelitz.”

Meanwhile, in the middle of these musical items of news it was also announced that on the 15^th June Charles Bodnar Esq married Maria Louisa, youngest daughter of Mr (Edward) Croydon of Teignmouth.  The service was held at St David’s, Exeter, by Rev C C Bartholomew.

The marriage entry information is interesting because:

1. Charles Bodnar is shown as living in West Teignmouth whilst Maria Louisa’s residence is given as St Davids – the area of Exeter where Charles Bodnar used to live – which would explain why the marriage was held there and not in Teignmouth;
2. Charles’ father was also shown as Charles Bodnar, which seems odd given that he would have been Hungarian and would surely be shown with his correct Hungarian name (Carolus?);
3. His father was shown as a “Gentleman” which again seems odd given that Charles had been described as a Baron; and Charles himself does not use his title of Baron.

The Unravelling of a Past

There is no more news of the musician and the next we hear of Charles Bodnar is in a small curious notice published in the Western Times of 17^th December 1853:

“£100 Reward

Whoever will give information to C. BODNAR Esq, of Hope Cottage, Teignmouth, which will lead to the discovery of the person who spread First, Certain False Reports, injurious to his reputation, will receive the above mentioned Reward.”

By this time Maria Louisa was also about five months pregnant.

Time to pause and speculate on what this strange reward means.  £100 was a significant amount worth about £13,000 today.  What were the “false reports injurious to his reputation”?

Could it be that Charles Bodnar was not what he at first appeared.  He claimed to be an Hungarian baron yet I can find no references to ‘Bodnar’ in the lists of European aristocracy of that time and, as we saw, he didn’t himself attribute a title to himself or his father on the marriage register.  He also claimed to have been a captain in the Honved Hussars.  The wars going on in central Europe at the time were well reported in the press, local and national, as were the exploits of General Dembinsky yet I can find no evidence to substantiate Charles Bodnar’s claim to being a captain in the Honved Hussars.  You would also expect, given his title and rank, that on landing in Britain he would have rapidly become part of the social scene yet I can find no mention of him in the attendance lists of the many balls that took place during the season in the Plymouth/ Torquay/ Teignmouth area.  In fact between his arrival in Falmouth and the announcement of him being a music teacher in Exeter he seems to have disappeared off the radar.

His emergence as a piano teacher, composer and honorary member of the Academy of Music in Vienna is interesting because, despite that musical accolade, he is now not referred to as an Hungarian baron but simply an Hungarian.  He composes and publishes quite a few pieces in a short period of time and is obviously helped by the Croydon family’s contacts in the publishing business – Paul Jerrard, for example, who illustrated the ‘Flowers of Devon’ was a well-known London-based illustrator, lithographer and publisher.

His dedications also reflect contact with the local social elite.  Miss Ommanney, for example, to whom he dedicated the song ‘The Launch of the St. Jean D’Acre’ was the daughter of Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Sir John Ommanney and she actually launched the warship in Plymouth. Somehow he also seemed to have secured that appointment with the Grand Duchess of Leuchtenberg, the eldest daughter of the Emperor of Russia.

It seems likely that he produced some original work (e.g. ‘The Devon Archery Waltz’, ‘The Launch of the St Jean D’Acre’) but I wonder whether he also plagiarised some other works and that might have been the source of the alleged “false reports” about him.  I have been unable to find any other reference to sheet music of compositions by Charles Bodnar but there are plenty of references to other contemporaneous works with the same titles e.g. “The Irresistible Polka” and “Flowers of Home”.  The latter, for example, was the name of a ballad written by J E Carpenter and set to music by John Blockley, described as “one of the most prolific and in his time most popular of Victorian ballad composers”.

Whatever happened it is clear that after perhaps a couple of months of fairly prolific composition and advertising of his works there is no further reference that I can find to any new compositions.  Charles Bodnar seems to disappear off the radar of the local press until the next twist in the story starts to unravel in public in 1860.

The Reveal

A legal Notice appeared in the Morning Post of 10 May 1860:

“TO CHARLES BODNAR, of Teignmouth, in the County of Devon.  TAKE NOTICE, That a CITATION, bearing the date the 1^st day of December, 1859, has issued under Seal of her Majesty’s Court for Divorce and Matrimonial Causes, at the instance of MARIA LOUISA BODNAR, of Teignmouth, in the county of Devon aforesaid, wife of you, the said Charles Bodnar, citing you to appear in the said Court withing eight days of the service thereof, then and there to answer her Petition, filed in the said Court, praying for a dissolution of her marriage with you; and such Citation contains an intimation that in default of your so doing the Judges of the said court will proceed to hear the said Petition proved in due course of law, and pronounce sentence therein, your absence notwithstanding.  Dated the 8^th day of May, 1860.

H L Strong, Registrar
Cobbold and Patteson, 3 Bedford Row
Solicitors for the Petitioner”

So by 1860 Maria Louisa had reached the final stage of being able to divorce Charles Bodnar, a process that was by no means easy for women in Victorian times.  But it was through this divorce that the final part of the story emerged.

In summary, Charles Bodnar:

• deserted Maria and their child,
• tried to borrow a substantial sum from a local man,
• fled to Portsmouth to join the navy, enlisting on the St. George, a 120 gun vessel which was part of the Baltic Fleet
• Returned to London where he seems to have run off with someone’s money and a reward had been posted for his whereabouts
• Changed his name to Charles Wales and joined the British Italian Legion based in Susa, where he became a Sergeant-Major quartermaster
• Bigamously married an inn-keeper’s daughter, Carlota Ozelli

For those interested in the details of how this panned out in court there were many reports in the press at the time but the one from the Western Times of 23^rd March 1861 gives the fullest story under the title “A Vagabond Husband”.  (If you want to skip the full detail click here to go to the end).

The Vagabond Husband

“A VAGABOND HUSBAND. (SPECIAL REPORT)

In the Court of Divorce and Matrimonial Cause, on Tuesday, before the Judge Ordinary, the following case was heard:

BODNAR v. BODNAR.  Dr. Dene, Q.C., and Mr. Patterson were Counsel for the petitioner, Maria Louisa Bodnar, who prayed for a dissolution of her marriage with Charles Bodnar on the grounds of adultery, bigamy, and desertion.  Respondent did not appear.

Dr. Dene stated that the parties were married at St. David’s, Exeter, on the 5^th of June, 1853, and lived together at Teignmouth, where her father kept a bookseller and stationer’s shop, and they had issue of the marriage one child. In 1854 the respondent left his wife and entered on board H.M. ship St. George.  He had never since returned to his wife, but had lived a a vagabond and roving life, passing under various assumed names, and occasionally writing to her from various parts of the world. In May 1857, her attention was attracted to an advertisement offering a reward for the apprehension of a person answering to his description.  She made enquiries, she found that it did relate to him, and in consequence of the facts that then came to her knowledge, she presented this petition.

The following evidence was then given:

The Rev. Chris. Bartholomew, Incumbent of St. David’s Exeter, produced the marriage register.  The petitioner was stated to have been 30, and the respondent 21 years of age at the time of the marriage.

Mrs Maria Louisa Bodnar:  My maiden name was Croydon.  After my marriage I lived with my husband at Teignmouth for about 6 months.  After that he left me and came to London.  He sent me a letter, which he requested me to take to Mr. Hoare.  I did not take it.

The letter was read.  We give the following extracts:

‘Two years since I arrived in England, coming from Constantinople quite a stranger, and without any means; an exile from my country, for whose freedom and welfare I sacrificed all I possessed, namely standing, friends, relatives.  I have been received by the English nation with its own noble benevolence which is granted to everyone who deserves protection. I worked day and night, and you know very well that I have obtained, through my own labour and talents, supported by the patronage of the English, a respectable standing as a teacher of music, and realised a sufficient income to maintain myself and my wife respectably.

I married a girl without any fortune, the youngest daughter of Mr. Croydon, the bookseller, in Teignmouth, and, God bless her, she made me the best wife a man could wish for, but also for all her love and compassion, she is but rewarded by sorrow and grief, caused by the misfortunes which, coming over me, must be naturally deeply felt by herself. God may pardon me, I have been innocent. Sir, during the last summer I had an extensive teaching at Torquay, and among others was honoured to be engaged as teacher of music to the daughter of the Emperor of Russia, the Grand Duchess Maria of Leuchtenberg spending the summer months at Torquay.

I had a large profit to expect, and was also to buy two pianos for her Imperial Highness, according to her order. I did fulfil the duties of professor conscientiously. I bought the pianos and sent them to Peterborough, and obtained the high approbation of Her Imperial Highness, but just before her departure she was informed that I was an Hungarian captain in the war against Russia and Austria, and suddenly I was looked at as a spy and a traitor, and the laws of England would not have been any shelter.’

The letter concluded with a request for the loan of £400.

HMS St George & Arethusa 1860, Edward Snell

After that letter my husband came back to me at Teignmouth for about three days.  He then returned to London and from London he went to Portsmouth There he went on board the St. George (Note: The St. George was a 120gun vessel of the Baltic fleet).  I saw him in November, 1854, at Exeter; but he was only with me a few hours; and I have never seen him since.  He left no money with me; but he said that if I went to Plymouth, where the St.George was then lying, I should receive his pay.  I went there, but I found he had drawn it all himself. I have never received any assistance from him from that time to this.

There is a child by the marriage. I have received nothing from him for that child.  I have since lived with my father. I received a letter from my husband in the spring of 1856.  He had lost his occupation as teacher before he left Teignmouth, in consequence of his neglect.  Whilst he was away he wrote to me that he was trying to get employment on board the fleet; and I told him that I should be glad if he could get employment anywhere.  A letter on the 1^st of January was the first in which he told me that he had anything to do. When I saw him in November he was to have returned to the St.George, and I was to have seen him at Plymouth.  I went there but I did not see him.  He was not there. I have not seen him since.

The next time he communicated to me was on the 24^th of December, by letter, which I have not got now.. He told me in that letter that when I received it he should have sailed for Australia. I heard no more of him till the spring of 1856.  I received a letter from him informing me that he was living prosperously in the South of Italy, and asking me if I would come out to him.  He told me to write to him through his mother at Vienna, and promised to send me money to take me out.  I answered the letter in the way he pointed out, but I received no answer.  I heard from the British Consul at Vienna that the respondent’s mother was dead.

The next thing that called my attention to him was an advertisement offering a reward of £10 for his apprehension for felony.  In consequence of that advertisement I wrote to the police office, and was referred to Mr.Watts, in Gillingham-street. I then employed Mr. Barry.

By the Judge – When the respondent left me the first time he went off without my knowing where he was gone. He said that he had bought the pianos, but everybody said he had not. I know of nothing else that could have caused him to go, but for the disagreeableness of the affair.  He afterwards told me that he went to see the pianos shipped. He had lost his pupils at Teignmouth, but it was through his own neglect.

Mr. Barry, solicitor to the petitioner, produced a letter which the respondent had written to Captain Watts, offering to join the legion going to the Argentine Republic.  It was dated from Susa on the 1^st December 1856. In it he said that he wished to leave the country, because he could not agree with his wife’s father. ‘With Charlote,’ he added, ‘I am extremely satisfied and happy; she proves the best wife a man can wish for; and, in fact, she herself discovered to me the mischievous plans of her deceitful father, and warned me from the worse.’

Witness also produced a letter to another Captain, dated from Turin, 18^th January 1857.  It asked for assistance to enable him to return to England with his ‘dear little wife,’ and to thus leave ‘that wretched country in which a man of his abilities could not get a living.’

Miss Croydon, sister to the petitioner, proved the hand-writing of letters which had already been read, and of some other letters of a similar character. She also identified a photograph.

Mr Collis, of Haverstock Hill, London – In June, 1853, I was employed at the Photographic Establishment in Bond street.  I remember a lady and gentleman coming and giving me an order. The photograph produced was sent to Teignmouth, in pursuance of that order. The person who gave me the order was the man whose portrait was taken.

Miss Croydon (re-called) recollected the photograph coming down to Teignmouth, and saw the parcel opened. It was a likeness of Mr. And Mrs. Bodnar.

Captain George Shepherd – In 1856 I was a captain in the 4^th regiment of the British Italian Legion. We were then quartered at Susa. There was a Quarter-Master’s Serjeant-Major in the regiment, passing under the name of Charles Wales. He was a single man; but was married at Susa by permission of Col. Crawford, the commanding officer of the regiment. I was not present at the marriage but I saw the couple at the petitioner’s. Afterwards I saw them at the bride’s father, whose name was Ozelli. Her Christian name was Carlotta. They certainly passed as man and wife. They lived at an inn. The photograph produced is a portrait of the Serjeant-Major. The letters produced are in his handwriting, and so is the signature in the marriage register.

By the Judge – I have been in Sergeant Major Wales’ appartments at the hotel. He had only a bed room in Quarter Master Watts’ appartments. This was before his marriage. I cannot tell what appartments he had afterwards.

Mr Bodham Castle – In 1856 I was Lieut. In the 4^th regiment of the Italian Legion. I was present at the marriage of Sergeant Major Wales. I afterwards saw him and his wife at the hotel, kept by the bride’s father. I remember the respondent opening a door, and say that was the appartments in which they lived.

The Court said that the learned counsel had at last successfully traced their man.  There could be no doubt as to the fact of the desertion. In the first instance, indeed, when the respondent left Teignmouth, it was, as he said, through the injustice of other people, not as the wicked world said, in consequence of his own fraud.  His wife agreed to his departure in search of employment, that he afterwards agreed to meet her at Plymouth, and never came after which she heard nothing from him till she received that mock invitation from Italy.  The question came to this, had he cohabited with somebody else? It had been established that he went through some ceremony of marriage, and afterwards lived with the woman as her husband, at the house of the latter. There was no actual proof that he had actually occupied the same bed with her, but taking the fact of the marriage ceremony – the residence at the house of the woman’s father – her reception as Mrs. Wales by persons connected with the Legion, and the admission in his letters; it would not be prudent to affect any doubt about the matter. As to the photograph, he (Sir C. Cresswell) always greatly mistrusted that sort of evidence; though if there had been any difficulty in the case it would have assisted the other testimony, but after the identity of the respondent’s hand writing, there was no necessity to resort to the portrait.

Decree nisi, with costs.”

Conclusion

So that’s the story behind the child’s grave.

William Carl Edward Bodnar was born on May 2^nd 1854, as notified in the Western Times of May 6^th..  He died some eight years later on 4^th December 1862, barely one year after Maria secured her decree nisi.  His grave is in the cemetery but he is also commemorated in St Michael’s Church, Teignmouth.

It seems that Maria never remarried and returned to live with her brother and two sisters.  They eventually moved to Heathfield, Torquay, where she died on 24^th April 1891.  She is buried close to her son in what appears to be an unmarked grave.

No more was ever heard of the baron/ hussar/ professor/ rating/ sergeant-major Charles Bodnar, or Charles Wales, or whatever other name he may have assumed.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Tacy Rickard and Tim Whiteaway for contributing to some of the original research

Sources and References

Extracts from contemporary newspapers are referenced directly in the text and are derived from British Newspaper Archives.

Ancestry.com for genealogy

Wikipedia for general background information

Other sources, with hyperlinks as appropriate, are as follows.

Hungarian 1848 Revolution – details of Honved Hussars
Hungarian history site – details of Honved hussars and general history
Art collection of Russian royalty etc – picture of Grand Duchess of Leuchtenberg