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I am seeking any information regarding George Coles, who was my grandfather. Areas would be Hampshire/ portsmouth he was born approx 1895 give or take a few years. Died approx 1930. My gran was stella jane Edyvane. but she was married to Arthur Evans in 1916, and had George Evans 19 years after. My mother was Doreen H F Coles, born 1927 dec 21 in Plymouth Devon. But before the birth of George Evans in 1935 ( my uncle ) she had my mother doreen Coles. 1927. My gran was not married to George Coles as I have tried to find the marriage details. All I know of G Coles is he was in the Navy and served on HMS Hood and other ships in the war, which he survived, he actually went a little crazy after the war and went into an institution.. all a big mystery, and my mother does not remember him, any help would be appreciated, also he had 3-4 children whom my grand mother helped to bring up..

HMS Hood was commissioned on 20/5/1920 so was not involved during WW1 (1914~1918). If your grandfather died about 1930 he could not have served on her during WW2 (1939~1945). She was sunk on 24/5/1941 with the loss of 1,415 lives. There were only 3 survivors, Midshipman William Dundas, Able Seaman Bob Tilburn and Ordinary Signalman Ted Briggs.

My mother has old paperwork with several ships he was on, one of them was HMS Hood. Perhaps I have his approx death date wrong. But thanks for reply.

All of the deaths in the Portsmouth area for a George Coles were for men older than you think "your" George Coles was:-


Name: COLES, George H
Registration district: Portsmouth
County: Hampshire
Year of registration: 1932
Quarter of registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
Age at death: 67
Volume no: 2B
Page no: 903

and:-


Name: COLES, George J
Registration district: Portsmouth
County: Hampshire
Year of registration: 1933
Quarter of registration: Oct-Nov-Dec
Age at death: 57
Volume no: 2B
Page no: 627

and:-


Name: COLES, George T
Registration district: Gosport
County: Hampshire
Year of registration: 1934
Quarter of registration: Apr-May-Jun
Age at death: 57
Volume no: 2B
Page no: 729

and:-


Name: COLES, George H
Registration district: Portsmouth
County: Hampshire
Year of registration: 1935
Quarter of registration: Apr-May-Jun
Age at death: 68
Volume no: 2B
Page no: 628

These are the deaths in that area from 1928 to 1935.

Kath. x

Hello Junie

I'm just trying to get this straight in my head - Stella Jane Edyvane married Arthur Evans 1916 and they had a son George Evans in 1935 (quite a gap!).

But somehow in that intervening period Stella had your mother with George Coles in 1927. It would be unlikely there was a marriage to George Coles if Stella was still married to Arthur.

Your mother's birth? Mother's maiden name spelled Edyveana.

Births Mar 1928 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Coles Doreen H F Edyveana Plympton 5b 265

Edit: Original spelled Edyveane.

It seems my gran, stella Jane Edyvane had a secret life!

Well Junie, it certainly seems as though there was a bit of intrigue .......

Are you assuming George was about the same age as Stella Jane as she was born 1894? He may, of course, have been quite a bit older (or younger) than Stella.

What does it give as his occupation on your mother's birth certificate? (If you don't have the certificate it would be worth ordering a copy).

There are a number of sites about the Hood, this being one of them:
http://www.hmshood.com/

There is an extensive list of crew members between 1920 and 1941. There was a George D Cole and a W G Cole who were lost in the sinking of the ship in 1941. There was a J Coles served 1923/4 and a W H Coles at the same time.

There is no record of an exact name of George Coles.

I think your mum's birth certificate is definitely needed to check his exact name (as given).

Is this Stella Jane's death (E = Elliott?)

England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2006
Name: Stella Jane E James
Birth Date: 15 Nov 1894
Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1982
Age at Death: 87
Registration district: Plymouth
Inferred County: Devon
Volume: 21
Page: 2097

June originally posted on another board, (Success) and I advised her to move.

I found this information as regards the original posting:
1901 England Census
William Edyvana [William Edyvane]
Age: 43 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1858
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Elizabeth Edyvana
Gender: Male
Where born: Padstow, Cornwall, England
Civil parish: Portsmouth
Ecclesiastical parish: All Saints County/Island: Hampshire Country: England
Registration district: Portsmouth Sub-registration district: North End and Buckland
ED, institution, or vessel: 4 Household schedule number: 38 Piece: 978 Folio: 79 Page Number: 6
William Edyvana 43 shipwright
Elizabeth Edyvana 25
Albert Chas Edyvana 12
Stella Jane Edyvana 6
and in the next household is John Mitchell Edyvane,42,and family, also fromPadstow, Cornwall, a shipwright also.

Marriages Jun 1899
Andrew Elizabeth Portsea 2b 1019
Edyvane William Portsea 2b 1019

previous wife's death?
Deaths Sep 1897
Edyvane Jane 32 Falmouth 5c 103

Births Dec 1894
Edyvane Stella Jane Portsea 2b 473

first marriage?
Marriages Sep 1884
Eddy Jane Portsea 2b 787
Edyvane William Portsea 2b 787

Answering Marieceleste.

It gets even more complicated:

George A Elliott-james Jul-Aug-Sep 1935 Plympton Devon> My uncle. He must have taken his step-fathers name. ( another man in my grans life, the last one as I remember him )

George A Evans Jul-Aug-Sep 1935 Plympton > same as above, before she was with james Elliot-James. Devon/Cornwall/Seilly

George A James Jul-Aug-Sep 1935 Plympton Devon/Cornwall/Seilly> also same person...

All show MMN as Edyvane..Grand mothers MMN. > Scratching head...

Are you assuming George was about the same age as Stella Jane as she was born 1894? He may, of course, have been quite a bit older (or younger) than Stella. >> I was thinking he was older than her.

What does it give as his occupation on your mother's birth certificate? (If you don't have the certificate it would be worth ordering a copy). > I will get this.

Margee. Yes this is my mother.

Your mother's birth? Mother's maiden name spelled Edyveana.

Births Mar 1928 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Coles Doreen H F Edyveana Plympton 5b 265

Edit: Original spelled Edyveane.

There is an extensive list of crew members between 1920 and 1941. There was a George D Cole and a W G Cole who were lost in the sinking of the ship in 1941. There was a J Coles served 1923/4 and a W H Coles at the same time.

There is no record of an exact name of George Coles..
Apparently after asking my mother who is now 83, she said stella Jane Edyvane ( her mum and my gran, ) met G Coles, when he was a petty officer in the Navy, he served on various ships, then he was sent to rest in the countryside with her as he had war syndrome and was affected by the war, he then went a little crazy and was sent to some mental institution, where he then ended his own life, so he did not die in the war. my mother cannot remember any more than that at this time unfortunately, but many thanks for all the help.

It seems like surnames could be changed easily back in those days which is obviously what my gran did with my uncle, probably to save face, as they did in those days..poor uncle seems to have had 3 surnames in his life..but according to records his real father was named Evans.

Junie, does your mum know after which war it was that he went a little unbalanced?

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding was that if a woman had a child whilst she was legally married to someone then the child would be registered with her husband's surname (irrespective of who the father was), so that would explain George's Evans registration. It sounds as though James Elliott James has then come forward and acknowledged paternity so George's birth has been re-registered accordingly.

This could be him, the only Petty Officer with the name COLES. J.



J. COLES





Date of Birth:

Not known
Place of Birth: Not known
Former Occupation: Not known
Service: Royal Navy
Service No.: Unknown
Previous Service No.: Not known
Rank in Hood (highest): Stoker Petty Officer
Period in Hood: 1923/1924
Biographical Information: Not known

MarieCeleste.

It must have been have been the 1st WW as my mother was born in 1927, and she was told by my gran later in years about COLES. I will have to ask her as i am really not sure, thats if she can remember, I will get back to you on this. I really want to find out about him.My gran was born 1895, surely he must have been almost the same age as her.She married EVANS in 1916, had my uncle by Evans in 1935, but in meantime my mother was born in 1927 with the surname COLES. eeeek!!