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Hi, I have been trying to locate my gt. grandmother born 17 June 1868, Queen's Head Street, Islington, Middx. on the 1901 & 1911 census to no avail. Alice Emily Lowe married a man called James Kennett Piggott on February 26th 1888 at St. James Pentonville in the Parish of Clerkenwell. James was a “Riding Master” and the son of Thomas Piggott a “Gentleman” and Jane Kennett.
Alice and James had two children, Claude born 3 June 1888 and Alexander born 27 March 1890. At the time of Claude’s birth they were all living at 30 Crawford Street, Marylebone, London. When Alexander was born they were living at 57 Cross Street, Islington. By the time of the 1891 (RG12/107) census, husband James however, is living with his mother Jane and Claude age 3 in Hampstead, while Alice is living in Islington, as head of the household and living on her own means with Alexander. (RG12/161) By 1901 James is living with a woman called Rose Barnes, they did not marry until 1944 in Hendon Middx. and he has two more children, Cecil b 21 June 1899 & Leonard ca 1900, while Alexander & Claude are both living with Jane, James mother. Alexander & Claude later married, but I have not found any offspring for either of them.((Alexander went to Canada)
But where is Alice? I have checked passenger lists, I cannot see her on the 1901 census, I have not found a death for her and I have not found another marriage. There is a marriage for an Alice Emily Piggott on Free bmd’s to a Thomas Henry Whitehouse, but it is not the correct one as the birth date and place do not tally with my Alice. I would dearly love to find out what happened to Alice if anyone can help. Alice is not with her parents in Islington (John & Ann Lowe) in 1901 or 1911
Regards June

When James married Rose, what was his marital status?

Welcome to the boards, June.

As you appear to have done extensive checks, I think that most people will assume that she is going to be very difficult to find.

Have you considered that she is living with someone and taken their surname without marrying them? Probably someone called Smith (!)

If James did not marry again until 1944, then possibly he knew that she was still alive and did not want to commit bigamy.

What family history was passed down to you about her from your grandparents?

Thank-you

Hi,
Thank you Gypsy and Patchem for your quick responses. A good point about James's marriage, I will send for the marriage certificate. Yes, I have considered that she possibly took someone else's surname, could be tricky finding her if so. Alice left James around 1892 I think. She was certainly a bit of a character because she had my grandfather illegitimately in 1886 when she was a young single maid ( father not named on birth certificate) married James in 1888 but was already 5 months pregnant with Claude at the time of her marriage to James. :-|

So have you found your grandfather in 1901/1911? If he isn't James' son?

Hi Gypsy,
Yes, In 1901 my grandfather Sidney Lowe is living at 10 Adelaide Square, Islington with Alice's parents John & Ann Lowe and their children. Sidney thought John & Ann were his parents for a long time , but they were of course his grandparents.( Name spelt Sydney on this census. RG13/187)
In 1911 Sidney is with his wife another Alice, nee Moore and their son Sidney William in Basingstoke. It must have been a temporary residence because they soon went back to Islington to have three more children. The Lowe's had always lived in Islington. Alice Emily is not residing with them. Regards June

Hi, Yes I assumed it was Sydney. I found the same info. I think patchem is probably right and that she took the name of someone else without marrying him.

Ok, thank you for your help. I have ordered James & Rose's marriage certificate and I expect to receive it about 6th September. Maybe there will be some clues there. I suppose that is all that can be done for now, do you think?
Best Wishes from June

Yes, hopefully it will (maybe) give a clue at least.
I did try to look for a death of an Alice Emily (no surname) but didn't find anything conclusive. I thought if you found one, maybe just before James Piggott married for the second time, you could look to eliminate them as not her rather than prove it was her if that makes sense!

Many thanks again Gypsy for your help. :-)
Regards June

Looks like Alexander wasn't in touch with his mother as he names brother Claude in Battersea as his NOK here

Name: Alexander Piggott
Residence: Robsart, Saskatchewan
Birth Date: 27 Mar 1890
Birth Location: London, England
Relative: Claud Piggott
Relationship: Brother
Regiment Number: 1250706

Dated 22 December 1916




Name: Alex Piggott
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1890
Date of Arrival: 3 Mar 1907
Vessel: Dominion
Search Ship Database: View the 'Dominion' in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
Port of Arrival: Halifax, Nova Scotia and Portland, Maine
Port of Departure: Liverpool, England
Roll: T-501


No mention of his mother here either


Name: Alec Piggott
Age: 9
Birth Date: 27 Mar 1890
School: Camden Street School
Borough: Camden
Admission Date: 28 Aug 1899
Parent: James
Notes: Camden Street School (0247) opened 1874, renamed King Street School in 1919. Became Richard Cobden School in 1937
Reference Number: LCC/EO/DIV02/CAM/AD/001


So Alexander returned from Canada and married in London.


Name: Alexander Piggott
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1891
Age: 27
Spouse: Amy Cackett
Spouse Age: 26
Record Type: Marriage
Event Date: 25 Sep 1918
Parish: St Matthew, City Road
Borough: Islington
Father Name: James Piggott
Spouse Father: William Cackett
Register Type: Parish Register

Name: Rose Barnes
Spouse Surname: Piggott
Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1944
Registration district: Hendon
Inferred County: Middlesex
Volume Number: 3a
Page Number: 1132


Have you considered that perhaps James knew he didn't have long to live when he married Rose? Perhaps Alice was still alive when James died.

Name: James K Piggott
Birth Date: abt 1861
Date of Registration: Dec 1944
Age at Death: 83
Registration district: Hendon
Inferred County: Middlesex
Volume: 3a
Page: 483

There is an Alice E Piggot on the London ERs until the 1960s in Islington.

Sorry, I have to go out so can't follow this up until later.

There this Alice but she is with an Ellen Adelaide and a George Henry

Name: Alice Piggott
Year: 1930
County or Borough: Islington
Ward or Division/Constituency: Islington South and West
Street address: 98 Giffohd Street
She is at various addresses on the later roll but always with Ellen and George

Could George be her son ?

There this one too but she has an Ernest J Piggott with

Name: Alice E Piggott
Year: 1961
County or Borough: Islington
Ward or Division/Constituency: Islington North
Street address: 102 Bruce Glazier house


Same address in 1959

Stil with Ernest J in 1964

So doesn't seem to be your Alice

Name: Claude James Kennett Piggott
Probate Date: 24 Jun 1927
Death Date: 17 May 1927
Death Place: Surrey, England
Registry: London, England


Of 47 Canford Road, West Side. Clapham Common

Admin to Nellie Louisa Piggott widow and Arthur Ernest Foley accountants
Effects £2547.6 s

So was still a young man

Name: Claude J K Piggott
Birth Date: abt 1889
Date of Registration: Jun 1927
Age at Death: 38
Registration district: Wandsworth
Inferred County: Greater London
Volume: 1d
Page: 406



Name: Claude J K Piggott
Registration Year: 1911
Registration Quarter: Jan-Feb-Mar
Registration district: St Pancras
Parishes for this Registration District: View Ecclesiastical Parishes associated with this Registration District
Inferred County: London
Volume: 1b
Page: 13
Records on Page:
Name

Nellie L Brown
Claude J K Piggott

As she left her hubby it's possible she moved away from Islington

So maybe

England & Wales, Death Index, 1916-2007 about Alice E Piggott
Name: Alice E Piggott
Birth Date: abt 1869
Date of Registration: Jun 1962
Age at Death: 93
Registration district: Ilford
Inferred County: Essex
Volume: 5a
Page: 268

Hi Rootgatherer & Shirley~I'm getting the hang of it,
Wow! You have done your research! I knew about the arrival of Alex Piggott in Canada in 1907, his regiment - he was in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, his school and his marriage. He also came back to England in 1911- 1911 Census of Canada
Name: Alexander Piggott
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Single
Age: 21
Relation to Head of House: Domestic
Immigration Year: 1902
Tribal: English
Province: Saskatchewan
District: Regina
District Number: 214
Sub-District Number: 12
Census Year: 1911
Household Members: Name Age
Robert Aston 32
Margaret Aston 31
and also 1919 Date of Arrival: 6 Mar 1919
Vessel: Grampian
Port of Arrival: St.John, New Brunswick
Port of Departure: Glasgow, Scotland. Plus a trip to USA with a friend presumably.
Arrival Date: 3 Nov 1928
Port of Arrival: Havre, Montana, United States
Accompanied by: Percy Purdy. After that I have lost him. No sign of Alice with him either.
I had not considered that James might have married Rose, because he knew he was dying, what a valid observation, I think it is probably correct. So now Alice could have been alive after that date after all.
Alex was sent to Canada as a British Home child, as once Alice had left James, James's mother was getting a bit to old to handle him I think. I shall have to investigate the Alice's on the electoral rolls a bit further - not sure how though.It is tantalising about the Claude Piggott in Willesden it cannot be my Claude because he died in 1927, but I think the family lived around Harrow & Wealdstone which is quite close to Willesden, so maybe there is a connection there.
This is plenty for me to think about - thank you.

:-) :-) :-)

Hi June,

My Great Uncles were British Home children too- sent to Canada in 1904. A few monthsbefore they went they had been sent to Birmingham Middlemore Home. I went to Birmingham central library and they had a lot of information from the Middlemore home including why their parents could no longer care for them and yearly assessments of the children in their new homes. They were quite detailed.

I just wondered if Alex had been sent from such a home and if his records (perhaps at a London central library?) would give you further information?

Alexander may have been sent to Canada in 1902 from a Barnardo Home. There is an Alexander Piggott mentioned in the July 17 1902 - SS New England shipping list.

This site may help:
http://canadianbritishhomechildren.weebly.com/apps/search?q=piggott

It also includes a description of the voyage.