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Thanks Christina for your efforts, you got more hits than I did for Eliza in 1886 in Devon. I will keep the info and see if at some point I can definitely make links to my Eliza in Leeds.

This is an article on he Coroner's Inquest held on James - he died very suddenly and left 7 children. (There were others in the workhouse with Martha on 1871)

Saturday, November 21st, at the 'Rolle Arms' Inn,' before R. I. Bencraft, Esq., borough coroner, on the body of James Harris, an old man, a thatcher, the employ of Mr. Tucker, of Maidenford, yeoman. On Friday morning the deceased proceeded to his work, at
26 November 1868 - North Devon Journal - Barnstaple, Devon, Eng........

It can be viewed here on FMP.
findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0000328%2f18681126%2f018

I have to go out soon so am unable to type it all out as it is very long but if you don't have access I am sure someone will be able to find some clever way to send a copy to you.

Hoping to be back later (unless they keep me in overnight) so if still needed I will try and sort a way to get a copy to you them.

Dea x

Just had a thought - I 'think' I have managed to upload this to my keepsafe so try this link:

http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/keepsafe/asset/details/42054513

Dea x

Dea, more great info to save. Thank you all so much for the help. I will see what I can do to findout how Eliza ended up in Leeds. off to bed now so if you don't hear from me in for a few hours just know my time zone is 8 hours ahead I think! Thanks again for the help

(in case you couldn't send Dea, it comes up on google search, do hope you're ok, with reference to being kept in!)

Chris :)

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DEV/CourtRecords/InquestsNDJ1865

(Inquests Taken Into Suspicious Or Unexplained Deaths For the County of Devon
1865-1874)

(Thursday 26 November 1868)

Having just read through your thread again, I see that Albert was given the middle name of Jackson.

When a child is born outside a marriage, the father's surname is very often given as a middle name.

I had thought he might be connected to the Harriet Jackson on the 1881 with servant Eliza Harris b.1865 in Devon, but Harriet's name has been written down incorrectly, and was really Jenkinson. So no connection there. Though I believe this is probably your Eliza.

Thanks for finding this Christina. It is great to have something to go on

Long shot for Eliza / Louis(a) ??

Pilton is now a suburb of Barnstaple:

Elizabeth Harries
in the 1871 England Census
Name: Elizabeth Harries
Age: 6
Estimated birth year: abt 1865
Relation: Daughter
Father's name: James Harries
Mother's name: Cline Harries
Gender: Female
Where born: Pilton, Devon, England
Civil Parish: Chittlehampton
County/Island: Devon
Country: England
Registration district: South Molton
Sub-registration district: South Molton
ED, institution, or vessel: 17
Household schedule number: 73
Piece: 2181
Folio: 114
Page Number: 16
Household Members:
Name Age
James Harries 52 - farmer
Cline Harries 44 - ( Eliza on image) - born Parkham, Devon
John Harries 17
Thomas Harries 12
James Harries 9
Emsley Harries 11 - Emiley on image
Elizabeth Harries 6
Sarah A Harries 4
Mary Topham 18 - servant
Elizabeth Bale 40 - servant
Mary Jane Parsons 18 - visitor


EDIT:

In 1861 mother's name is Clara:

John Ford Harris
in the 1861 England Census
Name: John Ford Harris
Age: 7
Estimated birth year: 1854
Relation: Son
Father's name: James Harris
Mother's name: Clara Harris
Gender: Male
Where born: Pilton, Devon, England
Civil Parish: Pilton
Town: Barnstaple
County/Island: Devon
Country: England
Registration district: Barnstaple
Sub-registration district: Braunton
ED, institution, or vessel: 17
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 131
Piece: 1494
Folio: 88
Page Number: 22
Household Members:
Name Age
James Harris 38 - farmer
Clara Harris 30 - Parkham, Devon
John Ford Harris 7
Emily Ann F Harris 1
Thomas Fred Harris 3
Richard Headen 19 - servant
Thomas Croke 15 - servant
Eliza Trick 19 - servant

Thanks Argyllgran. This is my problem... tying my Eliza Harris to a concrete link before she marries Walter Brook(e)

The other consideration I have is that she was married to a Richard Harris before Walter, tho I have found no marriage record ,and that her maiden name was something else altogether! I haven't found all info on certificates terribly reliable, so just because it says she was a spinster on Walters wedding cert doesnt mean she was... altho it list him as a widower!.. If Richard really existed!

Interestingly, the Harriet C A Jackson/ Jenkinson that Eliza was with in the 1881, died in Derby 1889 at her daughter's residence.

I know Derby is not exactly close to Leeds, but it's a lot further north than London or Devon. I wondered if Eliza travelled up as Harriet's maid?

Also worth noting is the baptism of Albert in 1888 has a P beside the entry, indicating it was a private baptism.

Another thought- perhaps being in the family way she went to stay with relatives. I can't see any obvious connection at the moment, but will post just in case they are relatives:

1891 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Belle Vue Road, Leeds, Yorkshire,

Thos L Harris Head Married Male 48 1843 Books Publishers Agent Landkey, Devon,
Amelia Harris Wife Married Female 52 1839 - Bristol, Gloucestershire, England
Florence A Harris Daughter Single Female 24 1867 - Bristol
Henry W Saunders Brother In Law Single Male 55 1836 - Bristol

Thanks AustinQ, I am totally amazed and in awe of what all of you kind people have been able to find to help me find Eliza

If the Eliza in the workhouse is the correct family, which seems likely, her family must have gone through some hard times.

Her mother, Martha, appears in the paper several times for failing to send the younger children to school. Martha remarried in 1878 to Thomas Burnell.

This is her in 1881:

1881 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
5, Pugsleys Court, Barnstaple, Devon, England
Thomas Burnell Head Married Male 80 1801 Laborer Barnstaple, Devon,
Martha Burnell Wife Married Female 49 1832 - Fremington, Devon, England
William Burnell Son Single Male 6 1875 Scholar Barnstaple, Devon, England
Alice Harris Daughter In Law Single Female 14 1867 Domestic Servant Landkey, Devon,
Bessie Harris Daughter In Law Single Female 18 1863 Charwoman Landkey, Devon,
--------------------------------------------

Her son, William died in 1884: (born William Burnell Harris)

First name(s) WILLIAM HARRIS
Last name BURNELL
Gender Male
Birth year 1875
Age 9
Death quarter 3
Death year 1884
District BARNSTAPLE
County Devon
Volume 5B Page 280

And, despite the age being a little out I think Martha died in 1886:

First name(s) MARTHA
Last name BURNELL
Gender Female
Birth year 1834
Age 52
Death quarter 2
Death year 1886
District BARNSTAPLE
County Devon
Volume 5B Page 339

Just in case you don't have it- the original image of Eliza's baptism gives DOB as 6 June 1865

First name(s) Eliza
Last name Harris
Birth date 06 Jun 65
Baptism year 1868
Baptism date 01 Jul 1868
Denomination Anglican
Baptism place Landkey
Father's first name(s) James
Mother's first name(s) Martha
County Devon
Archive South West Heritage Trust
Archive reference 1951A/PR/1/5
Record set Devon Baptisms

Just reading through the thread again- I know you have a lot of information on Albert, but you said the only marriage certificate you had found for him was in 1923 to your Grandmother. I'm now intrigued!

Is this not him?

Brooke Household (3 People) 61 Heathfield Road , Hitchin U.D., Hertfordshire, England
Albert E H Brooke 30 Sep 1889 Male Millinery Salesman Own Account Married
Vera Brooke 29 Oct 1899 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married
Esther C Brunton 07 Oct 1862 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Widowed

and his marriage to Vera?

First name(s) ALBERT E H
Last name BROOKE
Marriage quarter 3
Marriage year 1937
Spouse: VERA TRUMAN
Spouse's last name TRUMAN
District PADDINGTON
County London
Volume 1A Page 222
-------------------------------------------------------

Jarrow Express - Friday 22 January 1915
Wife Desertion
Well Known Actor Charged
Albert Edward Brooke, an actor, stated to be at present appearing at Salford, was summoned to appear before South Shields magistrates yesterday on a charge of having deserted his wife, Mabel Brooke, at present residing in South Shields...

The article goes on to say that Mabel and Albert were both in the theatrical profession and had been married 6 years. They had 4 children- the eldest 5 years of age, the youngest a baby of 7 months who was blind.
2 of the children were with Mabel's mother, another child was being kept by a lady in Gateshead, and the baby was with Mabel.
-----------------------------------

Possibly Mabel in 1911?:

1911 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
40 Eleanor Street South Shields, South Shields, Durham, England
Joseph John Dockwray Head Married Male Architect 53 1858 South Shields
Sarah Mary Dockwray Wife Married Female - 55 1856 South Shields
Charles Walter Dockwray Son Single Male Actor 24 1887 South Shields
Hilda Dockwray Daughter Single Female - 17 1894 South Shields
William Dockwray Son Single Male Engineers Apprentice 16 1895 South Shields
Mary Jessie Dockwray Daughter Single Female Dressmaker 15 1896 South Shields
Richard Henry Dockwray Son - Male At School 10 1901 South Shields
Mabel Bertha Brooke Boarder Married Female Actress 32 1879 South Shields
Mabel Audrey Brooke Daughter - Female - 0 1911 South Shields
--------------------------------------

Interestingly this Mabel WAS married in 1909 according to a bigamy charge in 1928:

Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail - Friday 22 June 1928

BIGAMY CHARGE
Bertha Mabel Brooke (52) pleaded guilty to a charge of bigamy at Sunderland, and asked that two other similar offences should be taken into consideration...

The article goes on to say that she was first married in 1909 and had 4 children in that marriage. She separated from her first husband in 1915.She then married at Stockton in 1918 with a man called Dunn who divorced her in 1924. She married again in 1925 at Tynemouth with a wireless operator called Johnson (Marrying under the name Mabel Irene O'Hara). She went through another marriage in 1927 Sunderland with another wireless operator called Amiss.

Speaking of her first marriage, she stated that her husband left her to live with a woman named Galloway. There was an attempt at reconciliation in 1913, but while together there was a letter received from the Galloway woman, putting an end to the marriage. The short reconciliation produced another child in 1914- that child was born in prison and was unfortunately blind.

The Judge remarked that her record was deplorable and sentenced her to 9 months in prison.
--------------------------------------------------

You probably have the info- from what I can tell Mabel/Bertha was Bertha Ellen Parkes- but, according to The Police Gazette January 22, 1931 she went by a wide variety of names- including:-

Bertha Ellen Parks
Mabel Irene Brook
Beatrice Kent
Irene Laurie
Beatrice Chambers
Bertha Chambers
Cissie Mabel Carr
Ethel Dillon
Edith Dunn
Mabel Wynn George
Frances Corfield

There is no obvious marriage in 1909 for Albert and Bertha/ Mabel, although I suspect there was a marriage- but finding whatever names they used is a challenge.

If you don't have access to the articles let me know and I'll send them to you.

Hi AustinQ, Thanks for this?? Some of it we have but not all. Altho Albert may have been charged with desertion and Mabel may have finally fallen foul of the law for bigamy, we dont think they were actually married to each other. We know that she did have 3 children by him and though she said four, it turned out that Sydney was not Alberts. I was lucky enough to find these new cousins of mine and we have been in touch. If there was a marriage cert with Mabel, my cousins would be very happy to hear that. I am sorry I misled you about Vera (It wasnt intentional I should have said we couldnt find any certs for the myriad of 'wives' that he had before my grandma! ) Albert stayed with Vera until his death we suspect because they had no children! ?? Sadly we only found out about Albert a few years after my father died and so he never knew that he had several brothers and another sister.
Albert was the trigger for our forays into finding our family tree because my dad was 2ish when he left and was told he had died. We wanted to find out more about him for Dad. It took a long time as most of the info that we knew about Alberts was slightly inaccurate! Now his mum is causing similar difficulties! Still they have certainly kept us busy and entertained!

Hi AustinQ, the only article I dont ha e is the Jan 22 Police Gazette 1931, that list Bertha/Mabel/Ellen Parks other names, can u tell me where I might get a copy please!

Oh and we have bertha as Mabel Selwyn Carr as well!

Morning S,

I've sent a PM and attached a copy of the Police Gazette.

I don't know if you have access to Find My Past, but by searching Institutions and Organisations under Bertha's various names there are lots of results for her criminal activity which seemed to start in 1894.

S- They did marry!!!

This in the paper:

The Era - Saturday 27 March 1909

MARRIAGES:
Brooke- Selwyn-Carr. March 16 at The High Church Inverness by the Rev, Donald McLeod, Albert E Brooke of Edmund Tearle's Company to Mabel Selwyn-Carr daughter of Dr Selwyn-Carr of Westoe, South Shields.
---------------------------------------------------

Marriage is on Scotlands People:

BROOKE ALBERT EDWARD
SELWYN-CARR MABEL
1909 098/ 51 Inverness

Albert is listed as an Actor, 28- son of Walter Brooke and Eliza Harris
Mabel as 25 Actress, daughter of Douglas Selwyn Carr and Emma Parkes.

I've sent you the image of the marriage cert. It's a little difficult to read, but definitely them. So this would be why he lied on further marriages- as he was already married!

Incidentally- was his marriage to your Gran in 1923 or 1924? Was you Gran Mary Sinclair?

I'm off to work this morning, I'll pop back later :)