Genealogy Chat

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Scenario as initially proposed (now radically amended - see later post): My father's stepfather was obviously someone special but seems to have had a tragic life. I had always thought my grandmother was his second of three wives, but now it looks as if he had another wife before the one I'd thought was first. Sydney Guy BILLINGTON: b 1888q3 Elton Hall, Congleton, Cheshire [SA/42/16] Dolgelly School Birmingham University Queen's & General Hospitals, Birmingham Wolverhampton General Hospital M.B., M.R.C.S., Eng. L.C.R.P., Lon., F.R.C.S., Edin., 1913: Medical Register listed [Natnl Archvst] WW1 RAMC 2nd Lt & temp Cpt; 14-15 * Physician [LG] >>>>>m1 1915q1 Wolstanton 6b-165 Evelyn E CARLIN at Wolstanton, St Margaret, (ref - Newcastle-Under-Lyme C30/17/241) 1916q1: dtr, Kings Norton 6d-88 mmn=CARLIN m2 1916q2 Ormskirk RO RM/63/119 (8b-1343): Florence DILLON 1917q3: dtr, Elham 2a-1651 mmn=DILLON 1918q3: son, Salford 8d-60; b 27 Aug 1918 [d] - d Jul 1984, age 65, Coventry 33-201 mmn=DILLON 1920 widowed (d Florence G, 1920Q1, age 34, Preston 8e-698) m3 1923q4 Ormskirk 8b-1331 Ormskirk RO RM/75/136: (Roma) Alice BENNETT née WARR 59, Holly Walk, Leamington Spa [LG] - private practice (specialist in rheumatic diseases) 'He also devoted much time to investigations into the causes and cure of cancer, and had made important discoveries regarding its effect on the blood.' 1927 widowed m4 1930q2 Warwick 6d-2053: Annie WARR (elder sister of Alice) ca 1931 moved to Prescott House, Rosemary Hill, Kenilworth [LG/obit] d 10 Mar 1934 [LG] - aged 45 [Tammy at Mid-Warks Crem 21/1/2005] buried 14 Mar 1934 Milverton Cemetery, Leamington, §63, #22 [Tammy at Mid-Warks Crem 21/1/2005] Will was proved 25 Jun 1934 District Probate Registry at Birmingham [LG] I'd really like a copy of the parish register page for that first marriage - just to make sure I'm not matching up a wrong person. Christine PS - I've had a quick look thro' GRO index images on Ancestry and failed to see the death of wife-1 before marriage-2.

Hi Christine, I think I have found what you're looking for on 1837 Evelyn E Billington aged 35. Apr 1921 Wolverhampton 6b 552

I'm confused. If that is his first marriage to Evelyn, and she does not die until 1921, what is he doing marrying Florence in 1916? Assuming that he was not a bigamist (surely not, fine upstanding chap like that!), then divorce is I think out of the question that soon after the marriage, so annulment for some reason would be the only alternative, although Evelyn obviously did not revert to her maiden name. You are right, Christine, that first marriage needs checking out very carefully (I am assuming that you are confident of the second marriage). How fascinating - do keep us updated. Tina

I have come to the conclusion I must have mixed up two Sydney Billingtons. It really didn't seem likely that such a pillar of the community (who actually did useful things) would behave as that appeared to suggest. I'm reasonably confident of the first marriage because I now have both the outright unusual and the relatively uncommon -named daughters both with mmn=CARLIN and the second is 1920q4. So I now formally jettison the second daughter and the son from the scenario above, along with the alleged wife-2, Florence DILLON - who belongs elsewhere. I am guilty of forcing the evidence to fit the theory and spooning in some extraneous stuff to bolster the whole lot up. The house of cards appears to have collapsed! At least I haven't built too much on that basis - and I did recognise that it seemed a bit odd. Thanks for that find, Jd! I'll work on that basis. Christine PS - there is supposed to be another child, I believe (which is why the previous scenarion looked so tempting!)