James Gilbey Vokins

[Sue H]

Well here's what I have been upto lately while waiting for some certificates to arrive!!

Decided to look at my dad's sister in law's family and this is what I found



I am starting from his death in Liverpool and trying to work backwards so you can see how he ended up in Liverpool.

James G Vokins
DOB 1876
DOD 1927 aged 51 West Derby Liverpool


1914 joins the Army (docs on Ancestry)
He states he is 34 yrs
Occupation “Stock Exchange”
States he is not married
He is discharged from the service after 20 days

His next of kin is his eldest sister

Maud Crawley Vokins
Birth Aug 1873 in London, Middlesex, England
Death 13 Sep 1958 in Berkshire, England

She married:-

Arthur William Blyth
Birth 29 Jul 1870 in Marylebone, London, Middlesex, England
Death 5 Dec 1928 in Newmarket, Cambridgeshire, England

The address he gave for her does not appear to be right compared with census and looking who actually lived there. But I could be wrong.


Don’t understand the wording for discharge, so will leave that out.

You will see also on his Award sheet – Disablement Pension that his name becomes James Gilbey Vokins.

Address on discharge is
27, Molyneux Road, Waterloo

Between Discharge and marriage no idea where he was, except for discharge address.


So here we go...........

Marriage to Margaret Williams
Marriage: 30 Jul 1927 St Thomas, Seaforth
James Gilbey Vokins - 49 Upholsterer Bachelor of 22 Trevor Street, Seaforth Margaret Williams - 33 Spinster of 39 Date Street, Seaforth
Groom's Father: James Theodore Vokins, Deceased, Art Dealer


James Gilbey Vokins died December 1927 – awaiting death certificate.

January 1928 – The birth of twins – awaiting one birth certificate.



So I then started looking further back and this is what I discovered (fingers crossed I am right)

At this point you might want to make a cuppa……….you may need something stronger by the end

James Gilbey Vokins born 1877 Bishop’s Stortford, Herefordshire

1881 Piece 180 Folio 5 page 3 ……. aged 4 living with parents and family father is James Theodore Vokins, Art Dealer…….googled him interesting reading.


Also found him in 1891, with family. Havent put all the census details on hope thats ok.


In 1903 he’s back to calling himself Gilbey Vokins and marries Annie Dauline Burrows. St Giles, London 1b, page 649.


1905 Divorce court files 5861
Back to James Gilbey Vokins he petitions for a divorce on the grounds of annulment as she was already married. There is a long article in a past New Zealand newspaper entitled : COURT MYSTERY. .ROMANTIC STORY OF A WOMAN'S TWO HUSBANDS. • “DEAD” IN THE CONGO. I wont print it here its an arm and a leg job…….but good reading worth googling it !! This and his divorce papers give a clearer picture


1908 Busy year for Mr Vokins.!!

31st January 1908, he marries Olive Beatrix Morgan St Marylebone, Westminster.
Grooms father James Theodore Vokins – Art Dealer
Her’s John Morgan – Gentleman……..he was actually a Wine Merchant

John Morgan - Olives father
Birth abt 1832 in Stafford, Staffordshire, England
Death 17 Apr 1905 in Staffordshire, United Kingdom

Cecil Maria Hall Waddell- Olives mother
Birth April 1840 in Stafford, Staffordshire, England
Death Oct 1904 in Staffordshire, United Kingdom

November 1908 James appears to be bankrupt
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/Edinburgh/ ... /page/1313 The Edinburgh Gazette Publication date: 27 November 1908 Issue: 12094 Page: 1313
James Gilbey Vokins late of 27, York Street, Baker Street, in the County of London but whose present residence or place of business the petitioning creditors are unable to ascertain.


Olive and James Vokins sailed from Southampton on July. 4, 1908 aboard the SS St. Louis. Destination: White Station, Kentucky. They arrived on July 11 1908. They are listed separately on the manifest. This information was given to me after I post a note on an Ancestry Boards, so haven’t actually been able to find it myself.

The member also sent me a copy of Olive Beatrix Morgan’s death details and certificate.
On it…….it states she was divorced and she died from “Burns” !!

Her address was Woodland Avenue, Richmond, Kentucky USA. Her death certificate says she was a HouseKeeper (I think ...writing not to good).

Olive’s brother Harry Stafford Morgan has signed her death certificate and is also buried along side her in Richmond Cemetary. Once again cant find out if he was already there, went with them or arrived later. He was actually christened Henry Stafford Morgan.

Her will was administered by her brother Sydney William Morgan in the Uk, attorney for Thomas Jenkin Moberly

She is buried in Richmond, Madison County Kentucky, USA


Back to James Gilbey Vokins

1911 – Reading 121, St Giles, 28, 90, piece 6607

James Gilbey Vokins is a visitor on this census !!

From here we are back to the top ........1914 he's in Liverpool joining the Army!!

Ok if you’re all still awake I think I have briefly covered it all. I cant believe there is more than one James Gilbey Vokins, with the same father and mothers name, so I am hoping I have done this right!!!!!!


But what I can’t find the answers too are

1. When did he actually arrive back in this country?

2. Was he actually divorced from Olive Beatrix Morgan, or did she just use this excuse for being alone. As Olive died in 1924 and the marriage to Margaret Williams is in 1927 it doesnt really matter...........although he does class himself as a bachelor!!

3. And for nothing more than being terribly nosey who the hell was Annie Doreen Grace De Savigne?????? Cant find anything on her !! Her first marriage was to a William Guy Burrows, the son of General Burrows, of Leamington. His name was Captain Guy Burrows, who published a sensational ' book on the Congo, called “The Curse of. Central Africa." This book involved him in a libel action, in which he had to pay £500 damages and costs. As I say good reading in the Past New Zealand News Paper. And that book too is on the internt discribed as ............ The curse of Central Africa, by Captain Guy Burrows ... With which is incorporated A campaign amongst cannibals by Edgar Canisius ... With coloured map and numerous illustrations from unique and valuable photographs taken by the author and others.


There are a few tree’s for this family on Ancestry, but you will see they have very little information about James Gilbey Vokins………..have I discovered his past. I do hope so haven’t had so much fun for ages

[dickiesam]

Hi Sue! That's a saga and a half...

Re: Marriages Dec 1889: Burrows, William Guy married De Savigne, Annie Dauline G - Marylebone 1a 1151
I've looked at two different GRO Index pages and her second name appears to be Dauline not Doreen.

Haven't found anything yet on Annie but this is William Burrows...
Birth/Baptism: William Guy Burrows
Date Of Baptism: 15 Jan 1862
Date Of Birth: 05 Nov 1861
Father's First Name: George Reynolds Scott
Mother's First Name: Emily Eliza
Place: Belgaum, Bombay.
Father's Last Name: Burrows
Archive Reference: N-3-36; Folio 5.
Parish register transcripts from the Presidency of Bombay, 1709-1948
Record set: British India Office births & baptisms

[Bertieone]

Hi Sue,

To view you need Anc(World)


New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
about Olive Vokins
Name:
Olive Vokins
Arrival Date:
11 Jul 1908
Birth Date:
abt 1876
Birth Location:
England
Birth Location Other:
basingstoke
Age:
32
Gender:
Female
Ethnicity/ Nationality:
English
Port of Departure:
Southampton
Port of Arrival:
New York, New York
Ship Name:
St Louis

[Bertieone]

Information relating to the above,

James Vokins did not travel with Olive on that ship, he paid her fare. The relatives address she declared was, Kings St, St James, London. The arrival address and whom staying with was, Brother, H Morgan, White Station.

[Bertieone]

Harry S Morgan, bn abt 1868, England.
Farmer, Glade County, Kentucky.

Immigration year, 1888, Naturalisation year, 1893

married to, Julie Hetlick, bn, Illinois, 6 March 1873 - 24 December 1950

Info from Death cert, Father, William Hetlick, Mother, Mary Sutter.

[MaryA]

Nice run you've had there Sue, I love something complicated.

National Archives site have details of the original divorce -
Divorce Court File: 5861. Appellant: James Gilbey Vokins. Respondent: Annie Dauline Grace Vokins otherwise Annie Dauline Grace Burrows. Type: Husband's petition for/of nullity [HN].

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/reco ... ivorce.htm

[Bertieone]

But what I can’t find the answers too are

1. When did he actually arrive back in this country?

2. Was he actually divorced from Olive Beatrix Morgan, or did she just use this excuse for being alone. As Olive died in 1924 and the marriage to Margaret Williams is in 1927 it doesnt really matter...........although he does class himself as a bachelor!!

:

Hi Sue,

There's no info regarding James ever going to, returning from or living in the states, likely he never went.

Olive B Vokins, 1920 US Federal census
Bn abt 1874 England, Married, living alone, Richmond ward, Kentucky.

The only mention of Olive being divorced is on her Death cert, which of course, she would have no control over.

[Sue H]

Morning All

Once again many thanks to you all for helping with this tale. Not sure I can afford or justify the World Wide Ancestry all my lot seem to have stayed close to home.......but well under the radar.

Yes really good run Mary , think it helped because he and his family were so high profile. Although nobody has much information on him on their tree's And he made the newspapers.......which were very interesting.

Thanks Berienone Harry started life as Henry and looking on find a grave he is buried next to Olive.......although, her grave is much larger! The Morgan family was also wealthy have found most of the boys in the family went to boarding schools.


I also found that the past tips and help that members on here gave pointed me in the right direction, although most times I did go the long way around. As I told Vic who's also given me help the "paper" trail......Ancestry is great for all the information they hold and its dead easy to press the button when you think it matches.........but the good old fashion way of tracing people by the members on here leaves me boggled

Hmmmm so to summarize

January 1908 Marries Olive Beatrix Morgan
July 1908 Olive goes to USA on own - doesnt look like she came back or he joined her
Nov 1908 James declared bankrupt
Census 1911 James is visitor at address
1914 James joins army........discharged ends up in Waterloo, new occupation.

1927 James Gilbey Vokins says he is single............from what you have said Bertieone maybe he wasnt divorced and didnt know she had died after all she was a long long way away. Olives will administered by her brother in the Uk doesnt seem name anyone so possibly all would be none the wiser.


I have had another email from lady in Kentucky who has given me email address of local paper she tells me that Olive was well known for her charity work. Her death may have made the local news so I have emailed them this morning.

Still looking at Annie D G Burrow....no other reason, than it was part of the tale. Not found her although it does give her nationality as Spanish, maybe she went back to Spain. Although it does say her sister was at the court proceedings ?

Did find William Guy Burrows just before his death in 1912 he was living in a one roomed ground floor, furnished flat in 16 Marchmont Street, Bloomsbury, London. Looks like he never married again.

But will plod on once again many thanks

[MaryA]

The divorce file, link I gave above, may be quite informative, the last file I got actually included a copy of the marriage certificate so it proved to be worth the money.

[Bertieone]

Hi Mary,

The divorce is on Anc, http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/ss ... ds&h=16803

I've never ordered one off the NA, would there be more from them.

[Sue H]

Hi Mary/Bertieone

This is the link I clicked through on Ancestry. Gave all details on divorce. Seperately found dates and confirmation of marriage. However didnt find any banns.........Annie Burrows stated in the newspaper bit they were married in a Marylebone Reg Office.

Going to update Harry on the tree see if I get any hits

Keep you posted

Sue

[Bertieone]

Hi Sue,

Harry and his wife Julie show on 3, US Federal Census, 1900, 1930, 1940, his brother Geoffrey Morgan is on the 1900 census with them, if you were wondering where he was.

[MaryA]

I've never ordered one off the NA, would there be more from them.

Now there's a question, I've never checked a divorce on Ancestry before, there seems to be quite a number of pages in that document so perhaps there wouldn't be any extra on the NA site, when I got the one I was interested in there was no alternatives to the National Archives, and unfortunately it was in 1916 so am unable to compare.

[Bertieone]

I've never ordered one off the NA, would there be more from them.

Now there's a question, I've never checked a divorce on Ancestry before, there seems to be quite a number of pages in that document so perhaps there wouldn't be any extra on the NA site, when I got the one I was interested in there was no alternatives to the National Archives, and unfortunately it was in 1916 so am unable to compare.

Thank you,

[MaryA]

I did look on some and I think they probably are the same as the NA have, so a great resource to get them as part of Ancestry sub.

[Karen]

I've never ordered one off the NA, would there be more from them.

I have one from the NA and have since looked at it on Ancestry - they contain the same information.