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Confusion over great-uncle's marriage and spouse

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  • Confusion over great-uncle's marriage and spouse

    My great-uncle Kenneth Noel Purkis had a very sad life.

    He was born in 1892 in Portsea. He was a doctor.

    I believe he married his first wife on 22 October 1925, according to family records.

    However, his marriage isn't registered until 1926.
    J/F/M 1926
    Purkis Kenneth N.
    Spouse: Brooker or Wharton
    Hampstead 1 a 1090

    I believe his spouse was Dorotheé or Dorothie Edith.
    What was her surname? Was she previously married?
    I can't find her birth at all.

    Then tragedy:
    The Times Monday 31 May 1926
    Purkis - On the 29th May at 21 Bentinck-street W., suddenly, Dorotheé Edith, dearly-loved wife of Kenneth Noel Purkis F.R.C.S.

    According to my mother (born 1919) she contracted meningitis and died. She was pregnant. The baby was born after the mother died.

    I can't find a birth registration for the baby anywhere.
    She was also called Dorotheé. She was mentally and physically handicapped, but very sweet and pretty. Everyone adored her.

    Uncle Ken married again, in July 1932 in Wimbledon to Eileen Doris Moore, who was 16 years his junior. My grandfather writes in his diary "I hope she will bring Ken some better luck."

    They had two little girls, one in 1933 and one in 1934. However, Ken died in 1935:

    The Times 1 June 1935
    Purkis - On May 30, 1935, at Guy's Hospital, Kennel Noel Purkis M.C. F.R.CS of Beckenham, beloved husband of Eileen Purkis, aged 42.

    I believe he had kidney disease.

    Then, in 1937:
    Death:
    On Oct. 18, 1937, at "Parklands", Sydenham (her home for eight years), Dorotheé, little invalid daughter of the late Dr. K. N. Purkis of Beckenham. The sweetest and most tenderly loved little charge. At rest.

    Just so so sad.

    If anyone can find a birth for either Dorotheé I would be grateful. I have just found the death, and the wife is entered as "Edith D".
    Last edited by Elizabeth Herts; 30-04-08, 17:59.
    Elizabeth
    Research Interests:
    England:Purkis, Stilwell, Quintrell, White (Surrey - Guildford), Jeffcoat, Bond, Alexander, Lamb, Newton (Lincolnshire, Stalybridge, London)
    Scotland:Richardson (Banffshire), Wishart (Kincardineshire), Johnston (Kincardineshire)

  • #2
    It looks like Dorothee E Wharton married a Jack Brooker in Keynsham Q/E June 1916 (Vol 5c Page 1142). I wonder whether he was a WW1 casualty.

    Jackie
    Jackie

    Comment


    • #3
      Night Owl, thanks!

      Yes, I have just found that. I reckon Jack Brooker died in the war. There is another Wharton/Brooker marriage too, and 2 children born in Uxbridge. But I think that is the other couple. I wonder if it is her sister (if she had one).

      I'm off to look at the census.

      I found her birth in Mar 1893 Marylebone under "Edith Dorotheé".

      I wish I could find little Dorotheé's birth.
      Last edited by Elizabeth Herts; 30-04-08, 18:00.
      Elizabeth
      Research Interests:
      England:Purkis, Stilwell, Quintrell, White (Surrey - Guildford), Jeffcoat, Bond, Alexander, Lamb, Newton (Lincolnshire, Stalybridge, London)
      Scotland:Richardson (Banffshire), Wishart (Kincardineshire), Johnston (Kincardineshire)

      Comment


      • #4
        Not an exact fit for age

        Name: Edith Dorothy Wharton
        Year of Registration: 1893
        Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
        District: Marylebone (1837-1901)
        County: London, Middlesex
        Volume: 1a
        Page: 623


        The death was with the name Edith first......UPDATE Oh, you know that! lol Sorry.....

        Comment


        • #5
          Lol, Merry!

          Many thanks for looking. I found her on the 1901 census in Bromley with her family.

          I found a few references to Kenneth in the London Gazette - he was awarded the Miltary Cross in August 1918.

          Does anyone know what that was awarded for?
          Elizabeth
          Research Interests:
          England:Purkis, Stilwell, Quintrell, White (Surrey - Guildford), Jeffcoat, Bond, Alexander, Lamb, Newton (Lincolnshire, Stalybridge, London)
          Scotland:Richardson (Banffshire), Wishart (Kincardineshire), Johnston (Kincardineshire)

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Elizabeth Herts View Post
            I found a few references to Kenneth in the London Gazette - he was awarded the Miltary Cross in August 1918.

            Does anyone know what that was awarded for?
            The Military Cross (MC) is the third level military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.

            I'm wondering if this is his army record in The Catologue of TNA (the indexing isn't perfect!)

            WO 339/38415 PURKIS J N, 2/Lieut 1915-1919

            As there isn't apparently one for a K N Purkis.

            You can order his service record online as he was an officer.

            Comment


            • #7
              Hmm...that may not be the right one as he attained the rank of at least Captain:

              Medal card of Purkis, Kenneth N
              Corps Regiment No Rank
              Royal Army Medical Corps Captain

              Date 1914-1920
              Catalogue reference WO 372/16
              Dept Records created or inherited by the War Office, Armed Forces, Judge Advocate General, and related bodies
              Series War Office: Service Medal and Award Rolls Index, First World War
              Piece Pickering S R - Ridley C
              Image contains 1 medal card of many for this collection

              Still looking........................

              Comment


              • #8
                I'll have a look, Merry.

                He was in the Royal Army Medical Corps and retired in February 1924 erceiving an annuity (London Gazette).
                Elizabeth
                Research Interests:
                England:Purkis, Stilwell, Quintrell, White (Surrey - Guildford), Jeffcoat, Bond, Alexander, Lamb, Newton (Lincolnshire, Stalybridge, London)
                Scotland:Richardson (Banffshire), Wishart (Kincardineshire), Johnston (Kincardineshire)

                Comment


                • #9
                  We crossed !

                  That is him! Thanks.

                  I have already got his medal card. (I forgot that I paid £3.50 for it some time ago).
                  Elizabeth
                  Research Interests:
                  England:Purkis, Stilwell, Quintrell, White (Surrey - Guildford), Jeffcoat, Bond, Alexander, Lamb, Newton (Lincolnshire, Stalybridge, London)
                  Scotland:Richardson (Banffshire), Wishart (Kincardineshire), Johnston (Kincardineshire)

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I know why we can't find his Army Record. Because he was still in service after 1922 it won't be at TNA, but at the MoD, which means it will cost you about £30 (may be more now?) to get a copy.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Merry Monty Montgomery View Post
                      I know why we can't find his Army Record. Because he was still in service after 1922 it won't be at TNA, but at the MoD, which means it will cost you about £30 (may be more now?) to get a copy.
                      Oh, and you have to sign a form to say you are next of kin.........

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Thanks, Merry. Just as well I'm not really bothered about his record.

                        I think both his daughters are still alive (as far as I am aware), but I have lost touch since my mum's death.

                        I was just so sad with the whole story. I know it upset my grandfather a lot.
                        Elizabeth
                        Research Interests:
                        England:Purkis, Stilwell, Quintrell, White (Surrey - Guildford), Jeffcoat, Bond, Alexander, Lamb, Newton (Lincolnshire, Stalybridge, London)
                        Scotland:Richardson (Banffshire), Wishart (Kincardineshire), Johnston (Kincardineshire)

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Yes, it's awful when you find out about something like this.

                          I have a man on my tree who married a distant cousin. He was married five times and lost four wives in childbirth. Only my relative lasted more than one pregnancy and only his last wife lived, possibly because she didn't have any children.

                          I was lucky enough to find a contact who had the man's photo. He is elderly in the picture, but his face looks so sad.........

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Yes, Merry, some people had pretty rotten lives. They must have felt cursed.

                            In this case, I think the reason that the baby suffered so badly was because mum got meningitis, but she wasn't full-term. She died, and they performed a caesarean on her after she died to save the baby, but the baby was very premature by the standards of those days.

                            Poor little mite. However, she was loved so much, and we have lots of photos of her with family. She looks quite happy and well cared for. At least she wasn't put in an institution. I thought the death notice was very sweet.
                            Elizabeth
                            Research Interests:
                            England:Purkis, Stilwell, Quintrell, White (Surrey - Guildford), Jeffcoat, Bond, Alexander, Lamb, Newton (Lincolnshire, Stalybridge, London)
                            Scotland:Richardson (Banffshire), Wishart (Kincardineshire), Johnston (Kincardineshire)

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              I wonder what happened to her birth reg?

                              Comment


                              • #16
                                That is the remaining mystery.

                                Perhaps it was an oversight as everything was so traumatic. Unless it was registered, but a fair bit later. I'll have to have another trawl through at some time.
                                Elizabeth
                                Research Interests:
                                England:Purkis, Stilwell, Quintrell, White (Surrey - Guildford), Jeffcoat, Bond, Alexander, Lamb, Newton (Lincolnshire, Stalybridge, London)
                                Scotland:Richardson (Banffshire), Wishart (Kincardineshire), Johnston (Kincardineshire)

                                Comment


                                • #17
                                  I gave gone on about 3 years - blowed if i can see it. Even tried under PurVis in case a K turned into a V somehow - it just doesn't seem to be there.

                                  Was 'Parklands' where they lived?
                                  Jess

                                  Comment


                                  • #18
                                    Jess, I believe that Dorothee lived with a female member of the family. She died after her father died, too.

                                    I'll go back to my notes to see if I have written which family member she lived with (my mum told me at some stage, so I hope I have written it down).
                                    Elizabeth
                                    Research Interests:
                                    England:Purkis, Stilwell, Quintrell, White (Surrey - Guildford), Jeffcoat, Bond, Alexander, Lamb, Newton (Lincolnshire, Stalybridge, London)
                                    Scotland:Richardson (Banffshire), Wishart (Kincardineshire), Johnston (Kincardineshire)

                                    Comment


                                    • #19
                                      Yes, I had a note that she lived with Mary Purkis.
                                      This is complicated! Aunt Mary died in 1933, so she would have lived with someone else after that.

                                      [Now, Mary was nee Quintrell.
                                      She was related to both my grandmother (whose mother Ada was sister to Mary's mother). She also married a Purkis, so she was related to my grandfatehr and Kenneth by marriage! She was buried with my great-grandparents (her sister and brother-in-law) in Highgate cemetry as her husband died in WWI in South Africa.]

                                      I hope I didn't make a mistake with whom she lived. After that she could have lived with my Aunt Peg, Mary's daughter.
                                      Elizabeth
                                      Research Interests:
                                      England:Purkis, Stilwell, Quintrell, White (Surrey - Guildford), Jeffcoat, Bond, Alexander, Lamb, Newton (Lincolnshire, Stalybridge, London)
                                      Scotland:Richardson (Banffshire), Wishart (Kincardineshire), Johnston (Kincardineshire)

                                      Comment

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