Hello All,
I've joined your forums in the hope that somebody will be able to offer clues on my great grandfather, where my research has got stuck. I'm going to post everything I know about him, so apologies if this is a bit long. I would really appreciate any tips you can offer.
Joseph Woodard Davis married Amy Alice Annison nee Kite 3rd December 1910, at St Michaels' Camden Town. He was 32, a widower, a labourer & lived at 25 Hawley Cresent. His father is listed as unknown. One of the witnesses was a Ma(r?)y Ann Woodard. I have tried to follow her up but not got very far.
On the 1911 census they are listed as Joseph & Amy Alice Woodard (i.e. not Davis), living at 24 Kentish Town Road, he is still a labourer. I know it is them because some of Amy Alice's children from her first marriage are living with them, under the surname Annison. This census shows Joseph was born c1878 in Camden Town.
Births & deaths of their children (all listed under Davis) show them at the following addresses, with Joseph working as follows:
* Dec 1911, 124 Kentish Town Road (general labourer)
* Oct 1913, 40 Kentish Town Road, (bricklayer's labourer)
* Nov 1913, 140 Kentish Town Road, (general labourer)
* May 1920, 140 Kentish Town Road, (builder's labourer, ex army)
Joseph joined the Royal Engineers as a sapper in 1915 (number 108385), (as J W Davis), From what I can understand of the papers, he was certified as a proficient electrician & put his trade as electrician on joining up, and also said that he had served for 10 years in the Navy in the past and / or as a "submarine miner" (it is unclear if he means these as 2 distinct things or the same thing). He served in 122nd & 155th battalions Royal Engineers. It seems strange to me that he was an electrician for his war service, but not working as one before or after the war.
He died in 1940 in the North Middlesex County Hospital, at this time he was living in Boyton Road, Hornsey. The informant of his death was an E. Ellard, relationship "causing the body to be buried", I have understood this to mean this is the undertaker having to do it because there is no one closer around, but interestingly the residence of the informant is the same address as Joseph's. From family stories I believe at this time he was, or had been for some time, estranged from his children. Amy Alice died in 1930.
So I would like to know more about what he was doing before 1910, e.g.:
* his parents - apparently he was illegitimate so I realise I am unlikely to ever find out who his father was but is 'Woodard' as a middle name a clue? Strange that Joseph & Amy Alice went by Woodard as a surname in 1911 but at no other time. Also the Woodard witness at their marriage is interesting. I haven't been able to find a likely looking record in the birth index for Joseph in the name of Woodard, but there are a couple of possible Joseph Davises, I have 2 certificates. One (Apr May Jun 1878 Middlesex, Vol 1a, Page 570) was born 21st June 1878 in Queen Charlotte's Hospital Marylebone Road to Isabella Davis, 4 Albany Mews Regents Park, no father listed. The other (Islington) has a father listed so is unlikely to be him.
* His previous marriage / any children from this
* His previous military service as a submarine miner - where could I find records of this & would they likely contain anything else about his background? I have ordered a book on the history of submarine mining...
If anyone has any ideas on where I might go from here I would be very grateful.
Thanks for reading this, Katie
I've joined your forums in the hope that somebody will be able to offer clues on my great grandfather, where my research has got stuck. I'm going to post everything I know about him, so apologies if this is a bit long. I would really appreciate any tips you can offer.
Joseph Woodard Davis married Amy Alice Annison nee Kite 3rd December 1910, at St Michaels' Camden Town. He was 32, a widower, a labourer & lived at 25 Hawley Cresent. His father is listed as unknown. One of the witnesses was a Ma(r?)y Ann Woodard. I have tried to follow her up but not got very far.
On the 1911 census they are listed as Joseph & Amy Alice Woodard (i.e. not Davis), living at 24 Kentish Town Road, he is still a labourer. I know it is them because some of Amy Alice's children from her first marriage are living with them, under the surname Annison. This census shows Joseph was born c1878 in Camden Town.
Births & deaths of their children (all listed under Davis) show them at the following addresses, with Joseph working as follows:
* Dec 1911, 124 Kentish Town Road (general labourer)
* Oct 1913, 40 Kentish Town Road, (bricklayer's labourer)
* Nov 1913, 140 Kentish Town Road, (general labourer)
* May 1920, 140 Kentish Town Road, (builder's labourer, ex army)
Joseph joined the Royal Engineers as a sapper in 1915 (number 108385), (as J W Davis), From what I can understand of the papers, he was certified as a proficient electrician & put his trade as electrician on joining up, and also said that he had served for 10 years in the Navy in the past and / or as a "submarine miner" (it is unclear if he means these as 2 distinct things or the same thing). He served in 122nd & 155th battalions Royal Engineers. It seems strange to me that he was an electrician for his war service, but not working as one before or after the war.
He died in 1940 in the North Middlesex County Hospital, at this time he was living in Boyton Road, Hornsey. The informant of his death was an E. Ellard, relationship "causing the body to be buried", I have understood this to mean this is the undertaker having to do it because there is no one closer around, but interestingly the residence of the informant is the same address as Joseph's. From family stories I believe at this time he was, or had been for some time, estranged from his children. Amy Alice died in 1930.
So I would like to know more about what he was doing before 1910, e.g.:
* his parents - apparently he was illegitimate so I realise I am unlikely to ever find out who his father was but is 'Woodard' as a middle name a clue? Strange that Joseph & Amy Alice went by Woodard as a surname in 1911 but at no other time. Also the Woodard witness at their marriage is interesting. I haven't been able to find a likely looking record in the birth index for Joseph in the name of Woodard, but there are a couple of possible Joseph Davises, I have 2 certificates. One (Apr May Jun 1878 Middlesex, Vol 1a, Page 570) was born 21st June 1878 in Queen Charlotte's Hospital Marylebone Road to Isabella Davis, 4 Albany Mews Regents Park, no father listed. The other (Islington) has a father listed so is unlikely to be him.
* His previous marriage / any children from this
* His previous military service as a submarine miner - where could I find records of this & would they likely contain anything else about his background? I have ordered a book on the history of submarine mining...
If anyone has any ideas on where I might go from here I would be very grateful.
Thanks for reading this, Katie
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