ARC TBC William Fred Lewis & Maria White - brick wall

[Lynne House]

Researching my grandfather William Fred (Frederick?) Lewis is proving difficult. His passport has his photograph and says he was born 24th Aug 1871, London, it confirms he travelled to the Gold Coast 1916/17 as an engineer (but wasn't valid for the zones of the armies). Their children's birth certificates show that he and Maria White (1889-1946) had a son, Guy Frederick in Nov 1914 in Lambeth,a daughter Agnes was born Sep 1916 in Stoke on Trent and second son Roy Lewis (my father) was born Mar 1919 in Hanley, Stoke on Trent. I have his business card which is headed Lewis & Co Expert Automobile Engineers, 63 Stoke Road, Stoke on Trent. Yet I cannot find a birth record for him, anything about his younger life or a marriage record for him and Maria and Stoke Archives couldn't find anything about his business or the address on his card. My father always said he died in 1919 when he was about 5 months old, but I cannot find a death record. I cannot figure out how my grandmother Maria White ended up in Lambeth (when she was born in Pontefract, Yorkshire) but records show that she moved back to Pontefract with 3 children and she died there. A family anecdote says at some point the spelling of the surname Lewis changed, but I have no evidence of this either. I would love to find out who his parents were and more about him.

Lynne

[BC Wench]

I can see that you have a family tree on Ancestry. If you look at the other family trees you will find the info you need, but obviously check to see if their information is correct. Also lots of photos.

[BC Wench]

I forgot to add the 1939 National Register

1939: 2 Baxtergate, Pontefract, Yorks
Maria White, 29 Oct 1889, Single, Laundry Machinist (Incapacitated)
Agnes Lewis, 13 Sep 1916, Single, Travelling Clothing? Despatch Worker
Roy Lewis, 5 Mar 1919, Single, Bus Conductor

So it looks as though William Frederick & Maria White didn't marry.

[Lynne House]

Hi

Thanks for checking and your feedback BC Wench. Yes I'm on Ancestry and there are other trees with him in - but I have 'issues' with them. One is by a cousin on the Wycherley side of the family which was put up before she was aware of his passport and the details it gives, so in my opinion some dates and signatures on documents she cites don't match. Another is by a friend of mine and there is no actual document which would cross reference to those parents. I reckon both are 'theories' until they can be backed up with another piece of evidence. As for the 1939 register, I haven't read too much into 'single' because I have records that show both Maria White and Maria Lewis, but I'll bear what you say in mind because another viewpoint may see things I don't.
L

[Carolyn]

I have decided to make my first post and had a look and love the passport, what a find. I assume that all the details on a passport was correct in those days ? so odd that there is no birth.

Also do you know that he definitely died? Just wondering if he left the family home?

I can see the other trees do not seem to add up.

I did also wonder as he had given his son Frederick as a middle name whether that was his usual 'first' name and not William. Have you explored this possibility?

[Carolyn]

The census for the family Edwin Lewis and Emma Poddington make sense to me, they are engine fitters, and William Frederick also. (Frederick William though)

The final 2 Emma is a widow and in 1911 she is in Derby, with 3 children still, guessing they moved as one is a teacher.

It does look like the marriage to Adelaide Hopper could be him and in Lincolnshire in 1911, an engine fitter with birthplaces correct. Not sure if a marriage certificate would help, it could tell you that Edwin was his father, but if you don't like him in the census, then that would not help.

I would run with that as a scenario and track each of his siblings - there are many, sometimes marriages etc will throw up a good witness. You might even find a will, at £1.50 might be worth ordering.

If you don't want to add to your tree, start a new one with William as head and see what you find. You can merge him (I would take out his children before doing that as it will get in a muddle!

One of the trees I looked at seems to have gone off on the wrong track with another Emma in Chelsea.

I can post the links from Ancestry if you can't find them.



I think maybe he did just move in with Maria without divorcing, and started a family. That would make sense about her using different names.

[Carolyn]

I have found the will of his spinster sister Emma Matilda Lewis (well the William Frederick Lewis in the census) 12 Sept 1943

So this is either not your man, or he left his family and didn't die.

it says....of 13 King Edward Road, died 12 Sept 1943 at 105 Grosvenor Rd, probate to Frederick William Lewis retired technical engineer. £148 17s

You could order the will for £1.50 and it may have something else about him.

[Lynne House]

Hi Carolyn
Thanks for the feedback. Re the name, on the birth certificates of his 3 children his name is recorded as William Fred Lewis, it was unusual to have a passport in 1916 and the name is the same on that so I have gone with this. There are so many variations of this name it is difficult to follow them all. To date I haven't found a wedding document for a marriage to Maria White and have considered if he 'left' the family and didn't die in 1919 as my dad said, but haven't proved it yet. Thanks for the suggestion re tracking siblings.

[grangers14]

I have decided to make my first post

Please feel free to join in! More the merrier!

[grangers14]

I haven't looked yet... are there any return visits to the Uk after William left in 1916?

A couple of things to look into??
LEWIS, WILLIAM FREDERICK MOSS
GRO Reference: 1873 S Quarter in SAINT OLAVE SOUTHWARK Volume 01D Page 223

and possibly this?
LOWES, WILLIAM FREDERICK BURROWS
GRO Reference: 1871 S Quarter in MARYLEBONE Volume 01A Page 475

[Carolyn]

I have decided to make my first post

Please feel free to join in! More the merrier!

Will do

[Carolyn]

The census for the family Edwin Lewis and Emma Poddington make sense to me, they are engine fitters, and William Frederick also. (Frederick William though)

The final 2 Emma is a widow and in 1911 she is in Derby, with 3 children still, guessing they moved as one is a teacher.

It does look like the marriage to Adelaide Hopper could be him and in Lincolnshire in 1911, an engine fitter with birthplaces correct. Not sure if a marriage certificate would help, it could tell you that Edwin was his father, but if you don't like him in the census, then that would not help.

I would run with that as a scenario and track each of his siblings - there are many, sometimes marriages etc will throw up a good witness. You might even find a will, at £1.50 might be worth ordering.

If you don't want to add to your tree, start a new one with William as head and see what you find. You can merge him (I would take out his children before doing that as it will get in a muddle!

One of the trees I looked at seems to have gone off on the wrong track with another Emma in Chelsea.

I can post the links from Ancestry if you can't find them.

I think maybe he did just move in with Maria without divorcing, and started a family. That would make sense about her using different names.

I have found Adelaide Lewis (nee hopper) on the 1939 register with Frederick William - so this is not your William

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/ ... id=4147629

[Carolyn]

in the light of the 1939 register, I think this is Frederick William that was born in Poplar with mothers maiden name Piddington with various siblings, and also registered with mechanical engineers that are on Ancestry.

So not helping William Fred, but disproving that it is Lewis/Piddington family. Unless something weird happened and he had 2 families, which is not unheard of!

[BC Wench]

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