The Real Mary Kelly - Wynne Weston-Davies

[Debra Arif]

Has anyone thus far seen or posted a copy of either EWD's birth certificate or marriage certificate. What was the name and occupation of her father shown on the latter?

I don't think an image of either has been posted, MS.
In the book WWD says Elizabeth gave her father's name as Edward on her marriage certificate but forgot to mention the fact he was 'deceased'. I can't see an occupation for him as given on the certificate, mentioned in the book.

[Mystery Singer]

OK thanks.

[Mystery Singer]

Has this been posted before? Probably just co-incidence.

Elizabeth Weston Davis
Illinois Marriages
Name James Evetts
Spouse's Name Elizabeth Weston Davis
Event Date 08 Nov 1896
Event Place Chicago, Cook, Illinois

[Debra Arif]

Has this been posted before? Probably just co-incidence.

Elizabeth Weston Davis
Illinois Marriages
Name James Evetts
Spouse's Name Elizabeth Weston Davis
Event Date 08 Nov 1896
Event Place Chicago, Cook, Illinois

Paul Begg mentioned this to me. I checked her age and the woman involved in the marriage was age 23 (in 1896) b ca 1873.

[Mystery Singer]

OK thanks Debs.

[Debra Arif]

OK thanks Debs.

No worries MS. It's good someone is looking for EWD in later records.

[Anna Morris]

When all this about EWD came up I looked in vain for a paragraph I had read, I think in a Welsh paper. I finally found the basics written over two paragraphs in the 'Galveston Daily News', 11 Nov., 1888. It eerily fits with Dr. Davies information.

"This poor woman was in service a short time ago, but since she came to reside in the street had been recognized by the neighbors..." to be eking out a living by immoral means.

She was a, "tall woman with dark complexion, not bad looking," and she was known for wearing a black velvet jacket.

"She was a married woman who fell into dissolute ways and was deserted by her husband," says a later paragraph.

When I first read this it was one paragraph. In service, deserted by husband for dissolution, and the bottom of the paragraph was information attributed to Mrs. Phoenix/Felix. I have no idea where this information originated. It was never to my knowledge directly attributed to Mrs. Felix. Since I can't find my original source, I will guess it was initially printed on the tenth of November. British papers of the time didn't seem to publish on Sunday but US papers did. Nov. 11 was a Sunday. (Was there a law about not publishing on Sunday in England?)

[CGP]

In case it's of interest to anyone - I emailed the Ministry of Justice in August to ask about the reports that they had indicated they would grant an exhumation licence.

I've finally received this reply:
"The Ministry of Justice has not granted a licence or indicated that it will do so."

[Robert Linford]

Thanks for that, Chris.

Blimey!

[CGP]

From what had been said, I thought it sounded likely that they'd told him they would consider granting a licence if he fulfilled certain conditions, not that they would grant one.

[Edward Stow]

'Or indicated that it will do so'.

In other words the claims that Mark Kells may be exhumed were almost entirely baseless and we're just part of newspaper-book-selling hype.
What a surprise.

There were plenty of Sunday newspapers in England.

[Guest]

In other words the claims that Mark Kells may be exhumed were almost entirely baseless

WWD said (back when Paul and I interviewed him) that the Discovery Channel was interested in entering negotiations on his behalf as they had stalled. I think saying talk of exhumation was "almost entirely baseless" is a little strong.

JM

[Robert Linford]

On the podcast from 74.30 on, WWD talks of provisional permission conditional on relatives of nearby grave occupants being alerted and proof that a DNA company is willing to do the analysis. He also says that he didn't deal with the M of J directly :



http://www.casebook.org/podcast/listen.html?id=110

[Robert Linford]

Correction : he did deal directly with the M of J but not the cemetery.

[Anna Morris]

WWD made a stray comment that was commented upon at the time. As I took it, successful book sales and public interest would help push the permission for exhumation. It could have been a publicist's plan to push the book. I didn't get that feeling from listening to WWD but anything is possible.