Mrs Rees 1888

[Robert Linford]

Roger, I fear it all started on their wedding day when the groom noticed that the bride's wedding dress train arrived two minutes and forty-three seconds late.


After that, whenever his mother-in-law visited he demanded to see her ticket.


Finally the marriage hit the buffers.

[Paul Williams]

This could be Barbara in 1887.

[Paul Williams]

Banns were read at All Saints Poplar. There was a William Henry Deas born in Whitechapel 1860. In 1893 he is listed as the father of Francis Sydney Deas at his baptism. His wife was then listed as Mary Elizabeth Eunice.

[Robert Linford]

There were no William Deas marriages in England and Wales for the last two quarters of 1887. Maybe there was a dramatic scene at the altar.

[R. J. Palmer]

The lady got around!! Four months earlier she was engaged to another man in Poplar. Looks like Edward Riley. What on earth is she up to? Getting into short-term engagements with widowers.

[R. J. Palmer]

It would obviously take more work and confirmation, but there was an Edward Riley who married a Margaret Burns in Whitechapel during the 1st quarter of 1883, and a Margaret Riley who subsequently died in Whitechapel the last quarter of 1885, so, in theory, this could be Edward Riley, the widower of 1887. Barbara aka "Lightnin' Hopkins," no relation to the famous blues man. Her marriages were over in a flash.

[Anna Morris]

There were no William Deas marriages in England and Wales for the last two quarters of 1887. Maybe there was a dramatic scene at the altar.

Are we sure the name is "Deas"? I have a personal reason for asking but do not wish to say more. It looks like Deas but the final letter is a bit ambiguous.

[Paul Williams]

I think it is Deas but can't be certain. If it turned out to be Rees that would be interesting.

[R. J. Palmer]

You can see on his children's marriage bands and elsewhere that his name was actually William Henry Dear. In the 1891 Census he is living at No. 27 Cook's Road, Kennington Park (Newington St Mary, District 5) which is the same address listed on the christening of Francis Sydney Deas in 1893. Assuming we have the same guy...which I am no long sure of..

The William Henry Deas born in Whitechapel in 1860 is not the same guy who married Mary Elizabeth Eunice...and ended up in Cook's Road, Kennington Park.

I **think** Barbara L. got engaged to Deas from Whitechapel/Poplar, and Dear from Newington/Kennington is someone else entirely, having been born in Uxbridge in 1858. Ancestry transcription errors wrongly recorded him as Deas.

[Cogidubnus]

You can see on his children's marriage bands and elsewhere that his name was actually William Henry Dear. In the 1891 Census he is living at No. 27 Cook's Road, Kennington Park (Newington St Mary, District 5) which is the same address listed on the christening of Francis Sydney Deas in 1893. Assuming we have the same guy...which I am no long sure of..

The William Henry Deas born in Whitechapel in 1860 is not the same guy who married Mary Elizabeth Eunice...and ended up in Cook's Road, Kennington Park.

I **think** Barbara L. got engaged to Deas from Whitechapel/Poplar, and Dear from Newington/Kennington is someone else entirely, having been born in Uxbridge in 1858. Ancestry transcription errors wrongly recorded him as Deas.

Hi Roger

Reverting to the banns, check out the "s" on the end of Deas, compared to that in Louise..they're pretty much identical...I'm not entirely sure "Deas" and the "Dear" produced are one and the same person...

Dave

[Paul Williams]

Yes, Dear and Deas were separate individuals. That leaves us with Barbara possibly engaged to two different widowers in 1887.

[R. J. Palmer]

I stayed up late last night looking this over. I see now that I turned 'marriage banns' turned into marriage bands...another hour of midnight oil and they would have become orchestras.

A possible clue to finding out more about the identities of Mary Jane and Barbara Louisa Hopkins might be found in the Emily Cope abortion case from 1884. Mary Jane Hopkins mentions a 'relative' named Emily Morgan, the daughter of Thomas Morgan of Llangennech, who was said to have been on good terms with Dr. Thomas Morgan Hopkins. Emily even gives a deposition at the inquest and is described as a 'young girl.' Unfortunately, Morgan appears to have been a common name down in that part of Wales and it might take considerable work to sort it out. There is an easy-to-find Thomas Morgan, born Llangennech in 1847, but he doesn't appear to be the right person.

[Robert Linford]

I don't know how this might fit in. Hemy? Henry?

[R. J. Palmer]

I am fairly certain that Barbara's second finance in 1887 is the same man mentioned earlier; the William Henry Deas born in Whitechapel in 1860. He is in the 1861 census, living at No. 29 Lower East Smithfield with his parents John and Ann. His father was a custom's 'tidewaiter,' born Scotland. What is somewhat interesting is that WHD seems to have ended up in Cardiff in his middle-age, married to yet another Mary Jane. (1911 census) It's an interesting mystery, but I think I may have to give it up.

[Paul Williams]

Emily Cope was sent to John Morgan Hopkins by Andrew Francis Bayntun who was described in the press as a married dentist.

He married Elizabeth Crocker in Swansea 1859 but she filed for divorce in 1878 after he moved to Bath without her consent. This doesn't appear to have been finalised because in the 1881 census she was still calling herself a Dentist's wife. Her husband was then living with Emily Morris, a Welshgirl posing as his wife who died in 1883 and was buried as Bayntun. They had a child Constance who was adopted by relatives.

Bayntun died in France in 1890. His probate record says he was formerly of 1 Quay Street, Cardigan.