RootsChat.Com

Hi Nessie

sorry it's been a while since replying. I'm now as certain as I can be that Albert John Victor Allez and John Ansell were one and the same person. It looks as if he took the name Ansell in about 1940 just before enlisting in the army. He was still in Jersey at the time.

That's about as far as I can take it from the 'Allez' side I think. I'm hoping someone on the 'Finch' side may have some more information or even photos.

This is a possible. I think that Alfred John Alley's father was Alfred Alley born 1873. There is no death of an Alfred Alley but there is this death:

ALFRED ANSELL
Birth year   1873
Age   67
Death year   1940 4th quarter
WORTHING
Volume   2B
Page   940

So perhaps the whole Alley family changed their name to Ansell?

If AJV Allez and J Ansell are one and the same then the parents would be Albert Frederick Allez (1871-1941) and Lilian Mary Allez (nee MacDonald) (1875-1973) from St Helier

Suggest a look at Jerripedia. That is a Jersey-related site and there is an associated Guernsey site (may be called Donkipedia).

I found this by chance and I know the thread is quite old.

I reached the same conclusion that Albert John Victor Allez b 15/6/1908 in St Helier, Jersey is one and the same person as John Ansell (same birth date) who died in Worthing in 1982. I am a descendent of AJV Allez on the Jersey side of the family and what became of AJV has always been a but of a mystery. My late father tried to research this and came up with Army records in the name of Ansell but then a full stop.

The Allez family did not change their name en masse to Ansell, that much I do know but I am trying to piece some other information together. Unfortunately all of the people who would have known AJV when he was in Jersey are now dead.

I believe that what happened is that AJV left the island just before the occupation and elected to serve in the army under a more "English" name. After WW2 he didn't revert to AJV Allez and made a new life for himself. I am sure there is more to it than that and I wouldn't mind knowing!

As you rightly say there was another Albert James Allez (1906 - 1982?) and this can confuse thing. As far as I can see he was AJV's cousin.

I do have some more information but it's not for publication on a public internet forum.