Hello Nicola,
I am not related to Ada Kilbey myself ~ I carried out the research on behalf of a 91 year old friend who is named Frank Devonshire who is a grandson of Emily Ada Kilby & Edward Kensington Devonshire.
From reading my first posting you can see the life story of Emily's earlier years when she worked in London in service.
She came to live in Birmingham where she had two children by her married lover calling herself Mrs Devonshire as though they were married but in truth, Edward Kensington Devonshire remained married to his wife & lived with her in London. He worked as a commercial traveller & presumably spent time with Emily in Birmingham when time allowed.
You say that you would like to learn of what became of Emily in later years in Birmingham ~ this is what I discovered about Emily Ada Kilby..............
Edward George Kensington Devonshire was born on 27th May 1837 the son of Edward George Kensington Devonshire & Emily Ada Kilby. He was born at 90 Bath Row in Birmingham, the home of Emily.
It was Emily who registered the birth & the recorded occupation of the father was shown to be a commercial traveller.
Edward Kensington Devonshire was in fact the husband of Maria Elizabeth Schild. The couple lived in London & they had four children. In earlier years Edward worked as a shipping agents clerk & merchants clerk but he changed occupations & became a commercial traveller dealing in stationery by the time of the 1871 census.
The 1871 census entry places Emily in Paddington in the Kensington district of London where she was working as a housemaid servant. This obviously places her near to Edward as he & his family lived in Lambeth which is also in the Kensington district.
It seems then that Emily became pregnant by Edward Kensington Devonshire but he remained with his wife & family living in London & Emily moved to Birmingham.
Maria Devonshire (nee Schild) died in Poplar, London in 1888 after which Edward lived as a lodger in the home of the Kent family in the St Paul's parish of Newington & he died in 1909 in Lambeth.
Emily moved to live in Birmingham where she gave birth to her daughter Ada Florence Beatrice Devonshire who was born on 14th Sept 1871 at Anglesea Street, Aston Manor, & son Edward George Kensington Devonshire who was born on 27th May1873 in Bath Row, Birmingham & although never marrying his father she registered the births showing herself as being the wife of Edward Kensington Devonshire. A marriage didn't ever take place & so
it appears that Emily registered the births in this manner to save face as being an unmarried mother of an illegitimate baby in those days was frowned upon by society.
It is not known why, but the relationship between Emily Ada Kilby & Edward Kensington Devonshire came to an end & Emily then forged a friendship with a man by the name of Edwin Coldrick who lived at 37 Bath Row, Birmingham which was the same road in which she lived ~ he was a widower. His wife Mary Ann Coldrick (nee Taylor) died in 1872.
Emily began living with Edwin Coldrick acting as his wife & using the name Emily Coldrick although a marriage never took place. She & Edwin had three children together, the first being Henry Edwin Coldrick who was born on 19/1/1876. His birth certificate shows that he was born at 37 Bath Row & that his mother was Emily Ada Coldrick nee Kilby.
Their census entries are as follows :-
1881 = 37 Bath Row, Birmingham. Edwin & Emily are listed along with children named Ada, George & Edwin. Ada was shown as Ada Coldrick but she was really Emily’s daughter born with the surname Devonshire.
A son named Edwin, born 1877 is shown & I believe this to be Edwin & Emily's son who was actually named Henry Edwin Coldrick born 1876. The other child shown is named George Coldrick born Birmingham 1874. I believe that this is actually Emily's son Edward George Kensington Devonshire ~ I can find no birth for a boy named George being born to Emily & Edwin & I suspect that with Edwin perhaps being called Ed this would have led to possible confusion with the lad being named Edward too so perhaps they called him by his middle name. It was common for children raised in this situation to have been known by the man's surname which gives the appearance that they are a proper family together all sharing the
same name.
Edward obviously knew of his true roots though because his marriage entry was registered in his true given name as were all of his census entries following his marriage to Elizabeth Tyler.
1901 = 2 Bath Passage. Edwin & Emily are shown in the home of Edwin's son,
daughter-in-law & grand daughter.
1911 = 2 Bath passage. Edwin died in the early part of 1911 & this census shows Emily, widow, living in 2 Bath Passage with Allen Coldrick who was Edwin's widowed brother. Emily is shown to be working as a charwoman.
The electoral rolls show that Emily still lived at the same address in 1912 too.
Emily died in Birmingham in 1924 ~ Emily Ada Coldrick aged 76
December Qtr 1924 Birmingham North 6d 332
I hope that this information is of help to you Nicola.
I have copies of various records relating to Emily & her children & I also have a photo of Emily too. If you would like me to share these with you could you please send me a private message informing me of your e-mail address & I will e-mail them to you.
Regards,
Treefan.
