Author Topic: Last-ditch attempt to find Florence Maud Marjorie Brooks: can you help?  (Read 3165 times)

Offline suek2075

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Re: Last-ditch attempt to find Florence Maud Marjorie Brooks: can you help?
« Reply #9 on: Friday 19 June 15 17:06 BST (UK) »
A search on FindMyPast for marriages shows Oliver W Bowdler marrying a June I Jones in Taunton in 1946. I know that isn't Florence  ;) but hadn't seen it mentioned so wasn't sure if you knew about it

Keddie, Hutson - Scottish Borders and Edinburgh
Menzies, Montague - Penicuik and Castle Douglas
McEvoy, Cavanagh - Ireland

Offline JaneyH_104

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Re: Last-ditch attempt to find Florence Maud Marjorie Brooks: can you help?
« Reply #10 on: Friday 19 June 15 17:17 BST (UK) »
Many thanks - I was not aware of a possible second marriage for Marion.  I'll check out the details!

It's very interesting that she stayed in the Portsmouth area: three of my grandfather's sisters (i.e. Oliver's children from his first relationship) all lived in/around Portsmouth for most of their lives.  I guess I'll never know whether they knew of each other's existence.
BOWDLER - Forest of Dean & Devon, DYSON, ENTWISTLE & TOWNEND - Huddersfield, CLARKE - Dorset, SCOBLE - Devon, HOUGH, COPE & WHITTAKER - Cheshire, BRACHER - Wiltshire, DENNISS - Herts/Hunts, SQUIRE - Hunts/Beds, BROWN - Herts/Beds

Offline JaneyH_104

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Re: Last-ditch attempt to find Florence Maud Marjorie Brooks: can you help?
« Reply #11 on: Friday 19 June 15 17:25 BST (UK) »
suek - thanks for that. The marriage to June Jones in 1946 is in fact that of my great-grandfather's son (also Oliver William).  My great-grandfather Oliver married Beatrice Manley in 1946.  I'm just glad that my Mum has been able to sort through some of these names and put me right - otherwise I'd have got into a dreadful muddle!
BOWDLER - Forest of Dean & Devon, DYSON, ENTWISTLE & TOWNEND - Huddersfield, CLARKE - Dorset, SCOBLE - Devon, HOUGH, COPE & WHITTAKER - Cheshire, BRACHER - Wiltshire, DENNISS - Herts/Hunts, SQUIRE - Hunts/Beds, BROWN - Herts/Beds

Offline jzmcollins

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Re: Last-ditch attempt to find Florence Maud Marjorie Brooks: can you help?
« Reply #12 on: Friday 12 January 18 10:49 GMT (UK) »
Hi Janey, I am the grandson of Marion Olive Bowdler, my great grandfather was Oliver William Bowdler.


Offline 25rodbourne

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Re: Last-ditch attempt to find Florence Maud Marjorie Brooks: can you help?
« Reply #13 on: Thursday 16 January 20 20:29 GMT (UK) »
I AM NORMAN BROOKS MY FATHER WAS A PETER BROOKS HE WAS BORN IN A NURSEING HOME IN CARDIFF IN 1922 HIS MOTHER SURNAME WAS ALSO BROOKS becouse she was an unmarried mother and her farther sent her to have him in cardiff to keep it quite he owend a big  hotel in the forest of dean. i dont know if this is any help?

Offline Girl Guide

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Re: Last-ditch attempt to find Florence Maud Marjorie Brooks: can you help?
« Reply #14 on: Thursday 16 January 20 22:19 GMT (UK) »
Hello Norman

Welcome to Rootschat  :D

Do you know the name of Florence's father?  Do you know the name of the hotel that he owned and where it was exactly?  The Forest of Dean is a fairly large area. 
Ashford: Somerset, London
England: Devon, London, New Zealand
Holdway: Wiltshire
Hooper: Bristol, Somerset
Knowling: Devon, London
Southcott: Devon, China
Strong: Wiltshire
Watson: Cambridgeshire
White: Bristol
Windo - Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire

Offline JaneyH_104

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Re: Last-ditch attempt to find Florence Maud Marjorie Brooks: can you help?
« Reply #15 on: Saturday 18 January 20 15:46 GMT (UK) »
Hi Norman, welcome to Rootschat.

Since my original post two years ago I've discovered much more about Florence, working with jmzcollins who posted above (we're half second cousins) and another of her descendants who lives in Australia.

The children that Florence had with my great-grandfather were all registered with his surname of Bowdler, with her name of Brooks given as the mother's maiden name. As per my original post, they were: Peter William Oliver (Oct 1923, Cardiff), twins Patrick and Gordon (born and sadly died 1925, Cardiff); Marion (born 1926, Cardiff); Ruth (born 1927, Okehampton Devon, died 1928 same place); and Kenneth (born & died 1929, Okehampton, Devon). 

Florence and Oliver William were never married to each other: he was still married to my great-grandmother (who was in a mental hospital) and she was still married to her husband, John Ralph Hamilton. Florence and her husband had a daughter before she met my great-grandfather - Marjorie Hamilton, born in Cardiff in 1919.

Florence died in 1930 in Devon. While the newspaper reports of the funeral refer to the death of "Mrs O.W. Bowdler" her death certificate records her as Florence Hamilton. My great-grandfather was the informant.

The names, dates and location of Cardiff from your story certainly overlap with that of Florence, but I'm not sure that your father Peter would have been her son. As far as my research goes she originated from Devon, and married her husband John Ralph Hamilton in 1916 in Devonport, then moved to Cardiff. There is no known link between Florence and the Forest of Dean - it is my great-grandfather Oliver William Bowdler whose roots are there.

I've looked at births for a child named Peter Brooks in Cardiff between 1920 and 1924. Aside from Peter W.O.Brooks already mentioned above, born October 1923, the only other record is a Peter Brooks born Apr-Jun quarter 1923. Given there's only a maximum of six months between the two births they must have been born to different mothers.

I hope this helps!
BOWDLER - Forest of Dean & Devon, DYSON, ENTWISTLE & TOWNEND - Huddersfield, CLARKE - Dorset, SCOBLE - Devon, HOUGH, COPE & WHITTAKER - Cheshire, BRACHER - Wiltshire, DENNISS - Herts/Hunts, SQUIRE - Hunts/Beds, BROWN - Herts/Beds

Offline Girl Guide

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Re: Last-ditch attempt to find Florence Maud Marjorie Brooks: can you help?
« Reply #16 on: Saturday 18 January 20 16:17 GMT (UK) »
Well that was interesting Janey.  Good to know that you were able to sort out what was what with Florence. 

I had the same situation in my family history.  Great grandfather met a woman whilst still married to my great grandmother.  He never married her even though his wife died two years before he did, so a marriage could have taken place in that time.  They had a daughter who married but never had any children.

Did you ever find a birth record for your Florence?
Ashford: Somerset, London
England: Devon, London, New Zealand
Holdway: Wiltshire
Hooper: Bristol, Somerset
Knowling: Devon, London
Southcott: Devon, China
Strong: Wiltshire
Watson: Cambridgeshire
White: Bristol
Windo - Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire