I contacted SOPHIEDOG by PM yesterday (since dealing with living people) trying to pindown who her ex husband was and where 'Dennis' married, etc. as I had come up with a possibility. Tall Al is right with regard to the 1945 marriage, etc. and the 1939 entry for George R. Lane
George Robert Lane was born 29/4/1890 Cusworth (Doncaster), Yorkshire and baptised 25/5/1890 Sprotborough, Yorkshire, son of William and Jane. He married an Alice Maude Carling in Jun.qtr. 1920 Darlington. Alice Maude Carling was born 10/6/1884, bp. 25/6/1884 Darlington, Yorkshire - age ties in with 1939 register - she died 2/2/1956 in Knutsford Hospital, of Colshaw Lodge, Over Peover, Knutsford, Cheshire, wife of George Robert Lane, butler. The couple do not appear to have had any children (she was some 6 years older than him and 36 when they married).
George Robert Lane then remarried to Alice Owen 1960 Westminster. Alice Owen was born 22/5/1893, bp.14/6/1893 Chester le Street, Durham, dau. of George and Eliza. Her age ties in with death in Dec.1978 Macclesfield and in 1939 she was single, living 10 Gloucester Street, Westminster. I suspect it may have been some kind of boarding house as she lived there from 1935 to 1939 per electoral rolls and 5/6 unrelated people living at same address. However, although shown as single 1939 (as indeed she was) the electoral rolls 1935-1939 show her as Mrs. Alice Owen - was this for respectability as she had a child? I suspect it was.
SOPHIEDOG says Denis W. Owen died within last 3 years - can confirm he was living in Brighton from 2002-2014 according to electoral roll (my source only goes up to 2014).Had lived there 31 years. His wife, Laura nee Wheeler, died 1973 Brighton.
So, George Owen was actually George Robert Lane, a Butler, born 29/4/1890 Cusworth, Yorkshire who married Alice Maude Carling 1920 Doncaster. 'Gladys' was actually Alice Owen b.22/5/1893 Chester le Street, Durham who at some point moved to London where she was from 1935 until her marriage to George Robert Lane in 1960. He then takes her back to Knutsford, Cheshire where they both subsequently died. Although single, from 1935-1939 she is listing herself as Mrs Alice Owen and I'm assuming this is because she has a child. We know now her son 'Dennis' was actually a Denis W. Owen born illegitimately ca.1923 - however, there is no birth entry for him under either Owen or Lane and thus can't even confirm where exactly he was born.
In conclusion, it seems that Denis W. Owen was told his father was George Robert Lane, Butler so had George had a dalliance with Alice Owen resulting in son Denis W. Owen or was he simply later to be his step-father? I have suggested to SOPHIEDOG that she contacts Brighton Register Office to obtain a copy of Denis' death certificate which will have his date and place of birth. I haven't purchased any modern day death certificates so don't know if his parents would be listed or not.
So, George Owen was and is always George Robert Lane, Gladys Owen was actually Alice Owen and Dennis was actually Denis W. Owen.
Annette
