EVANS & JOLLIFFE - married each other twice?

[Bherbe]

Hi Ladyhawk,
Thanks so much for all the info and tips. I have been working through the military records trying to tie in an address/location but have not been looking at the signature so far. You have also made me realise something else - thank you - I was trying to place Evan EVANS in and around Swindon, Wiltshire during the war years and your posts reminded me to check their children again. I believe one of their children was born in 1917 and the birth was registered in Devizes, Wiltshire. I have not found a baptism record for this child but if I order the birth record it might give me more of a clue about where they were living at this time. I believe they also had another two children after this in 1920 (possibly twins) but the birth dates leave a slim chance they may still be alive so I haven't included details. I appreciate all the input.

[Bherbe]

Yes I have seen this before where a man in the Army did not did not get permission too married and at a later date married the same person with permission from the Army
[/quote]

That is interesting MargP - thank you. It might be worth me looking for a possible military connection even earlier than 1914 then.

[Ladyhawk]

I believe one of their children was born in 1917 and the birth was registered in Devizes, Wiltshire. I have not found a baptism record for this child but if I order the birth record it might give me more of a clue about where they were living at this time.

Second Lieutenant EVANS, DOUGLAS ALBAN ST. JOHN

Service Number 77822

Died 31/05/1940

Aged 23

246 Field Coy.
Royal Engineers

Mentioned in Despatches

Son of Evan and Edith Mary Evans; husband of C Evans, of Shirehampton, Bristol. B.Sc., Eng. (Lond.).

link - https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2775045/evans,-douglas-alban-st.-john/

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/12735647

[Bherbe]

I believe one of their children was born in 1917 and the birth was registered in Devizes, Wiltshire. I have not found a baptism record for this child but if I order the birth record it might give me more of a clue about where they were living at this time.

Second Lieutenant EVANS, DOUGLAS ALBAN ST. JOHN

Service Number 77822


Died 31/05/1940

Aged 23

246 Field Coy.
Royal Engineers

Mentioned in Despatches

Son of Evan and Edith Mary Evans; husband of C Evans, of Shirehampton, Bristol. B.Sc., Eng. (Lond.).

link - https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2775045/evans,-douglas-alban-st.-john/

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/12735647

That is indeed him! Thanks Ladyhawk - I had nothing on him other than his birth registration and this information gives me a number of leads - much appreciated - I have placed the order at GRO as well.

[Mabel Bagshawe]

They announced the 1909 marriage in the local papers

https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3434648/3434654/121/jolliffe%20AND%20evans

I guess the permission to marry thing may have been an issue - even from his employers. My grandfather had to get permission from his bosses in 1932, by which time he was in his late 30s and a bank manager!

[hanes teulu]

The Western Mail, 18 Jun 1940, carried a report of his death -
"Lieut. Douglas St. John Evans, age 23, second son of Mr & Mrs Evan Evans, Bishop's Road, Whitchurch, nephew of the late William Evans J.P., and Mrs Evans, Bronwydd, Porth.....Married and had a baby son"

[hanes teulu]

http://newspapers.library.wales/view/4607696/4607704/67/

Evan Evans, Snr, death notice

[Rowleyrosie]

The cemetery records page for the cemetery where Lieut. Douglas St. John Evans was buried interested me for the number of Guardsmen and Royal Engineers interred there - my father was a Royal Engineer in WW2 (though he survived) and in several years of visiting cemeteries I have never noticed a number of Royal Engineers as there are here and all killed on 29-31st May 1940. It seems that the action in which they were all killed was when these men were acting as a rearguard during the legendary evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk, holding bridges on the canals to hold back the German troops and allow other servicemen to cross on their way to the beaches at Dunkirk.  And then blowing the bridges to delay the enemy, a job, no doubt for the engineers which might account for the numbers present and killed. Although I could not immediately find any Royal Engineers' battalion diaries for those dates,  I did find this book which gives a detailed record of those dates for each of the guards battalions involved (several of whom were also buried in this cemetery). Though there is no mention of the Royal Engineers it does give a glimpse of the desperate efforts to hold the line to allow the evacuation and later the retreat of the remaining troops.
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015048995396;view=2up;seq=74;skin=mobile

[Ladyhawk]

The Western Mail, 18 Jun 1940, carried a report of his death -
"Lieut. Douglas St. John Evans, age 23, second son of Mr & Mrs Evan Evans, Bishop's Road, Whitchurch, nephew of the late William Evans J.P., and Mrs Evans, Bronwydd, Porth.....
Married and had a baby son"

How very sad for the whole family, so young, married Bristol 1939 C Walters, their son's birth entry Bristol 1940 P St J Evans mn Walters, and his death 1999 Peter St John Evans born 18 Feb 1940