WWI Pension Paid To Stepchild?

[Just Kia]

I've spent many hours searching sites and trawling through various registers in the hopes of finding Stanley Charles SCALES (b.1899) after 1911.
I have his marriage in 1922 and my grandma's birth in 1923 and then just family stories that he "disappeared".
Having returned from an FH break I've been treated with a teeny tiny lead in the form of a WWI Pension index card stamped 5 Dec 1923.
However, the pension is to be paid to Stanley's 12 year old stepson - William. Stanley's wife (stepson's mother) was still very much alive then*.
Would this have been a "normal" thing to do or would it suggest that Stanley had died by then?
Any clues why the pension would be paid to the stepson rather than the wife?

* Lily died in 1972 and - although I can't put my hands on the cert as it's mysteriously missing from my folder - I'm sure she was recorded as "wife of Stanley Charles Scales" and not "widow of" but I guess that's only as accurate as the informant - William.
Lily never did remarry although the story is that she "ran off" with another man leaving Stanley with the children and within the next couple years he passed the children on to his unwilling sister, did a disappearing act and was never to be spoken of again.

[cath151]

Hi
There is a Maintenance casein Bury St Edmunds in 1928. No wifes name given but Stanley Scales which mentions maintenance for a stepchild (a girl aged 11). His wife had deserted him and the childs Aunt Mrs Ada Charlotte Palfrey (sister of wife) was looking after the child.
Lots of similarities maybe?
Available FindMyPast or https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results/1928-02-04/1928-02-04?basicsearch=stanley%20scales&somesearch=stanley%20scales&retrievecountrycounts=false

Cathy

[cath151]

Possibly
Ada Charlotte Bridges who married Herbert William Palfrey in Thingoe 1902
There is a marriage for a Lily Bridges to a William C Feakes 1911 Bury st Edmunds.
Perhaps sisters?

Cathy

[mckha489]

That looks good doesn’t it.

The 11 yr old child?

Births Sep 1917   (>99%)
Feakes    Irene G M    Bridges    Bury St.Edmunds    4a   1331


Did she go to Lily’s sister, and “Grandma” go to Stanley’s sister?

Added.  That article says Stanley is living with his parents

[Just Kia]

Yes! Ada was Lily's sister, Ellen was Stanley's sister. Irene (and William) were from Lily's first marriage.
Going to have a look at the link now - thank you.

[Just Kia]

Well, that supports the family story that Lily "ran off with another man".
And also supports Ellen (Aunt Nell) being angry at Stanley - presumably for skimping on the child support payments.
The article is from Feb 1928 and would tie in with roughly when grandma said she last saw her dad.
But the WWI pension card is stamped 5 Dec 1923 with the pension to be paid to William (not either of the aunts looking after the children). As he the maintenance case was 1928 and Stanley pled guilty he evidently didn't die c.1923 so why would his pension be paid to his stepson?
Curiouser and curiouser!

[mckha489]

Who are Stanley’s parents?  Where did they live and when did they die?
Where is he in 1911?

I had been thinking he was this one

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XWN9-6HN

But that doesn’t fit with Aunty Ellen/Nell. Unless like my aunt who was named Gertrude she chose to be called something else?

[Just Kia]

Stanley's parents were Isaac John SCALES (1859-1932) and Elizabeth (nee ENGLISH)(1861-?).
1901 they're in Great Welnetham, Suffolk with Ellen, Alice, Gerty & Stanley.
1911 they're in Roxwell, Essex (I have no idea why) with Isaac using his middle name of John. Ellen & Alice aren't with them as they're both married by then.

Isaac & Elizabeth had 8 children
Amina Elizabeth b1881, m1907 (William NUNN), d1911
Isaac William b1883, d1883
Ellen (Nell) b1884, m1904 (William MOTHERSOLE), m1925 (Thomas SHELDRAKE), d1938
Alice Maud May b1887, m1908 (William LOWE), d?
Florence May b1889, m1914 (Charles CANN), d1958
Gertrude Emma b1895, m1922 (George CANNELL), d?
Stanley Charles b1899, m1922 (Lily FEAKES nee BRIDGES), d?
Plus one other according to 1911 census (8 children, 6 living, 2 who have died).

Last night I found Lily in 1939!
Living with Charles HAWKE (as married) and son Bernard.

A child maintenance order in 1928 has Stanley "living with his parents" (no address noted in the newspaper article though). Lily's sister, Ada, taking over custody of Irene. Mention of another 5 year old child (grandma - who then went to live with Stanley's sister, Ellen), and a self-supporting older child (William).
William's father is Lily's first husband - William Charles FEAKES.
Irene's father is unknown as first husband was dead but she wasn't yet with Stanley but when Lily & Stanley married he apparently became responsible for her existing children.

I'm guessing that Lily & Charles didn't last though as when Lily died William gave her occupation as "husband of Stanley Charles SCALES".

I've searched Stanley's siblings in 1939 and not found him with any of them and not yet found his mother, Elizabeth although she could have died by then.

[Tickettyboo]

I don't think the pension index card was an award in respect of Stanley's service.

There is another pension index card for William Charles Feakes,  Pte 6654, Norfolk Regiment.

The pension for support of his son William Kimberley Feakes d.o.b. 04.08.11 was awarded in 1915 and was due to be paid till August 1927.

I assume there was also an allowance for his widow, which (?) would no longer be paid when she re-married in 1922, but the maintenance for the child would continue. That could explain the 1923 date?
and also explain why he was considered to be self supporting in 1928 - he would be 17 and working.

Perhaps (and I am just guessing) as Stanley was the child's guardian and he'd been in the forces the Army just noted that against his records to be sure it wasn't double claimed :-)

Boo