An Intriguing Marriage Certificate

[PatLac]

Joseph DAVENPORT, father Joseph DAVENPORT, mother Mary Ann DICKINSON.

Name:   Mother's Maiden Surname:
DAVENPORT, JOSEPH       DICKINSON 
GRO Reference: 1859  J Quarter in ALTRINCHAM UNION  Volume 08A  Page 161


Ellen OSPEY    and Joseph DAVENPORT married in Brantford, Canada, on 20 May 1907.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KSZH-DDS?lang=en

Ellen ASPEY DAVENPORT Daugher of Joseph Aspey & Mary Harley ??

Phyllis ELWELL (nee ASPEY) ??

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/213779173/ellen-davenport#view-photo=209490785

[Rowan Tree]

Brilliant! Thanks 

I'm smiling at the spelling OSPEY. I'll have to add that one to the list of variation spellings.

On Ellen DAVENPORT's death certificate it records her parents as Joseph ASPEY (Ellen's father was Job ASPEY) and Mary HARLEY (Ellen's mother was Martha DAVIES).
I thought this error could simply have been down to the fact that the person who registered the death (Jack ASPEY, I assume that's John, Ellen's son) had forgotten/couldn't remember and there wasn't anyone to ask and clarify with.

Phyllis ELWELL is interesting. When I first spotted the name Phyllis, I thought of Ellen's granddaughter, Phyllis Edith GOOD nee MASON who was born in 1916.
Phyllis and her husband, Robert divorced in 1943 (I think).
I'm wondering if Phyllis remarried. Robert L. G. GOOD definitely remarried.

[Rowan Tree]

I found the following in The Expositor Newspaper, dated 24 May 1990:

ELWELL
Phyllis - At the Brantford General Hospital, on Tuesday, May 22, 1990, Phyllis Mason; beloved wife of Joseph Elwell, dear mother of Sharon Ingram and her husband, Jim; much loved by five grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at the Beckett - Glaves Family Funeral Centre, 88 Brant Avenue on Saturday at 1p.m., with Reverend Peter Aquilina officiating. Cremation. 

[PatLac]

Excellent work! Can't wait to hear about Margaret   

[PatLac]

I wonder if Wellington's allegation that Alice was already dead in 1889 could be true, given that her brother Samuel named his daughter born in 1889, Martha Alice Aspey?

I have checked all marriages of Alice ASPEY between 1878 and 1884 (the others are after 1911) and the only one that is still a mystery is the one between Alice ASPEY (widow) to Edward LEAF in 1884. The marriage certificate says her father was George DUTTON, but I couldn't find a previous marriage DUTTON-ASPEY (and variations of these surnames).

[Rowan Tree]

I wonder if Wellington's allegation that Alice was already dead in 1889 could be true, given that her brother Samuel named his daughter born in 1889, Martha Alice Aspey?

I have checked all marriages of Alice ASPEY between 1878 and 1884 (the others are after 1911) and the only one that is still a mystery is the one between Alice ASPEY (widow) to Edward LEAF in 1884. The marriage certificate says her father was George DUTTON, but I couldn't find a previous marriage DUTTON-ASPEY (and variations of these surnames).

That's quite interesting re. Samuel's daughter, Martha Alice.

Martha Alice ASPEY - birth reg. Jul/Aug/Sept 1888 Birkenhead. Daughter of Samuel ASPEY and Catherine nee DAVIES.

Samuel's mother was Martha, which is likely why Martha Alice was given the name Martha. Catherine's mother was named Catherine. Catherine ASPEY nee DAVIES did have a sister named Alice Ellen DAVIES, so it's possible that the name Alice was inspired by Catherine's sister or Samuel's sister (or both sisters).

Interesting side point:
John DAVIES, who was the father of Catherine ASPEY nee DAVIES, was the brother of Martha ASPEY nee DAVIES (mystery Alice ASPEY's mother). So, the marriage of Samuel ASPEY and Catherine DAVIES was between 1st cousins.

[Rowan Tree]

Here are the details of Margaret ASPEY, the other sister of Alice who I found out about while searching for Alice.

Margaret ASPEY (also known as Margaretta and Madge) b. 25/09/1870 in Birkenhead.
22/12/1891 married John MORRIS at St. Mark, Glodwick, Lancs.
Daughter Minnie MORRIS b. 09/04/1898 in Oldham.

Margaret and John MORRIS adopted Harold ASPEY b. 20/04/1890 in Chadderton who was the son of William ASPEY and Sarah Jane ROYDS. Harold was orphaned when his parents died in 1897 & 1898. The family of four appear on the 1901 census.

John, Margaret/Madge & Minnie MORRIS arrive in New York in September 1901.
Harold ASPEY arrives in New York in April 1903.

On the 1910 US Census, John, Madge, Minnie and Harold are living together in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania.

Harold ASPEY married Mary Ellen FLAHERTY, and after Mary Ellen's death, Rose Anna TITTLER.
Harold died in Johnstown, Pennsylvania in 1956.

John and Madge MORRIS live their whole lives in Bloomsburg but make at least 3 trips back to England in 1904, 1931, and 1937.

John died in 1940.
Madge died in 1954.
Madge's obituary mentions her being the last of 13 children. Job and Martha ASPEY did have 13 children, but Job had been widowed very young and had a son, Joseph, from his first marriage. I wonder if Margaret/Madge ever knew about her eldest brother?

Minnie married Walter Clark ANDREWS in 1931 and died in 1978. Her last address was in Bloomsburg, the town her parents lived in.

Minnie went to "Bloomsburg State Normal School" and appears in a year book. See attached image.

[Rowan Tree]

I have checked all marriages of Alice ASPEY between 1878 and 1884 (the others are after 1911) and the only one that is still a mystery is the one between Alice ASPEY (widow) to Edward LEAF in 1884. The marriage certificate says her father was George DUTTON, but I couldn't find a previous marriage DUTTON-ASPEY (and variations of these surnames).

I've tried to look into this a little more. Unfortunately, I haven't turned anything up. Mr. & Mrs. LEAF are very mysterious indeed 

I did spot an Ancestry tree with the LEAF marriage and got in touch with the owner of the tree. They didn't have any other information, but said they'd get back in touch if anything turned up.

Fingers crossed 

[PatLac]

Thanks for sharing Madge's story, it looks like she and her family had a nice time in the US  and Minnie looks lovely