Thread: James Wells or Newman

Here's hoping someone can help me with a mystery that's bugged me for over twenty years.

My grandfather James Wells changed his name sometime between 1891 and 1919 to James Newman, and I can't find out anything about his life during this period.

He was born James Wells on 5th July 1870, in Newington (then Surrey) to parents William Henry Wells and Margaret (née Twomey), and baptised in St Leonard's, Shoreditch. (This seemed to be the "family church" and they actually gave a Shoreditch address, and did so for James' siblings too).

I have found James in the 1871, 1881 and 1891 censuses:
1871: RG10; Piece: 612; Folio: 103; Page: 6
1881: RG11; Piece: 522; Folio: 124; Page: 44
1891: RG12; Piece: 351; Folio 109; Page 41

and I think this is him in the 1901: RG13; Piece: 365; Folio: 143; Page: 9

If it is indeed him, by this time he's with wife Alice M Wells and three children, James (5), Alice (4) and William (2), but I can't find any record of their marriage and I can't find any of them on the 1911 census.

I do know that sometime he changed his surname to Newman. In 1919 he married my grandmother, Clara Frances Sarah Wimpey, under the name Newman and declaring himself a bachelor. They had 4 children - Wilfred, James Henry, Violette Margaret and my father Harold Frederick, sadly all now deceased.

My aunt, their daughter, always believed that he had served in the military because during WW2 he tried to join up but was refused because he was too old. I presume it must have been either the 2nd Boer War or WW1, possibly the Boxer rebellions, but again I can't find anything to corroborate this. She did not know why he changed his name but thought it was probably something to do with being in a fight whilst drunk (he was a heavy drinker throughout his life). However I don't know why she thought this; it may have just been guesswork but you can see where this is leading in my imagination!

After he married my grandmother they lived in Pimlico, and he worked with his brother William Henry Wells, who had an upholstery workshop somewhere near Victoria. He died during WW2, I think 1943 onwards, but again I can't find a death cert for him as it's such a common name.

I do have details of James' ancestry so I'm not looking for that - it's his later life that's the mystery. Anyone got any ideas?

Elaine, thanks. I'll take a look at this and if necessary order the cert.

I looked at many possible leads years ago when I was just starting out, and made the classic mistake of only recording successful searches. Now I can't remember whether or not I have already followed certain things up, and often have to do them all over again. However this one isn't ringing any bells so fingers crossed.

Pam

Hello

I too have found this cert and can find Alice Maria MARTIN b Shropshire, but not pinned down to Shrewsbury

elsabels

Thanks Elsabels and Elaine, I have now found this entry. Unfortunately a search on the LMA marriage archives shows that Alice Maria Martin married Henry Hoad, one of the other people shown on the same page, and James Wells married Agnes Ellen Copsey, the fourth person. Back to the drawing board...