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England / 2nd Lieutenant Frank Edward Wrench, Alice Emma Wrench (Bethell)
« on: Thursday 23 June 16 14:31 BST (UK) »
I'm trying to trace the family of 2nd Lieutenant Frank Edward Wrench and have come to a bit of a brick wall.
As far as I can tell, Frank was born in 1877 in Holborn. His father was Edward John Wrench. His wife was Alice Emma Wrench nee (Bethell). She was born in Sept 1875 in Milland in Sussex. Her parents were Eliza and William Bethell. She possibly died in 1977 in Cleveland, England, although I'm not 100% on this.
Frank and Alice married in 1897 in Horley in Surrey. They had two children, Frank Edward Wrench Jnr born in 1898 in Swaffham in Norfolk and Doris Eva Wrench born Feb 1903 in Watford.
Frank Snr began his career by travelling to Canada and served as a Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman. He returned from there in 1917 and served in WW1 as a driver in Egpyt. Aged about 30 he gained his commission.
He went back to the UK, and he and Alice set up home in Borth in Cardiganshire and Frank ran a car business. From what I can gather, possibly a chauffeur service/a garage type of service and I think I've found evidence of this in Borth. (they seem to have lived in a variety of places around the UK).
Frank apparently suffered from 'nerves' and a couple of years later he goes to London and sells his car business. He takes passage back to Alexandria in Egypt. Where he registers with the British Consulate and goes back to writing articles for local newspapers.
Alice is desperate, Frank has gone without telling where he is, he doesn't collect his pension and she has no money to feed the family. In Alexandria Frank meets some marines from Borth and he asks them when they go home, to tell Alice where he is.
Alice gets this message and writes to the British Consulate asking for Franks address. The Consulate say they have no record of him. Frank meets his batman Hugh Young from the war years. He asks him to go back to the UK to tell Alice where he is. A while later Frank gets a telegram from Hugh saying that alice has died (she had an illness that meant she might die at any time - possibly polio).
Grieving Frank meets a lady called Alexandra Mallia a local Alexandrian woman (not sure if local relates to Egyptian born or ex pat). They get married, the Consulate doing the ceremony.
Shortly after Frank receives a letter from Alice - she's not dead. He also receives a warrant from the British consulate suing him for bigamy.
Frank returns Alexandra to her family, explaining that Alice his wife is actually alive and he and Alexandra can't live together. Alexandra is also pregnant and Frank pays her lying in and also maintenance for 5 years.
Frank pays for Alice and Doris to come to Alexandria (1925) and they all set up home together. I can't find any record or Frank Jnr at this point. Is he dead? Did he die in the Spanish influenza epidemic?
Alexandra takes Frank to court, but a notice not to prosecute is issued and life goes on as normal for 5 years.
Frank (about 52 by this time) finds a good job in Cairo and all is well. then he gets another warrant from the British Consulate, Alexandra has taken him to court again, claiming she is a deserted wife.
Frank's solicitor says that Alexandra can't be a deserted wife, as she wasn't married in the first place. Alice gives testimony as to Frank's nerves etc and how he has come back from Cairo under his own steam. Another notice to prosecute is issued and he is found guilty of bigamy this time and sent to Corrodino prison in Malta, taken there by the SS Flaminian.
I can't find a death record for Frank - did he die in Corrodino? Or maybe Alexandria? Did Alice go back to the UK?
Doris married a man called Private A Rank was was South African and was in the CC corp. From my initial research this seems to have been a coloured corp. Private Rank is buried in Cairo.
I can't find a record of Doris coming back to the UK. Did she died in Egpyt? Did the whole family stay there? or go to Malta to be with Frank? What happened to Frank Jnr?
Also there are several Frank Wrench's in Canada, with different professions and I'm not sure whether they're all Frank Snr, or both Frank Snr & Jnr or a different Frank altogether. I'm getting really confused now.
I can't seem to get any further with this and would love any help that people might be able to give. I have lots of docs that I've pulled off the internet so can hopefully match dates etc.
As far as I can tell, Frank was born in 1877 in Holborn. His father was Edward John Wrench. His wife was Alice Emma Wrench nee (Bethell). She was born in Sept 1875 in Milland in Sussex. Her parents were Eliza and William Bethell. She possibly died in 1977 in Cleveland, England, although I'm not 100% on this.
Frank and Alice married in 1897 in Horley in Surrey. They had two children, Frank Edward Wrench Jnr born in 1898 in Swaffham in Norfolk and Doris Eva Wrench born Feb 1903 in Watford.
Frank Snr began his career by travelling to Canada and served as a Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman. He returned from there in 1917 and served in WW1 as a driver in Egpyt. Aged about 30 he gained his commission.
He went back to the UK, and he and Alice set up home in Borth in Cardiganshire and Frank ran a car business. From what I can gather, possibly a chauffeur service/a garage type of service and I think I've found evidence of this in Borth. (they seem to have lived in a variety of places around the UK).
Frank apparently suffered from 'nerves' and a couple of years later he goes to London and sells his car business. He takes passage back to Alexandria in Egypt. Where he registers with the British Consulate and goes back to writing articles for local newspapers.
Alice is desperate, Frank has gone without telling where he is, he doesn't collect his pension and she has no money to feed the family. In Alexandria Frank meets some marines from Borth and he asks them when they go home, to tell Alice where he is.
Alice gets this message and writes to the British Consulate asking for Franks address. The Consulate say they have no record of him. Frank meets his batman Hugh Young from the war years. He asks him to go back to the UK to tell Alice where he is. A while later Frank gets a telegram from Hugh saying that alice has died (she had an illness that meant she might die at any time - possibly polio).
Grieving Frank meets a lady called Alexandra Mallia a local Alexandrian woman (not sure if local relates to Egyptian born or ex pat). They get married, the Consulate doing the ceremony.
Shortly after Frank receives a letter from Alice - she's not dead. He also receives a warrant from the British consulate suing him for bigamy.
Frank returns Alexandra to her family, explaining that Alice his wife is actually alive and he and Alexandra can't live together. Alexandra is also pregnant and Frank pays her lying in and also maintenance for 5 years.
Frank pays for Alice and Doris to come to Alexandria (1925) and they all set up home together. I can't find any record or Frank Jnr at this point. Is he dead? Did he die in the Spanish influenza epidemic?
Alexandra takes Frank to court, but a notice not to prosecute is issued and life goes on as normal for 5 years.
Frank (about 52 by this time) finds a good job in Cairo and all is well. then he gets another warrant from the British Consulate, Alexandra has taken him to court again, claiming she is a deserted wife.
Frank's solicitor says that Alexandra can't be a deserted wife, as she wasn't married in the first place. Alice gives testimony as to Frank's nerves etc and how he has come back from Cairo under his own steam. Another notice to prosecute is issued and he is found guilty of bigamy this time and sent to Corrodino prison in Malta, taken there by the SS Flaminian.
I can't find a death record for Frank - did he die in Corrodino? Or maybe Alexandria? Did Alice go back to the UK?
Doris married a man called Private A Rank was was South African and was in the CC corp. From my initial research this seems to have been a coloured corp. Private Rank is buried in Cairo.
I can't find a record of Doris coming back to the UK. Did she died in Egpyt? Did the whole family stay there? or go to Malta to be with Frank? What happened to Frank Jnr?
Also there are several Frank Wrench's in Canada, with different professions and I'm not sure whether they're all Frank Snr, or both Frank Snr & Jnr or a different Frank altogether. I'm getting really confused now.
I can't seem to get any further with this and would love any help that people might be able to give. I have lots of docs that I've pulled off the internet so can hopefully match dates etc.