Hello Everyone,
Sorry in advance!!! this might be a long explanation of a family "mystery", that I hope someone may be able to help with-- posted here as I have no idea which country to put it in, let alone county!
My greatgrandmother's favorite younger sister JULIA TUXWORTH, married a man called ERNEST EDWIN WARREN, in 1893 in Stepney. The family "story" is that Julia made rather a good marriage, as he became a Sea Captain (merchant navy), but that after they had had 3 daughters he "went walkabout" and disapered in Australia, leaving her and the children. But , there was more to this than simply a husband running off, that there was attached to his disappearance a huge scandal, that both his family and hers tried to hush-up.
Dying to know what this scandal was I have been trying to find out about Ernest-- the marriage cert gives his birth year as 1871, "Chief Officer on board ship", father James Warren, "Carriage Manufacturer".
I cannot find a James or Ernest Warren on any censuses etc. On the 1901, Julia was as married but living with her parents, 1911, again as married, visiting someone with one dau, the other 2 with relations.--Ernest is presumably at sea- but not found yet!
Here is my mystery that needs help--- trawling the web, I came across a reference to "a" Ernest Edwin Warren on the Newfoundland Grandbanks site--a letter from him written in 1916 in which he refers to a "Julia" and children, - but with a mysterious note attached to the posting that says the letter writer was a sea captain who, involved in undercover work after the 1st WW was "captured " by a gang in Australia, drugged, held in a mental asylum, was eventually rescued, and returned to London, where he died shortly after in 1925!! (his father having spent a lot of time and money to find him)The author of this post says this man was born in London, the son of a James Warren, but that James, his wife and other children were all born in NFLD,and that Ernest, although he died in London, was buried in Canada. -No one in my family has ever suggested "our" Ernest was of Canadian family---now I have found a reference to a retired sea captain called Ernest Edwin Warren in an Australian Newspaper of 1924, saying he was a prosecution witness against ,and victim of, a "gang" of fraudsters--who "Admitted" that he had "lost his memory". And , I have found a retired Captain,Mariner,of same name on incoming ships passenger lists in 1924.-travelling from Sydney. It is possible that these are not all the same man- and maybe none of them are "my" Ernest at all!----So, has anyone come across any of this, or a man called Ernest Edward Warren in their researches?? And can anyone find him on a census anywhere?? Any thoughts Very gratefully received--sorry it was so long winded!!
Sally
