Place of Birth on Death Certificate

[jonw65]

if you need our help with this chap then please tell us more

Might be the "Irish Count", Mr. Devauden.
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=73372.0

His death -
Dec 1974 Barrow in Furness
Devauden, James Matthew
d-o-b 27 Sep 1891

Address was in Ulverston, he died 20 December (Probate Calendar)

Free index to 1939 Register has James Devauden in Hull, but born 1889
He is on the Hull electoral registers, Autumn 1923/Spring 1924 at 10 Grove Street, with Kitty and Alice Blackmore
Then from Autumn 1924 he is at 62 Cottingham Road with George and Catherine Trueman.
Interestingly, Charles Albrecht also appears at 10 Grove Street at the same time, and this chap also moves to 62 Cottingham in autumn 24!

This looks like James Devauden in the free index to 1911, with a place of birth of Leamington
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01kia/

[jonw65]

This looks like James Devauden in the free index to 1911, with a place of birth of Leamington
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01kia/

Just noticed on that free index entry the presence of a Carl Eric Albrecht!

[jonw65]

Death of the friend
June 1932 Sculcoates 9d 249
Albrecht, Carl Eric
age 76

Died of Heart Failure on 24th May
Address 62 Cottingham Rd
Profession - Retired (from what?)
Buried 27th May 1932 at Northern Cemetery, Hull
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-996P-KZD3?i=202&cat=705071

[ChrisAllonby]

Looking at a recent (2015) death certificate I noticed that it has Place of Birth. How long has this useful item of information been on death certificates? I'm interested in a 1974 death, and if the certificate did have Place of Birth it would be an enormous help with my research. Thanks, Chris.

Chris if you need our help with this chap then please tell us more,one of us may be able to find more info for you.

Regards

Carol

Hello Carol,
Thanks for the offer. My mystery man is called James Devauden. He is not a relative, but was a long-standing family friend dating back to WWII and until his death in 1974. He is the subject of an earlier post of mine from several years ago. There is no one else in the world with the name of Devauden (except two people who I've been in contact with, and who took the name when they married near the village of Devauden - their story checks out). So with no one else having the name Devauden the inescapable conclusion is that it is not his real name. You can find all records about this man on Ancestry, such as they are. Other than that, I have the 1939 ID card record that places him in Hull in 1939. I suspect he may have been a conscientious objector but I have no evidence of this, but it might explain a change of name. Other than that, we know he trained to be a catholic priest, possibly in Hull, but never made it.

Any thoughts or ideas on this enigma most gratefully received. Many thanks, Chris.

[josey]

Death of the friend
June 1932 Sculcoates 9d 249
Albrecht, Carl Eric
age 76
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-996P-KZD3?i=202&cat=705071

Wonder who was the informant on the death certificate?

Perhaps the relationship between Carl & James would have been frowned upon, or worse, so James changed his name? They appear to have been friends from at least 1911 to at least 1924.

Died of Heart Failure on 24th May
Address 62 Cottingham Rd
Profession - Retired (from what?)
Buried 27th May 1932 at Northern Cemetery, Hull
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-996P-KZD3?i=202&cat=705071

Marginal note states 'dug for 2 only, perpetuity', compartment 158 grave 62. WOnder if James hoped to be buried alongside?

ADDED: Also wonder if the will is worth obtaining? May mention family ....

[ChrisAllonby]

Hello JonW and Josie, thank you very much for your detective work. I think it gives me some great leads. I can't understand how I missed 'Devanden'. It's obviously him! Funny thing is, I can't find that birth in Leamington/Warwick anywhere (I'm on holiday in Portugal at the moment and don't have access to Ancestry until I get home). Interesting thought about the relationship with Carl Albrecht. Devauden remained unmarried and lived as a lodger with my great aunt from soon after WWII until her death in 1973. He was a strange man in many respects and would never discuss his past. He was also a very clever man. I'll see what I can do to follow up on the information you've provided. Thanks again, Chris.

[josey]

I certainly think the life of Carl/Charles Albrecht is worth researching further to see in what other ways his path may have crossed/been parallel to James'. Can he be found on earlier censuses/electoral rolls etc.? Did HE leave a will that can be found?

Can you find a James Matthew XXX born Leamington in the time frame? He may not have changed his forenames. Official name changes were, I think, published in the London Gazette. I have looked at the general newspaper archive but can't find either man yet.

ADDED: What about following up James' occupation on the 1939 register? He may have been professionally qualified.

ADDED 2: In 1889 [which I think is the most likely year of birth] Leamington was in Warwick registration district. Assuming he MAY have kept his forenames this is the only James M birth in Warwick 1889, but wrong quarter 
Births Mar 1889   
Gould    James Montague        Warwick    6d   587
ALso
Births Sep 1889   
Jeffs    James        Warwick    6d   571    
Russell    James        Warwick    6d   570
Perhaps try to find these in 1891, 1901?

[ec]

If he took his surname from the Devauden village near Chepstow it is worth noting the the parish church is St JAMES,  so possibly where 'James Devauden' comes from

[ChrisAllonby]

Thanks again for all the suggestions and various pointers. I've now had a chance to look further into this based on the above suggestions and the salient facts (most likely to be true) are:

The person in question, known as James Devauden, was born on 27 September. This is given on the record of death in 1974, and the 1939 identity card database. There is conflicting information about the year of birth, apparently being either 1891 (death record) or 1889 (1911 census and 1939 ID)

I cannot find a record for James Devauden, or anything close, in 1901 or 1891, nor can I find a suitable birth record for Leamington/Warwick in either 1889 or 1891. The ones I've so far examined can be ruled out by, for example, their subsequent appearance in 1911 or other records.

In 1911 he was living in Hereford, 30 miles due north of Devauden in Monmouthshire, where the parish church is St James (this makes a Google search for "James Devauden" the person, quite difficult!).

No one else in the world appears to be called Devauden, so surely this is not his real name.

He was a devout catholic who probably trained for the priesthood, but it's not known where, or when.

In 1939 his occupation was given as Visiting Manual Instructor, Mar College, Mechanical Engineer. 'Mar' refers to the Marist College in Hull, a catholic boys school, now closed.

Soon after 1939 he moved to Ulverston to work for aircraft engine manufacturer Armstrong Siddeley. He lived in Ulverston until his death in 1974.

The suggestion that he was a homosexual is quite plausible. He had no known relationships, save for the apparently platonic relationship, as a lodger, with my great aunt, from WWII until her death. As pointed out, homosexuality might be a cause for name change.

He left a will, and I'll obtain a copy, though I'm not hopeful of anything significant on it. He left £1800 and I'm pretty certain it would have been left to the Catholic Church.

Charles/Carl Albrecht is interesting, and definitely worthy of further investigation. However, with the significant age difference between James and Carl, the possibility of a homosexual relationship is perhaps not high, but who knows.

Thank you again for the help and suggestions, and anything further would be gratefully received.

Chris.