Gunnis-Davis

[keithwjones]

Joseph G Davis, 30, Actor, with wife Mary Isabel Davis, 27, an Actress left the UK in 1904 for New York.

He was a successful actor known as James Gunnis-Davis.

In 1910 he is in New York:
James Gunnis-Davis
Mary I Gunnis-Davis
James I J Gunnis-Davis - son born in 1907

In 1930 the family were resident in Los Angeles and by this time they were enumerated as James Gunnis-Davis, Mary I Gunnis-Davis and James S Gunnis-Davis, aged 23 a Motion Picture Photographer.  Obviously young James Jnr followed the family profession into the movies and also changed his middle name.

James Snr - Died: March 23, 1937 (age 63) in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is buried in Hollywood Forever Cemetery. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=11280518

Does anyone have any knowledge of this family?

Keith

[RJ137]

His death certificate gives his parents as Alfred Davis & Janet Gunnis.

DC:  http://www.rootschat.com/links/01klm/

[keithwjones]

Thank you, did not appreciate that Gunnis is obviously her maiden name.

In 1891 in UK the family were:
Alfred Davis   Head   M   63   Batheaston, Somersetshire, England
Janet Davis   Wife   F   46   Hampshire, England
Zoe E Davis   Daughter   F   18   Northumberland, England
Joe G Davis   Son   M   17   Co Durham
Dora V Davis   Daughter   F   16   Scotland

[jorose]

Birth of son, 1906 in NY:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WHQ-VGP

Son appears in later records as "Jack Gunnis Davis" - died in California, 1992:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VGBW-66L
shows his mother's name as "Michael"

I think this is probably Mary and son Jack in 1940:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K94X-VF8

Back in England, he appears to have married under the name Joseph Gunnis Davis to Mary Isobel Denton-Cardew.
Possibly she is the previous wife of Harry Warnell Denton Cardew (married in 1889, he died 1894).

It appears she then (as Mary Denton Cardew or Mary Denton-Cardew) married to Spencer Trevor Andrews, who divorced her in 1901 with J.G. Davis as co-respondent. (http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7995317 )

Some information about the divorce here including confirmation that she was the widowed Mrs Denton-Cardew when she married Spencer:
http://newspapers.library.wales/view/3375200/3375202/36/
http://newspapers.library.wales/view/3482919/3482923/100/

She has told a small lie about her age in the 1901 census where she is living with J.G. Davis and her daughter Mary (born Mary Isobel Denton Cardew).
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X94K-6TM

The entire family are together in the 1915 NJ state census:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV93-7QHM

Mary also had a son with Harry Warnell Denton Cardew, but he sadly died in WWI:
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1752521/DENTON-CARDEW,%20WARNELL%20De%20MONTIGNY
 (mentions his mother as Mary Gunnis Davis).

[RJ137]

Mary Isabel Gunnis Davis

CADI: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VGTN-4B8

Obit: (see attached)

The San Bernardino County Sun
San Bernardino, California
 Sunday, July 16, 1944 - Page 9


===============================
James G. Davis obit   (see attached)

The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles, California
 Wednesday, March 24, 1937 - Page 46

=================

James Irving John Gunnis-Davis / Jack Gunnis Davis 

Birth: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WHQ-VGP

CADI: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VGBW-66L

Obit: (see attached)

The San Bernardino County Sun
San Bernardino, California
 Friday, January 24, 1992 - Page 13

[keithwjones]

Thank you a lot of good information for me to work through.

Is it possible to find out the name of the daughter of Jack G. Davis, as stated in obit?

Keith

[RJ137]

I assumed that she was still living, so I had to cross her name out.

This link will give you the news snippet with her name.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01klo/

[keithwjones]

Thank you, I thought that might be the case. She could well be alive as you say.