Reginald Stuart Welch

[solidrock]

Wild theory about Reginalds birth.
I think he may have been the illegitimate son of Zillah Wech by Dudley Stuart.
Zillah Wech was a servant in the household of Watley Stewart and Sarah Stewart in 1861.
In 1890 she would have been 49 and Dudley 19 or if it was'nt Dudley it could have been a tenant as the were lodging house keepers. Sarah may have adopted Reginald. I said it was a wild theory.   

[hanes teulu]

Wondered  if this could be him - the age fits?

Daily Telegraph & Courier (London) Sat 6 Jan 1900

OUR SOLDIERS WIDOWS AND ORPHANS FUND
To the Editor of "The Daily Telegraph"
Dear Sir, - I got my uncle to make me a card, and have collected 20s on it for your Fund.
Please excuse blots, as it is very rough cardboard. Hoping you get a lot more, yours truly, Reginald Stuart Welch (aged 9 years), Jermyn, Griffiths Road, Wimbledon

The 1901 Census (ref. RG13  659  35  20) has a Reginald S Welch, aged 10, grandson at 62 Griffiths Road, Wimbledon.
   

[hanes teulu]

FindMyPast Marriage Registration
Thomas Welch, December Qtr 1887, Westminster, vol 1A, page 941 - on the same page Mary Lennox Stuart

FindMyPast Baptisms (image)
Parish of St. James, Westminster
Reginald Stewart* Welch, born - 9 April 1890, bap - 25 May 1890, address - 15 Bartoum Gardens**, parents' first names - Thomas and Mary Lennox. Thomas' occupation - Bank Clerk

* (1) The name was corrected to "Stuart" and ** (2) the address to "Batoum Gardens, Shepherd's Bush Road" in the baptismal register on the 18th December 1908 by John F Douglas, Curate as advised by "Charles Stuart, 57 Griffiths Road, Wimbledon, Uncle" 

[solidrock]

Oh, thank you for that info, well done  hanes teulu, that throws my wild theory out of the window but at the same time adds more mystery, like where did the Lennox's fit in and where is uncle Charles?

[solidrock]

Think I may have solved this...

"Parish of St. James, Westminster
Reginald Stewart* Welch, born - 9 April 1890, bap - 25 May 1890, address - 15 Bartoum Gardens**, parents' first names - Thomas and Mary Lennox. Thomas' occupation - Bank Clerk"

Mary Lennox Stuart.  baptised  01 Sep 1861, St. James, Westminster,  To Wortley Stuart and Sarah Ann Stewart,(nee Ballard).  Wortley and Sarah Ann married 1857, Strand, London.

Mary Lennox Stuart.  married Thomas Welch.  1887, Westminster St. Margaret.

"advised by "advised by "Charles Stuart, 57 Griffiths Road, Wimbledon, Uncle" 

Charles Stuart was Mary Lennox's brother born 1859 and Reginalds uncle.

Not yet sure why Charles advised the change in baptism records in 1908 but Thomas may have died but Reginald is living with his grandmother Sarah Ann in 1901.
 

[ponny]

There is a short obituary of him in the Musical Times of February 1st, 1916 - scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music, praised by Ebenezer Prout, exceptional musical gifts as a pianist and promise as a composer, did some music journalism, joined the Franco British Red Cross, served at Bar-le-Duc and Rovigny. I was prompted to dig into this having bought this morning at the Cambridge Amnesty bookshop four Wagner vocal scores dating from the early C20 and inscribed with his name. Of these the Tristan & Isolde is heavily used - but this could of course have been a subsequent owner. Where is the memorial window now displayed? J.

[halcyon.64]

It is in our museum on the south coast of Western Australia. Despite displaying many hundreds of items, this is still one of my favourites - so poignant.

www.recollectionsofwar.com.au