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Can anyone provide any information on the property or business hiding behind the sign of the Margate Yacht Club (est 1932) at 12-14 Fort Hill, Margate?

A local family historian got in touch with me after noticing an older sign becoming visible beneath the old Yacht Club sign.  The lettering appears to be on glass, with the letters R??AL being uncovered, along with the name Wales & Sons (which is where a potential family connection lies).

We initially thought this may be a public house named the Prince Royal, after the famous ship that set sail from a point just opposite in 1613.  However, we can find no record for such a public house within directories, lists of public-houses, nor on maps.  So perhaps it is something like Café Royal.

Unfortunately I don't have findmypast access to do an address search.  The building is located next to the Hoy Inn/Tavern/Hotel (at one point, more recently, the Benjamin Beale).  Before the Fort Hill road--name was extended, the Hoy was located on: Bankside or Bank Side (up to 1851), Marine Parade (1867), 4 Parade (1881), The Parade (1890) - and from maps, I could believe it's neighbour had an address on Paradise street (see  https://www.margatelocalhistory.co.uk/HotSpotViewer/z1852Hotspots.htm or https://www.margatelocalhistory.co.uk/HotSpotViewer/z1873Hotspots.htm ).  I found pictures at https://www.margatelocalhistory.co.uk/HotSpotViewer/OS_1907_Pics/Parade.html, but can't make out any business names.

My ancestor George Wales (1816-1854) and his son William R Wales (1836-1887) are associated with The Good Intent on Bath Road. There's no mention of other properties in William's will.  

Any information would be gratefully received.

I need help to find the marriage of David Clark(e) and Caroline Louisa Gee, which I think occurred around 1879-1880 in Liverpool.  There's so many good records for Lancashire that I feel I must be missing something.

Caroline Clark is shown as a widow with her children in the 1901 Census.  A mixture of Catholic and Church of England baptism records show the father to be David, and Caroline to be formerly Gee. The family can be traced back to the 1881 census shortly after the first child, Alexander, was born.  However, I can not find a record of David and Caroline's marriage.

I've put references below, but some observations

• The census records suggest Alexander's mother Caroline was born 1859-1860 (i.e. approx 20 when Alexander was born), while David was born 1846-1850
  
• They also suggest the whole family was born in Liverpool, though family lore suggests they came from Scotland.
• The 1881 census records David as Daniel
• Alexander's birth was registered in 1879, while his Catholic baptism record shows (separately to the baptism) the birth year as 1880.
• The military service record of David and Caroline's youngest son Richard shows Alexander as a full blood relation (as are all the other brothers/sisters listed, though one brother isn't listed)

I guess it is possible Caroline was previously married before David, and used her previously married name. Alternatively, either David's and/or Caroline's mother may have remarried, and so different surnames were used at the marriage.

Any thoughts as to what I may be missing, where/how to look next, would be very much appreciated.


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Census Records (all born Liverpool)

• 1881 Census; 73 Prince Edwin St; Clark, Daniel (31 yrs, Coach Smith), Careline (21), Alexander (2); Piece: 3657; Folio: 9; Page: 11
• 1891 Census, 70 Shaw Street; Clark, David (44, Coach Maker), Caroline (31), Alexander (12), David (10), Arthur (7), Mary (5), John (4), Ester J (1 6/12); Piece: 2942; Folio: 121
• 1901 Census, 64 Shaw Street; Clark, Caroline Louisa (42, widow), David (19), Arth James (17), Marion (15), John (14), Edith (12), James Gee (9), Rd Frank (6), Alexander (22, married); Piece: 3480; Folio: 48; Page: 27

GRO References, Mother's Maiden Surname Gee (I haven't confirmed with certificates yet)

• Alexander Clarke Q2 1879 8b 527
• David Clark Q2 1881 8b 383
• Arthur James Clark Q1 1884 8b 300
• Marian Caroline Louisa Clark Q1 1886 8b 339
• No John Clark (who, of course, is the key ancestor, but consistent with family lore that his birth was not registred)
• Edith Julia Clark Q4 1889 8b 283
• James Gee Clark Q3 1892 8b 238
• Richard Frank Venables Clark Q4 1894 8b 288

Catholic Baptisms,
St Francis Xavier (Francisci Xavarii); Liverpool, Lancashire, England, after Ancestry.com
Parents either David/Davids and Caroline/Carolinae formerly Gee

• Alexander Clarke: b 11 Mar 1880, bap 23 Oct 1880,  Godmother Elizabeth Nolan
• David Clarke: b 15 Apr 1881, bap 6 May 1881, Godmother Elizabeth Short
• Arthur Jacobus Clark: b 1 Nov 1883, bap 16 Nov 1883, Godmother Mathilda Heenan
• Maria Catherina Carolina Louisa Clark: b 25 Jan 1886, bap 13 Feb 1886, Godmother Agnes Neyland
• Joannes Clark: b 6 May 1887, bap 1 Jun 1887, Godmother Emma Benton
• Editha Julia Clark: b 3 Oct 1889, bap 14 Dec 1889, Godmother Brigitta Lythe
• No James Gee
• Richardus Franciscus Clarke, b 11 Nov 1894, bap 5 Dec 1894, Godmother  Margarita Maria FitzGerald

Church of England Baptisms, after Ancestry.com

St Peter, Liverpool

• Arthur James Clark, bap 30 Dec 1883, parents David (Coach Smith) & Caroline Louisa, Everton

St Augustine, Liverpool

• John Clark: bap 29 Dec 1889, parents David (Coachmaker) and Caroline Louisa, 95 Everton Road
• Edith Julia Clark: bap 29 Dec 1889, parents David (Coachmaker) and Caroline Louisa, 95 Everton Road
• James Gee Clark: bap 8 Jun 1892, parents David (Coachmaker) & Caroline Louisa, 64 Shaw St, Liverpool

Military Service Records

• Alexander Clark, Royal Engineers, Reg/No 378864
• David?
• John?
• James Gee Clark, Army Service Corps, Reg/No 049775
• Richard Frances Clark, Cheshire, Reg/No 10164

I've had mixed success at tracing the family forward in the 1911 census

• Alexander Clark m Ellen Parr (?) daughter Caroline Louisa Clark (b )  e.g. RG14-23106-149
• Arthur James Clark m Ellen Poole? (1910) e.g. Class: RG14; Piece: 17996; Schedule No 131 (same address as on Richard's military records)

I speculate Caroline may have remarried (Alexander Clark), Class: RG14; Piece: 22077; Schedule Number 148

Many, but not all, of the baptism records in the parish of St, Michael, Coventry have WFMC in the margin. For example, Arthur Bott baptised 3 Nov 1876, page 144, record no. 1150. 

Sometimes the letters are split over two lines WF/MC (as in the above example), other times the letters are in a single line without any gaps (e.g. Alfred Bott, baptised 30 Aug 1878, page 219, record no 1752).

My deciphering skills are not great, so I've attached a small sample in case I have misread the letters.

Does anyone know what the margin note means?

Other baptism records have P in the margin, which presumably refers to a private baptism, and others have no margin notes.

Many thanks for any help.