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This is a long shot; but perhaps this might mean something to someone.

An ancestor kept a diary in the last few months of his life in 1895, and at the back of it is what looks like an address book: he has listed some names and addresses, a couple of whom I recognize as having belonged to family/associates of his.  One of the entries on the list reads, rather cryptically, "12/ officers of the S.P.C.K. Northumberland Avenue, W.C."  Does anyone know what these initials might have stood for -- do they possibly indicate a military connection?  A particular military battalion, perhaps?  There are gaps in my knowledge of this man's life, but he did come from a military family.  When I googled the initials S.P.C.K. what came up was the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge; but that doesn't seem like a good fit for him.

As I say, this is a long shot; but if anyone has any ideas about those initials I'd be delighted to hear them!

CELTICANNIE

I am trying to identify the family of a Jane Parry. 

 This Jane first appears in my tree in 1861 Portsea census as the wife of Edward Davies age 55 born Denbigh. Wales.  The census suggests Jane was born in Newington, Surrey in about 1816.  I have not, however, been able to find any marriage record for this pair.  Perhaps Jane was a widow when they married and had a different maiden name.

The only other records I have found for Jane is a death registration record in the name of Jane Parry Davies in London Q3 1863; coupled with Find A Grave suggesting the presence of a gravestone of a Jane Parry Davies d 17th August 1863 in Brompton Cemetery.  Not very enlightening.

Intriguingly, in the 1871 census, Edward Davies has a young unmarried woman staying with him who is described as his niece.  Her name is Frances E Walker and she was born about 1845 in Middlesex.  I am confident she is not descended through the Davies line -- and she must therefore be, presumably, of the blood line of Jane Parry.  It seems to suggest that Jane Parry is a sibling of one of Frances' parents.

Frances' parents are Sir William Harrison Walker b1799 Sittingbourne, Kent and Isabella Thomasine Paxton Rider, daughter of the Rev. Ralph Carr Rider.  However, so far as I have been able to trace, neither of these -- unfortunately -- in fact had a sibling named Jane born c1816. 

Intriguingly, I might just mention that both Edward Davies and Sir William were naval men of officer rank who could well have met each other and become friends through this commonality.

So I am now stuck!

Please does anyone have any ideas on this? 

Grateful for all and any assistance anyone can give.

Many thanks.

CELTICANNIE   

Gideon Davies Owen was born 27th June 1857 in Edinburgh; but moved to London as a child with his family.  In the 1871 census, aged 14, he is an errand boy working for wholesale chemist (I suspect in his father's workplace); but by 1881 (if I have identified him correctly -- first name rendered as 'Geo' rather than 'Gideon', but all other details fit) he is living as a boarder with a couple in Camberwell and is employed as a chemist.  Perhaps he was then working as an assistant, gaining experience.  But by 1891 he is living/working at 546 Harrow Road, Paddington: a retail unit with flat above; and he is a retail chemist.

The Pharmacy Act of 1868 made it compulsory for all chemists to register with The Royal Pharmaceutical Society to be allowed to practice -- which (if they were not in practice before 1868 -- when Gideon would have been 11 years old) involved passing an exam.  Yet this Society has no record of Gideon's ever registering with them!  So he appears to have been trading without the required registration.  Does anyone know, was this commonly done at this time?  Would it have been an easy thing to get away with?

Of course, upon learning of his lack of registration, I wondered if perhaps -- despite him living in the property exclusively with members of his family -- he was working at this address under the direction of another chemist.  But the following newspaper entry negates this idea -- clearly, Gideon was 'the man in charge'.

KILBURN TIMES -- Friday 31 August 1900
"A CHEMIST'S ACCIDENT -- Gideon Davis Owen, chemist, of 546 Harrow Road, was summoned by the Paddington Vestry for selling to the prejudice of the purchaser [one unreadable word] tincture of quinine which contained 80% less than the proper proportion of quinine sulphate as prescribed by the British Pharmacopeia.  He pleaded guilty, and explained that the deficiency was due to an accident.  As the article was being prepared an assistant dropped some of the sulphate -- Mr Plowden said as there was no fraud the defendant would be fined 5s with 12s 6d costs."


To my mind, this verdict accepting Gideon's account of things as an accident seems very odd. If some quinine sulphate had been dropped, why did the assistant simply not re-make the prescription?  To my mind, this does seem much more likely to have been a fraud.  But I wasn't in court listening to the case, so -- who knows?!

Then, on the very next day, another newspaper carries this advertisement:

LONDON EVENING STANDARD -- Saturday 1 September
"HARROW ROAD, W. -- The fittings and stock of a chemist, comprising sets of store bottles, show carboys, mortars, scales, counter showcases, stock of drugs and chemicals, fancy goods, perfumes, soaps, brushes, patent medicines, counters, shelving, few lots of household furniture, and other effects.  MESSRS H N NEWTON & CO will SELL by AUCTION on the Premises, No 546 Harrow-road, W., on Monday, September 3, 1900 at 12 o'clock.

So, on the very next day after his case is heard: here Gideon is, selling his shop fittings and stock!  It is surely most unlikely that the two events were unconnected.  But -- how are they?!

In 1901 census, Gideon is -- frustratingly -- visiting friends; so no indication from here of where he was living then.  But the electoral roll suggests he was still at 546 Harrow Road; and the 1901 census lists his profession as 'chemist/drug own account'!  So it looks as if nothing had changed!

After this, Gideon drops completely out of sight.  I cannot find him in 1911 census, and can find no death certificate for him.

This whole thing is a confusing mess and I just don't know what to make of it all.  I just wondered if anyone else could throw any light on, or has any ideas about, all of this.  Or can anyone find any other records relating to him?

Many thanks for reading this far -- sorry about the long post!

CELTICANNIE



     

I am researching Donald McLean -- presently known only from military discharge papers which suggest he was born c1752 in Ardnamachan; and also researching his (I think!) son, Ronald McLean, born c1788, also in Ardnamachan (although this is placed in next-door Inverness-shire in Ronald's military discharge papers).  Ronald's death certificate gives his father's name as Donald.

On Scotland's People I have not only failed to find either man's birth/baptismal parish record entries, but was perturbed not to seem to be able to find any parish records relating to Ardnamachan during this period at all!

Having researched on here, I found it suggested that the earliest Old Parochial Registers for Arnamachan in fact date from 1777.  Does anyone know why this is?  Is it just that, although records were made at the time, they have just not survived?

Ronald was not born until about 1788 -- but there is no sign of him in the records even so.   Anybody any idea why this might be?

I'm assuming that there's nowhere else I can look for them?

Would welcome all help/suggestions.

Many thanks.

CELTICANNIE

   

 Anybody else having problems accessing Scotland's People today?

I get as far as filling in the details of the person I want to search on, but when I press 'search' -- nothing happens.  Except I've been getting an error message that begins,  'An AJAX HTTP error occurred/HTTP Result Code 200'.  I've even set up a new account to search with but that didn't work either.   

Please, does anyone have any ideas what I do now?  (Apart from throwing my laptop out the window!)

Many thanks

CELTICANNIE