I need to research the "goings on" at 5 Pasley Street, Devonport around the time of the 1901 census. (scanned record to hand) It confirms that on 1 April 1901 (the date the census was completed) my maternal grand-mother, Emily Martha MILLS (born Hampshire 03/02/1881) was a lodger there.
Her boyfriend at the time, John TAYLOR (born Staffordshire 1884) was lodging with Emily's parents at their Hampshire home. I now suspect that Emily was pregnant with John's child, which may have been the motivation for her leaving home.
Curiously, lodging also at 5 Pasley Street in 1901, was John's 40 year old father - somewhat confusingly also called John.
On 12th October that year John and Emily secretly migrated to South Africa (on the "Kinfauns Castle")
The said relationship lasted until 1909, when Emily was returned with my mother, age 2, to her VERY angry parents - my g-grandparents, Joseph and Harriet MILLS of West Meon in Hampshire.
Number 5 Pasley Street (in 1901) would appear from the said census to have been a common lodging house. I know what happened to my grand-father John, but what happened to John's father?
Can anyone point me towards a possible source of info in Devonport - perhaps an historical society?
Thanks for any leads in this regard.
