Birth in Turkey or Yannina (Ioannina) Greece

[Glenda46]

Trying to find a birth of Reginald A C WILLS who apparently died in Portugal in 1970 who was supposedly born as above. He was very prominent in Singapore during WW2. Married (1) COOK UK 1930 (1 daughter) (2) Maria LANSELL from Australia in Singapore 1942 (2) daughters. Was involved in the Strait Times Newspaper in Singapore for a lengthy period. Have an article on him with photo.Thanks in advance

[aghadowey]

Find My Past Overseas Births free search-
REGINALD A C   WILLS   1906-10   CONSTANTINOPLE   TURKEY

[jorose]

http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/singfreepressb19410214-1.2.66.aspx
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/8171851

His full name seems to have been Reginald Alexander Christian Wills. Marriage in 1941 gives him as the eldest son of the late Mr and Mrs P J M Wills of Jersey, Channel Islands and Constantinople!

His father might have been Percy John Martin Wills, also born Turkey, visiting with a
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKX2-CW2Y

He apparently married in 1902 in Constantinople:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XLGQ-Z2S

A Percy J M Wills died in Surrey in 1938, which would fit with him being 'deceased' in 1941 (http://www.freebmd.org.uk/ ).  His wife may be the Alexandra Wills who died in 1930 aged 49.

A possible brother to Reginald, Henry Percy Wills, appears on various emigration records as born in Turkey in 1912, parents Percy John and Alexandra.

[JustinL]

Glenda,

Just a brief historical note: Ioannina is, of course, in modern Greece. However, up until the Balkan Wars of 1913, it was in the Ottoman vilayet of Janina (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janina_Vilayet).

Turkey was often used in UK census records when referring to the Ottoman Empire.

 

[Glenda46]

Thank you for all this will check it out later in the day. My "history" of Yannina was gathered from Wikipedia as had never heard of it before. I will be in touch if I need some more help.  Reginald married in UK in Sept Q 1930, daughter born Dec Q. Daughter suggested her mother was a "Russian" who fled the revolution however from records her name was Olive M COOK... He was a well known Newspaper Man. second marriage was in 1942 in Singapore.Thanks again. will check it all out. Glenda

[Glenda46]

Thank you for all this appears to be all the information on the family. does the birth of Reginald 1906- 10 mean 10th month of 1906?? Just going to check on the "maybe" Brother. Thanks Glenda

[aghadowey]

No. 1906-10 is the range of dates

[jorose]

Do you have the 1930 marriage of Reginald and Olive? It's possible that she was married previously and she was not "Cook" originally.

Available online records suggest daughter Natasha (recently passed) was born in London 2 Dec 1930
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natasha_Parry
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2015/jul/26/natasha-parry
Her mother may have used the name "Luisa".

I believe her birth was registered not until September 1931, registered under two surnames, Natalie Wills OR Perry, mother's maiden name given as "Lavrova".  Another girl is registered under Perry/Parry with the same mother's surname in the 1940s. I won't name her as she may be living.

www.digar.ee/arhiiv/et/download/186968
 - this Estonian source confirms a "Lusia Lavrova" as the mother in law of Peter Brooks (husband of Natasha Parry).

Some certificates would seem to me to be necessary to sort this tangle out.

[jorose]

Some records have the mother as "Elisaveta Lavrova" (at the time of her translating the play in the 1980s).

Found what I think is the marriage to Gordon Parry in 1950, at the time she was Lavroff or Perry.
I wonder if she was ever married to Reginald Wills - perhaps Olive M Cook was someone else entirely?