Divorced or Died

[Suzy100]

Eliza Ann Paulina Coleman born 1848 Bristol married Henry Martin Wooster in 1867, he passed away in 1875.  She remarried William Isaac Groom in 1876.  In the 1881 census they are living together, then he disappears and in the 1891 census she is living with Josiah James and callling herself Eliza James.
Then in 1895 she married Josiah.
Which to me means William IG Davis must have died between 1881 and 1891 however I cannot find a death for him and on other peoples family trees on ancestry they have him as dying somewhere in France in 1914, but there are no sources to substantiate this claim.

I have looked up divorces and found nothing and cannot find a death for him either.

I am going to look on the National Archives for a divorce next but any help would be great.

Thank you

[avm228]

It’s a little confusing that you have called him William Isaac Groom in one place, and William IG Davis in another.

Anyway the latter (William Isaac Groom Davis) seems to be correct - born in early 1839 and baptised at All Saints, Northampton on 24 Feb 1839.

[avm228]

I see that he was a bootmaker in 1881 when they were in Bristol with three Davis children.

What happened to the children?

[avm228]

OK I see that the eldest son, born as Walter Frederick James Wooster (mmn Coleman) in Bedminster 1873, is traceable with Eliza as Walter F Davis in 1881 and Walter James in 1891.

Further children though:

1881 census

William A Davis b abt 1878 - William Alfred Davis mmn Coleman, Sep qtr 1877 Barton Regis
George F Davis b abt 1890 - George Frederick Davis mmn Coleman, Dec qtr 1879 Barton Regis

1891 census

Albert James b abt 1882 - Albert Edwin Davis, mmn Coleman, Dec qtr 1881 Barton Regis
Alice James b abt 1883 - Alice Genevieve James, mmn Coleman, Mar qtr 1883 Barton Regis
Lulu James b abt 1885 - Lulu Violet Maud James, mmn Coleman, Dec qtr 1884 Barton Regis
Laura James b abt 1887 - Alvina Laura Victoria Jubilee James, mmn Coleman, Jun qtr 1887 Barton Regis
Josiah James b abt 1890 - Josiah James, mmn Coleman, Mar qtr 1891 Barton Regis

(Also an earlier Josiah James, mmn Coleman, born Jun qtr 1889 & died Sep qtr 1889 Barton Regis).

[Kevin Burrell]

I have a similar case where my paternal Great Grandfather apparently walked out on his wife between 1906 and 1911 - Dad never knew what happened as the family would not talk about him. My Great Grandmother was listed as married in 1911 census - but remarried in 1913 and listed herself as a widow. I believe I have now found my Great Grandfathers death - in 1934 so assume he ran off with another woman. There was no record of a divorce, but I believe there was a rule where if your partner was missing for 7 years he/she could be assumed dead effectively allowing you to re-marry. I can only think this is what happened with my Great Grandmother - so possibly something similar with your relative?
 

[Kevin Burrell]

...and it seems surprising people have him dying in France in 1914 (presumably a WW1 victim) - but he would have been 75!! So I suspect that may be a different person

[bitzar]

bertieburrell

That's what I was thinking.  His name doesn't appear on the CWGC website as War casualty.

bitzar.

[Suzy100]

Yes I first assumed he was in WW1 but obviously could not have been as too old.

There were children from all the marriages but Eliza seems to have changed all their names.

Yes his name was William Isaac Groom Davis I made a typo.

What I dont understand is if everyone is putting France 1914 why dont they put a Source, which makes me think he died earlier.  Someone has actually put Paris, which narrows it down.  I have searched the French deaths etc but there is nothing on there.

[avm228]

There were children from all the marriages but Eliza seems to have changed all their names.

Not all names were changed - the children from Alice onwards were born as James.

Identifying all their birth registrations shows that the switch from the Davis relationship to the James relationship happened between Albert (born late 1881) and Alice (born early 1883).