« Reply #353 on: Friday 01 March 19 10:54 GMT (UK) »
Sophie, I know James Battista travelled .. might this be him using an alias in a boarding house? Charged with riding a bike without a light?
Berks and Oxon Advertiser - 16 November 1928
'DEFENDANT WHO "GAVE HIMSELF AWAY."
SMART WORK BY P.C. MORTIMORE
A man whose name and address were given as George Marshall, of 28 Steven Street, Reading, was charged with riding a bicycle without a light on September 27th. He pleaded guilty and P.C. Mortimer went to Reading and found the defendant in a common lodging house, using another name, and it had been found that his correct name was James Battista. The defendant had given the police a lot of trouble.
In a statement the defendant said he was using his mother's name.
P.C. Mortimore added that the defendant at Reading first denied all knowledge of the offence. The witness then asked why he had not returned from a Turners Court man. The defendant replied that the man was coming to Reading for it.
Mr. Rich: He gave himself away
A fine of 10s. was imposed and the defendant apologized for the trouble he had given.'
I am wondering after reading of all these (possible) accounts of alias names in this thread and after reading a little while ago Catchugenta's post (no 302) if Giovanni may have become embroiled in some type of trouble and may have had to 'disappear' under his own name and start using an alias himself? That is if he wasn't the Giovanni who went on to marry Camilla.
If he used an alias I would imagine it might have some similarity to his own name or some connection to him. I think he might have had to have move out of the North Tyneside area at least. Possibly the closest he might be able to stay would be Sunderland. I think he may have kept reasonably close to some of his family members so he may possibly have moved as far as Wandsworth. It might be that when Giovanni died he may have been buried under an alias.
This is all just speculation, of course. However, I think I wouldn't rule out that there may have been an alias now when proceeding with this search.
I think it is interesting that only the Battista siblings went into the workhouse and no one from the Whelan side.
I think it is also interesting that when Anastasia died there is no mention of her as a Battista or as wife of Giovanni in her death notice.
Conroy, Fitzpatrick, Watson, Miller, Davis/Davies, Brown, Senior, Dodds, Grieveson, Gamesby, Simpson, Rose, Gilboy, Malloy, Dalton, Young, Saint, Anderson, Allen, McKetterick, McCabe, Drummond, Parkinson, Armstrong, McCarroll, Innes, Marshall, Atkinson, Glendinning, Fenwick, Bonner