John Stanley Adams b 1907 Suffolk

[Pelican]

Hello Friends

John Stanley Adams was my uncle by marriage's younger brother. We called him Uncle John, we did not know him very well but we liked him.

John Stanley Adams was born in 1907 the youngest of three sons to Alfred William Adams and Emily Clara Gunn in Woodbridge Suffolk in the March quarter of 1907. He can be found in the 1911 census living with the family still in Woodbridge.

Their mother died in 1914 when they were young. their father before 1928 I think. So the family spread out. In 1939 the eldest brother was still living in Suffolk, my uncle was the second son and he and my aunt were living in Gloucestershire. Uncle John may or may not be the John S Adams living with his wife, Nellie, in Romford in Essex.

My query:

When my brother and I were staying with my aunt and uncle in Coventry in the early 1950's Uncle John came to see his brother. We went into another room as the brothers wished to talk alone. My aunt told us afterwards that Uncle John was going to South Africa.

My husband and I live these days in Australia and once on a visit pre 1979 I asked my aunt what had happened to Uncle John. She said he had died. My aunt did not give me further information and her husband had died as well as his brother so no further information there.

I have never been able to find Uncle John on any passenger list to South Africa and I am wondering if someone can help please. I have no idea where he settled. He was probably a metal worker.

It would be nice to know what happened to him.

Best wishes

[CaroleW]

I think you may have the right 1939 entry as his birth was registered March qtr 1907

There is a 1936 marriage in Woolwich to Nellie Graves or Groves

[cath151]

Hi
There is this on familysearch but frustratingly no identifying details
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939N-CX91-QD?i=334&cc=1837900&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AQGR1-Q59D

Cathy

[TreeSpirit]

Ethel May is the surviving spouse for that 1967 death:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C91Q-9T8T?i=244

[Pelican]

Thank you Carole W, cath151 and Tree Spirit.

Yes Carole W I found the 1939 entry but I was not sure. Looking again this seems to be the only entry on Free BMD and the 1939 register that is in that quarter of 1907. So this could well be right as you say.

Gosh that is a frustratingly small entry cath151!!!  Got a date for the estate though which is probably the date not too far from when he died.

Tree Spirit that was a good find as well. So it looks as though Nellie died and he married again. I do not remember Uncle John's wife as she never came with him to see my aunt and uncle when I was there and I cannot remember her name. There are a couple of death entries that could be her on Free BMD but ages are not right.There is also a Free BMD marriage entry for a John S Adams in 1946 to an Edith Mary.

Thank you all, I am further on. I wonder if I can get a copy of the will might take it further.

[TreeSpirit]

I had a bit more of a stare at the wife's name as I could not find anything for a Edith May Adams ... Was there maybe a little"r" in May?

And with this option I dug a bit more and unearthed in the various Sth African indices:
Ethel Mary ADAMS nee CRUMPTON b 10 May 1906 , died probably between 1992 and 2008

And then following the bread crumbs to the 1939 register:
Ethel M ADAMS (CROMPTON) Single, Sorting Clerk Telegraphist, born 10 May 1906
Residence: 115 Oxford Rd, Birmingham, Warwickshire

(Of course we still don't know 100% that she is the wife of "Your' John)

Update:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVD9-ZCHM
England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005
Name: Ethel M Crumpton
Event Type: Marriage Registration
Event Place: Solihull, Warwickshire, England
Registration District: Solihull
County: Warwickshire
Registration Year: 1946
Registration Quarter: Apr-May-Jun
Page: 2219
Affiliate Line Number: 26
Volume: 6D
Spouse Name (available after 1911): Adams
Possible Spouse: John S Adams

(You can now order the marriage certificate and tell us whether this is "your" John)

[Pelican]

Thanks for that Tree Spirit. More useful information confirming the marriage of John S Adams and Ethel Mary that I found on Free BMD.

I am not sure if it is my John or not as yet. Solihull looks right. My aunt and uncle lived in Coventry and I understood he lived not too far away. Sheet metal work was considerable in the area and both the brothers were sheet metal workers.

The amount of work locally made we wonder as a child why Uncle John emigrated but of course work is not the only reason people emigrate, it certainly was not when we emigrated to Australia.

I had a close look at that register and it seems to be Ethel Mary. I looked at all the other r's on the page and the ry is done the same way, admittedly a very small r. There is a Lottie May further down the page and it is different. Of course this is not conclusive. It is hard to be a transcriber and I admire and give thanks to all those transcribers who have given us so many records. I am not sure transcriber is the right word but you know what I mean.

I know so little of South African records so those two were great to have. Puzzle though, they have the same name but they are from two different places apparently miles and miles apart. One is in Harmanus which is close to Cape Town and the other is Boedel which is near Johannesburg. Yet they are of similar dates and I did not notice to start with.

Are wills proved so far away from where the death happened?

Some very interesting puzzles.

[Pelican]

Well one puzzle is solved. there is no Boedell near Johannesburg. I should have looked at the name more closely. Sorry.

[baddy]

Just as a matter of interest Harmanus should be Hermanus and Boedell should perhaps be Bredell which is in the Kempton Park area close to Johannesburg.

Dave.