Name of next of kin?

[ValJJJ]

I've attached a snippet from some WW1 papers that give the name of the wife of sapper Cheltenham Wake Lewis. 

Can anyone read her first name please?  The address is 38 Weltje Rd, Hammersmith, and I have found this in other records.

I haven't been able to find much about this Cheltenham Wake Lewis - only two appear in freeBMD; one born 1881 and one born abt 1872.

The 1881 one married Martha Louisa Emily Augusta Luks, giving his father's name as Cheltenham Wake Lewis.  Not the 1872 one presumably!

Thanks for your help.
 

[Gadget]

It looks like Leichen

[Annette7]

Electoral rolls 1921/1922 for 38 Weltje Road show occupants as Cheltenham Wake Lewis and Louisa Lewis.

Annette

[Gadget]

In the 1891 census, Martha Louisa Emily Augusta Luks's father, Henry, is given as born in Germany. Could Leichen/Luchen be a pet name?

[ValJJJ]

Thanks Annette7 and Gadget.  Also for the thought that Leichen/Luchen could be a pet name for Louisa. 

[Karen McDonald]

Leichen would be pretty grotty as a pet name - it means corpse. 

However, Lieschen is a strong possibility for a (German) pet-name version of Louise.
Putting "chen" on the end of something makes it small and/or cute. (Katze/Kätzchen = cat/little puddytat.)

Just in case you are unaware: in German, ie is pronounced like ee in English, so Lieschen is pronounced roughly like Lee-Shen.
Leichen is pronounced lie-chen, i.e. lie as in to tell a fib. And "ch" like in Loch Lomond.

Just in case that helps... 

[ValJJJ]

Thanks Karen for the German input. 

Looks like Lieschen is the winner then.

While looking at Cheltenham Wake Lewis I've discovered he was 99% likely to be the child of John Wake who became a landscape artist and at some point became known as John Cheltenham Wake.  He married and they had one son, Her(e)wald Wake (or perhaps that was meant to be Hereward?  Making him Hereward (the) Wake).  However the artist died young at 45, and his sole executor was Elizabeth Lewis (at the same address given when Cheltenham started school).  So Wake-Lewis would probably be his name in this day and age.  I am guessing that the 1872 born Cheltenham Wake Lewis also had the same parents, and subsequently died young, but I can't find that record.

[ValJJJ]

While looking at Cheltenham Wake Lewis I've discovered he was 99% likely to be the child of John Wake who became a landscape artist and at some point became known as John Cheltenham Wake.  He married and they had one son, Her(e)wald Wake (or perhaps that was meant to be Hereward?  Making him Hereward (the) Wake).  However the artist died young at 45, and his sole executor was Elizabeth Lewis (at the same address given when Cheltenham started school).  So Wake-Lewis would probably be his name in this day and age.  I am guessing that the 1872 born Cheltenham Wake Lewis also had the same parents, and subsequently died young, but I can't find that record.

Further to this, wrong!  I've now found Elizabeth Lewis nee Thomas, widow, in the 1911 census, with two surviving children of four, Beatrice Lewis (GRO has her as Beatrice Wake Lewis) and Jack Lewis (who will be Cheltenham Wake Lewis). Kate Lewis and the first Cheltenham Wake Lewis both died young.  She married John Purslow Lewis, but I have yet to find the link between this family and the Wakes, other than in 1891 they were living next door to an address later connected with the Wakes. And in 1891, the Wakes' son Herwald Andrew was a visitor in the Lewis household. Plus of course the fact that Elizabeth Lewis was John Cheltenham Wakes' executor.

Edit: Found the connection - Elizabeth Mary Wake married Richard Thomas in 1858. 

[ValJJJ]

Another confirmation of Lieschen, I have finally found her in the 1911 census, listed as Lieschen Lewis at a physician's house in Fulham, with her newborn listed as Baby. 

Her husband is with his mother Elizabeth Lewis, and their daughter is with grandparents Luks, but it's taken me a while to find her and baby (eventually named Ivan Jack Wake Lewis).

(To correct the previous entry, Elizabeth Lewis was not married to Mr Thomas - red herring.)