William Augustus McKown

[Millmoor]

I have to say that I agree with John. I do think there is a strong possibility that it is the same chap in the various records which have been posted. There just seem to be too many coincidences!  As already suggested it may be that the "clincher" is the Sunderland marriage cert.

Re Martha it is worth noting that divorce was not common at this time and, therefore, while she may have been estranged from William Augustus, it is not surprising that she continued to record herself as married. I have also failed to locate her in the 1911 census but can see a potential entry in the electoral roll for her in 1918, living at 26 Hastings Road, Maidstone. Also recorded at that address are a Thomas and Clara Head.

Going back to the service record of James Thomas it states he was in Gibralter for 11 years 3 months of his service but now see, thanks to John's reply number 42, that the note on the final page re W McKown makes a little more sense as it says " W McKown for assistance for widow" and is dated 8.6.89 which ties in with the death for James. It would be interesting to know what the code attached to this and later entries represent!

All in all I have found this a really interesting search to be involved in.

William

[softly softly]

Many thanks William for your thoughts. Just to add to the mix I think William Augustus was a perpetual liar. Reason, just looked for Martha Sole Mckown in workhouse records and look who I found in Westminster, St marylebone in 1845

John McKown aged 25
Rebecca McKown aged 27
John McKown aged 8.

Record states he was of No Employ, came from Charlton near Dover  and married 28.7.1840 one mile out of Dover.

As Ricky Tomlinson would say "Commander RN" My A***

John

[mckha489]

I agree with both John and William

As Ricky Tomlinson would say "Commander RN" My A***

John

at the marriage of John and Rebecca 15th. July 1840 at Deal
John is a sailor of Lower Street, father is William a Dyer
Rebecca's father is John Goodchild, a waterman. 
John signed, but Rebecca marked.

None of that seems like a prelude to being a commander in the R.N.
Also - commanders of R.N vessels get their name in the paper a lot.
The only McKown who seems to do that is a Captain in the Royal Artillery

So - Yes the Commander in the R.N. is poppycock


I think he is using  the adult baptism on 18th June 1880, father John a commander in the R.N. to establish some credentials.
Interestingly his address is Sarah Brisley's (Cossington House, Rocky Hill)

So I have the impression of a suave young man on the make. Seeing an opportunity to get some money from a widow.
Such that he was prepared to marry Martha who was 6 years older than he.

It is interesting that at the marriage it is William Augustus who gives his address as Cossington House while Martha's is Aylesford.  He is really in with the aunt!

I know this is repetition but just to outline my thinking -

in 1888 we know William Augustus is in the Liverpool area  (from newspaper re his bankruptcy)
in 1891 the trustees for his bankruptcy are still trying to sort things out and one of them, Mr Sumner,  lives in Liverpool

So the 1891 census entry found by John fits in very well and as already commented upon is a nice transition to a later birth date and different place of birth.
In addition his initials have been reversed.

Someone who is W.A. (or A.W.) McKOWN can not thereafter be found
But in 1896 W.A. Wellesley McKOWN shows up relating to the hotel at Oban

then all the rest as already given
1906 court case to do with Mabel. (No Wellesley in that piece)
1907 Mabel dies and Dorothy is sent off to Canada.
1908 marriage
1910 - the skating rink
1910 - the British-Austrian Oil Investment Company Ltd
with the addition that in 1917 he was living in Essex, but I cannot find that entry now.

Anyway
If you could find William Augustus Wellesley-McKOWN before 1891
or William Augustus Mckown after 1891 then of course they would be two different men.
But that does not seem to be the case. One follows on from the other.


I agree the 1908 marriage is well worth getting
and I would like to see if Sarah Brisley made any comments in her will. It seems likely to me that she would if she was leaving anything to Martha, as she would want to prevent it getting into William's hands.

[softly softly]

Thanks for your post. Can I ask where you found the marriage details for John and Rebecca

John

[mckha489]

Thanks for your post. Can I ask where you found the marriage details for John and Rebecca

John

The image is on FindMyPast in “Kent marriages and Banns”

[softly softly]

Thank you, found it

John

[KGarrad]

Meanwhile, back on the Isle of Man . . . !!

I looked this morning at Brown's Directory of the Isle of Man for 1881 - no mention of WAK.
Then I looked at Porter's Directory of the Isle of Man for 1889 - again, no mention of WAK.