Bartelemi Fabronius

[Bvc]

I have been researching the colourful life of Bartelemi Fabronius. Born in Aix la Chapelle in the 1830s, he was living in England by 1851. He was a cook, sometimes descrobing himself as a ships cook, and married ar least four times.
I am interested in his third wife nee Ethelburga Cole born 1851 in Peckham. London.
The couple were married by special licence in 1873 shortly after the death of his second wife Annie. I have been trying to find out what happened to Ethelburga as in 1877 Bartelemi, now Bartholomew married Grace Judd. I have found an entry for an Elizabeth Fabronius in the 1881 census living at 9 Carlton Terrace Paddington. She is described as married, but no sign of a husband, and she is a teacher. Before her marriage Ethelburga had been a governess and I think that this is a likely match.
However, after 1881 I can find no trace of her. I think she probably called herself Elizabeth as it was a lot easier than Ethelburga and I have found the name Fabronius spelt in all sorts of ways but I cannot find anyone who ties in with Ethelburga.
I have tried all the usual big sites with no joy.
Has anyone any suggestions as to how I might track this lady down?

[Sam Swift]

There is a report in the Christchurch Times 25 Apr 1874, regarding her elopement with William Purcell just prior to the article. While Bartolomei had been at sea shortly after their marriage, it seems his wife had spent £30 and obtained £18 on a dock bond, withhout his consent. William Purcell (also spelled Parcell in some censuses), was a commission agent living at Hope Place Liverpool. He had it seemed borrowed money from her and she had also been supporting his mother and his sisters. He had also written to her wanting to elope with her and had spent more time with him  than her husband in a period of 3 months.In spite of Bartolemi having forbidden them from seeing each other, Parcell visited in April 1874 and they ran off together, taking various moneys, coins and jewellry belonging to Bartolomei's daughter who was being educated in a convent. A cab man who drove them to the station told Bartolomei  that they had booked to go to Hooton.  Bills were issued with their description and a reward of £10 was offered and it seems that William Purcell was wanted for other charges. It is possible he is the William mentioned in a notice in the Liverpool Daily Post 4 July 1870, warning customers not to pay money to a William Purcell, who had been discharged by the Royal Liverpool Friendly Society, although I haven't found anything in newspapers referring to any court case etc.

There is a William Purcell (Parcell) living with his mother and siblings and others at 47 Upper Hope Place, in 1881, who decribes himself as professor of music / musician, but his brother Lawrence is a commission agent:
ED  Dist23
Piece   3624
Folio   25
Page number 43

I wondered if she had eloped and if they had fled together to a foreign land. Although there is a Mrs Parcell, the children listed on the passeneger list dd not have a mother's maiden name of cole, so that ruled them out.

William and brother Lawrence in the next censuses seemed to have married - not that is to Elizabeth / Ethelberga.

She didn't seem to be with any of her relatives (parents or siblings), but I wondered I she reverted to using her maiden name. She does not appear to be listed as having died, married or divorced or there being probate, for her under Ethel+ / -other endings under her married name or variations. So she could have reverted to Cole, but a search from 1891 onwards for occupation only as teacher or governess has not brought anything relevant up, other than a possible entry for a widowed Nurse, who I wqas unsure of since I could not find a birth to confirm birth place for your Elizabeth, although she seems to be a twin to Ethelbert who died in 1853 (I think), supposedly born in peckham, but I've only found a registration for Ethelbert.

If her father had been a music professor (at least in the 1851 census), maybe that's how she met William and maybe she would have had connections after her elopement, to be able to find teaching positions, which I guess could have taken her abroad. The other possibility would be if she ended up in some institution (workhouse, asylum or gaol). She could simply have been using a different name and or surname altogether.

[heywood]

If I have the right family …
1861 402 /86/24
Ethel Cole, 10 yrs b Peckham
Parents Arthur C and Emily plus several siblings.

1881 9 /114/5
Elizabth Fabronius - age is difficult to read b ‘Peckman’.

I can find few births to Arthur and Emily which seems strange.

Three of the girls were confirmed at St Anne’s, Liverpool in 1865.
The names are in Latin
Ethelburga Cole
Gertrudis Maria Cole
Maria Hope Cole
Their sponsor Rosa Emilia Cole

I wonder if this is where the name Ethelburga comes from - as a saint’s name? Her confirmation name was Anna (Anne) so she didn’t use that as a second name.
Unless of course, there is a registration or baptism record - she may well be Ethelburga.

[heywood]

I see that 1851/1580 has the twins aged 4 months.

I think Ethel is just that whilst her twin is Ethelbert. There is no place of birth for them either.

[Bvc]

Thank you all so much for this information. Bartolemi certainly did have an interesing life. I came to him because I was intrigued by the wording of William Potter's [my great great grandfather by marriage] will. In it he states that if his daugher Annie's husband shall be living at William's death, then she is not to inherit absolutely but to receive monies by way of a trust. There were two daughters, Annie and Elizabeth. It was Elizabeth who was part of my family but both of the girls seem to have absentee husbands. The date death of Elizabeth's husband has not yet been established despite much seeking. In an idle moment I thought I would check up on Annie's husband and found she was second husband to Bartolemi Fabronius. From there I followed his life with much amusement and laughed out loud when I read the newspaper report.
I imagined that Ethelberga was a maligned wife, and the fact that Bartolemi married again four years later while Elizabeth/Ethel was still alive interested me. I can now see that he would want to make a new life without her.
Now of course I shall have to find out more about her.
All the clues you have collectively supplied will be a great help in my next step on the way.