The Cautionary Tale of William John DREW (times 2)

[GeoffD]

I have a William John DREW, born December Quarter 1863, in Mylor, CON, son of Edward George DREW (-DINGEY) (my half great-grand uncle), born June 1829 in Mylor, and Mary Ann REID. Subsequent census records are informative:
1871, Mylor Bridge, William J Drew, Son, 8, Scholar, born Cornwall, Mylor, residing with parents and siblings.
1881, Mylor Bridge, William Drew, Son, Unmarried, 17, Gardener, born Cornwall, Mylor Bridge, residing with parents and siblings.

So, when 1891 comes around and one finds:
1891, Mylor Bridge, William J Drew, Head, Married, 27, Shipwright, born Cornwall, Mylor but having acquired a wife (Julia A) and children William John C Drew and Winifred J Drew
one would be justified in thinking that this is a nice little progression in the chap's life, requiring a check on the marriage (which doesn't show up in FreeBMD, by the way).

You act on this assumption, put the info on line, and along comes a contact, the granddaughter of William John C Drew and therefore great-granddaughter of William John DREW.

This is where you find out that the 1891 entry is for a completely different William John DREW. He was born in May 1864 in Constantine, and married Julia A CAPLE of Wendron in Redruth in 1887, and somehow moved to Mylor Bridge between then and 1891.

Now here's the really spooky part. This William John DREW is the the son of Edward George DREW, born August 1832 in Constantine, and Hannah Maria COLLINS.

This now leaves me struggling to find the original William John DREW in 1891. He seems to have vanished off the face of the earth.

The moral of the tale: Check, check, and check again. And put stuff 'out there' - even if it is proved incorrect, at least you have found something out.

[GeoffD]

I have had a personal message through B-G Forums which indicates that these William John DREWs really are one and the same person, after all. That is, I was on the right track in the first place, and my earlier informant might well be mistaken.

[Davran]

Yes, you really have to be careful of other people's research. I have just this evening come across a chap born in 1805 whose father was born in 1872??!! :confused: Now I know I'm no good at arithmetic, but I don't think so!

[GeoffD]

Of course, the best way to resolve the matter would be to find the marriage certificate (c.1886, probably in Wendron or Mylor or thereabouts) for William John DREW and Julia Annie CAPLE but, by the great and powerful Law of Murphy, this piece of documentation is proving elusive.

(For those with an interest in WW1 naval history, their son William Reginald Caple DREW was lost at sea in the torpedoing of the HMS Hawke in 1914.)

[GeoffD]

This saga drags on. It could all be resolved if good documentary evidence of the marriage of William John DREW and Julia Annie CAPLE (or CAPEL) in the date range of, I guess, 1885-1887 could be found. Probable location, around Falmouth somewhere, though further afield in Cornwall is possible. This is proving to be elusive.

At the moment, we have two plausible, but different parentages for William John, and no resolution in sight without an expedition into the wilds of Mylor, Wendron, Constantine and thereabouts.

Need help.

(Maybe this needs to be moved to Brick Walls section.)

[MarkJ]

I see what you mean Geoff! I spent a good half hour trying all sorts of combinations in FreeBMD with no joy. I have also checked the (limited) Cornwall data I have here with zero joy :(

Mark

[GeoffD]

I am told that William John DREW and Julia Annie CAPLE were married in St Andrews, Redruth in May 1887. I am awaiting a transcript of the marriage certificate, then will probably have to unlink Julia Annie and all her descendants from my mob and set off in search of my William John DREW from 1881 onwards.

How inconsiderate |laugh1| of another William John DREW with a father of the same name to move into an area where my William John DREW would logically have been. Most annoying.

[GeoffD]

It seems that my initial reasoning was correct. Two descendants of Julia Annie CAPLE were able to get together and compare notes, thanks to this thread and other means of contact (the A place and the GR place). The clincher was stories of "Uncle James, the Policeman" - this was James Henry DREW, brother of William John DREW of Mylor. So the Constantine chappie has now been discounted by all parties, and I don't have to go crazy looking for alternative William John DREW fellows.

Whew. I'm glad that is all sorted. So now I have some half third cousins once removed to talk to.

PS James Henry, the policeman, married Esther Jane SPARGO, daughter of a gunpowder maker.