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  1. #51

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    This has been a fascinating post!
    At #19 I posted details of a May 1848 newspaper report of the marriage of "Pablo Fanque and Miss Cork of Sheffield" - but I couldn't find a suitable fit on FreeBMD. The marriage of "William Darby and Elizabeth Corker" is mentioned in a later post.

    This wd appear to be the entry on FreeBMD - Elizabeth Corker, Jun 1848, Wortley, 22 589, on the same page William Darby.

    I wonder if the Cert includes William's father's details or simply states "deceased" (s**'s law)?
    "dyfal donc a dyr y garreg"

  2. #52
    spison
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    Quote Originally Posted by KathNZ View Post
    There does seem to be a New Zealand connection with this family as the NZ BDM website has the births of Thomas Fanque Banham in 1856 and George William Banham in 1867, both the sons of William Banham and Martha.
    Thankyou Kath. I will update Annie's biography! That proves that Martha did go to NZ. I'll have to check the shipping lists again. I had only found William and his son, John.

    Jane

  3. #53
    A fountain of knowledge KathNZ's Avatar
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    I am finding this thread fascinating reading !

    I have a few questions which someone may be able to answer.
    Who is Sarah ( bc1836, Liverpool) who is with William Darby, equestrian aged 48 b Norwich, Norfolk along with their daughter Eliza aged 11m born Warrington in the 1861 census ? Also with the couple are 3 young equestrian apprentices. They are living in Bradford. This doesn’t seem to make sense as William is with Elizabeth & his sons in 1871.
    There is the birth of an Eliza Smith Darby registered in Warrington in 1860
    This could be the same Eliza Darby who was buried Aug 28th 1860 at Barnsley, St Mary, Yorkshire.
    William & Elizabeth’s son Edward Charles seems to have been registered as Edward Charles Darby in 1855, Manchester.
    Where was Jane Hope/Barnham in 1851, was she still living with William or had they parted ways ?
    There is a baptism of a 13 year old John George Barnham, known by the name of Hope, in 1862 at the Industrial School Leeds. His parents are William & Jane and the notes on the entry read – Father in Australia , mother dead.
    This John can be found living at the Leeds Moral & Industrial Training School in 1861, place of birth unknown and I did see someone who seems to be him in 1861 but I don’t have the details at the moment.

    Using the NZ Paper Past web site I found the following articles :

    June 1856 Mrs Pablo Fanque passenger on the “William Denny” from Sydney

    July 1856 Mr & Mrs Pablo Fanque passengers from Auckland & New Plymouth to Nelson

    March 1866 Mr Pablo Fanque begs leave to inform the inhabitants of the country districts that he intends shortly to pay them a visit, accompanied by the following artistes (these include ) Mrs Pablo Fanque & Master Pablo Fanque.

    July 1866 The public are respectfully informed that Pablo Fanque assisted by Master J Pablo and Miss Anne Pablo will give an entertainment on Saturday next--------------The performance will consist of Pablo’s wonderful feats on the Tight Rope ; Master J Pablo on the Horizontal Bar and Flying Trapeze ; and Miss Anne Pablo in favourite National Dances.

    Nov 1867 From the West Coast Times - This evening a performance takes place at the Prince of Wales Opera House for the benefit of Mrs Pablo Fanque, the wife of the celebrated acrobat and tight rope dancer, who with her three children is at present resident in Hokitika. ---------------
    Pablo Fanque is at present the inmate of a hospital in Sydney, and in his failing health he naturally desires once more to see his wife and children, but alas! neither he nor she have the means to provide for their passage. He is destitute in New South Wales. She is destitute with her children in Hokitika -------

    Obviously things went downhill for the family for then on !

  4. #54
    spison
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    What great finds Kath. I can now be confident that "la petite Celeste" IS my Annie as I haven't found any billing for the dancer in Australian papers that actually use her name. It's late tonight and I'm busy tomorrow but I will update Annie's bio ASAP. You also have tracked another of William's children by Jane. I have no idea where Jane is in 1851. Nor do I know who the Sarah was. Perhaps Jane adopted the name of the man who eventually killed her? So Martha and at least some of the children were in NZ when William was dying! She manages to get back to Sydney as she was the informant on his death certificate. She manages to get back to England. She leaves her children in NSW. William Darby is reported to have inherited money from Australia. Where was the money? Who had it. Were they really destitute? So many questions!

    This is a fascinating family!

    Jane

  5. #55
    spison
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    Quote Originally Posted by spison View Post
    I have located a photograph of a brother of Annie and therefore a grandson of the English Pablo FANQUE. While he says he was born in New Zealand, this can be fairly easily explained. It is conceivable that he was billing himself as of Maori descent as he was a sometime boxer.
    Jane
    And Kath's finds in NZ now suggest that Joseph was telling the truth when he said he was born in NZ. His birth was however registered in NSW.
    Jane

  6. #56
    sparklingsilver
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    Reading the recent posts on this intriguing if frustratingly different family I cannot help but comment. For most of us, the Darby family’s panache for interchangeable names, age and place of birth is a first introduction to theatrical norms with us to the present day. Does William Darby have the same exotic appeal as Pablo Fanque? At heart this was a business man making his mark by appealing to a Victorian public seeking an unusual experience.

    ‘Pablo Fanque’ and his family were unconventional and this unconventionality its appeal. Their life style demonstrates that it enjoyed a morality free of the shackles of what many see as the public face of Victorian hypocrisy. William and his son Lionel had children by a number of different women - even fathering them in the same time frame. Some of these brief unions identified their repetitively named offspring accordingly. Just one example: Lionel had children by Jane France, but they were not formally married and her four children carried the middle name of France. Was Lionel’s parent’s William Darby and Susanna Marlow/Marlaw, ever formally married – nothing found so far.

    On the whole few UK Darby offspring were formally registered - and I suspect fewer baptised. Although it is claimed William Darby insisted his employees attended church on Sunday. However, was this simply a public display of conformity to Victorian values that he could accommodate in support of his business interest? Just so the elaborate show for the burial of his ‘wife’ Susanna in 1848 considering a month later he had married a very young Miss Corker. Any and every opportunity for free publicity of which both father and son were past masters at exploiting. Incidentally, does any one know what marital status was on that marriage certificate of William – bachelor/widower?

    As to financial matters, William Darby on his death it is claimed was destitute. If this is the case who paid for his elaborate funeral? Some members of the itinerate community today are very wealthy but just as their life style to the majority is mysterious and unconventional so are their financial affairs.

    What my experience tells me is that in respect of Lionel Darby I must always consider the unconventional as well as the norm. But what an adventure it has proved to be and still on going.

  7. #57
    spison
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    Thanks Sparkling Silver,
    Mysterious and unconventional it certainly is! I would dearly love to know the truth behind the massive amount of money that William DARBY reputedly inherited from William BANHAM but haven't found any wills in Australia. Perhaps it was hidden in the mattress!

    As a mother I cannot imagine leaving my four children in a country with no reason (I haven't found George yet). It is conceivable that Martha went back to England to try to get this inheritance so she could retrieve her children. She never managed this. Alternatively she may just have decided she'd had enough and dumped them all! I am heartened that they did find each other again and appear to have offered each other some sort of support until their deaths.

    Jane

  8. #58
    sparklingsilver
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    Hello Fellow Followers,
    I am now about to leave the fascinating subject of Lionel Darby/Lionel Greville. I have finally discovered the link to the Preston theft newspaper report. It is almost certainly related to my man who is definitely not the son of William Darby. I do hope my posts have been helpful to those of you interested in the intriguing character of the Darby family. My man is just as challenging but the brick-wall is tumbling fast.
    Best wishes to you all and happy hunting.
    Sparklingsilver.

  9. #59
    spison
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    Quote Originally Posted by sparklingsilver View Post
    I am now about to leave the fascinating subject of Lionel Darby/Lionel Greville. I have finally discovered the link to the Preston theft newspaper report. It is almost certainly related to my man who is definitely not the son of William Darby. I do hope my posts have been helpful to those of you interested in the intriguing character of the Darby family. My man is just as challenging but the brick-wall is tumbling fast. Sparklingsilver.
    Thanks Sparklingsilver. I hope that you will return when you have smashed the wall on Lionel and tell us all. Thankyou for all your help in regard to the Darby family. As to the Banham children ... only the male children are accounted for at this point!
    Jane

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