Well, I have finally
discovered why my great uncle, Henry James Webb, vanished from view
after 1901. My grandmother's
family were the first of my antecedents I investigated. I
managed to trace her
eldest brother up to 1901 then he disappeared. In 1901 he was
single, living
with his parents and working as a carter. There were records for many men
with
his name but nothing conclusive. Every so often I would attempt another search
for him. On members' trees on Ancestry various records were attached to him but
I was
not completely convinced. Then Find My Past added the records for the War
Tribunals
for Portsmouth. I had a breakthrough finding a Henry Webb in
Portsmouth who could
very well be my great uncle. Having entered these details
into the 1939 Register I found
a Henry Webb living with a Hilda Couch. It
looked like this could be him. By researching
Hilda I found the solution to my
problem. Of course nothing in family history is easy. After
considerably more
research I found the records for Henry and his family. He had shared
his life
with a lady named Ada Couch. Ada was already married and so on many records
Henry (aka James) had used her surname as that was the name used by his
children. Why
had I not thought of that?! Twelve years after the birth of Henry
and Ada's first child her
husband, Edgar, obtained a Decree Nisi by citing her
adultery. It was posted in the Portsmouth
News. Scandal! My grandmother would
have been horrified! Then evidence emerged
showing that Edgar had two daughters
with two separate women. The Decree Nisi was then
rescinded. I am not sure if
this wipes out the scandal.
To read the story of
Henry and Ada go to the page Henry James Webb aka James Couch .➨
I have highlighted in red the sources I used to follow their story.
Hint 😉 New records are becoming available all the
time. It is worth going back and doing a stock take every so often.
Hint 😉 After you have been going round in circles
trying to find an ancestor taking a break can clear your head.
Hint 😉 If you have reached a brick wall
researching a particular person try
looking at someone they are associated with.
Now I have a further
mystery. This photograph taken in Portsmouth shows my grandmother, Elsie Wills nee Webb, with some of
her family. She is seated with the little boy. The elderly man to the far right is
her father, Henry James Webb. The man in the centre is one of his sons. Could it
be the enigmatic Henry James Webb aka James Couch?
😧 More research!
