Hi

I have started this new post so that Martyn's original post would not become more complicated. Also it would be easier to separate this "hypothesis" (1) of mine should it be proved incorrect.
First thanks to Graham Davison for thinking "outside the box" and suggesting Earnest Parsloe. I wouldn't have thought of it.
In the following, in order to not get too bogged down, i have not shown my sources. These are available if anyone wants confirmation etc.
To summarise what we know
The 1901,1911 and 1921 Wales Census show a family group for William E. Tovey which is more or less constant.
Eric Frank Tovey,(Martyn's Grandfather) is part of this family) Eric's date and place of birth seem to support this view.

Now to Graham Davisons information.
Earnest Parsloe (born Gloucester in 1873, same as William E. Tovey) married Anne Matilda Knight in St Lukes, Gloucester. she was younger , as was Annie M Tovey. (Note given names and initials are the same). Date of Marriage 18th February 1895.

Next we have the birth/baptism of their daughter Violet Eleanor Parsloe on 26th December 1895 in St Lukes , Gloucester. ( These details also work with Violet Tovey from the Census Forms except that the initial "M" is introduced but can be explained in later records).)

After this we have the birth of Eric Frank Parsloe in Newport Wales in the last quarter of 1897.(This date matches Eric Frank Tovey in the Census)

Records for Violet Parsloe/Tovey can also be reconciled so close its spooky.

This means that the Parsloe family moved from Gloucester some time after 1895 but before the third quarter of 1897.

Their name changed from Parsloe to Tovey sometime after 1897 but before Census day in 1901.

Why ???

Back to Gloucester. There are BNA articles about a young Earnest Parsloe getting in to strife.
On the 12th June 1894 there is a criminal record for an Earnest Parsloe being charged with being a Militia deserter and being" handed over to escort".
It would be interesting to know what happened to him after that and how long he was incarcerated.
( There are also other Criminal records in Gloucester for a Earnest Parsloe who didn't provide for his children and didn't send them to school. I have discounted these since this Earnest was two inches shorter and the crimes were committed in the first decade of the 20th Century when the other Earnest was in Wales).
Bearing in mind the date of the marriage and the date of Violet's birth little time was wasted.
Any one of these events would have been enough for a young man to "leave town". It is to his credit that he took his new wife and daughter with him!

Regarding his "desertion", we will never know but he was young, with a new girlfriend and (I haven't checked this) maybe the 3rd & 4th Battalions of the Gloucester Regiment ( These were Militia Battalions) had been called up to participate in the upcoming Boer Wars. ( I cant criticise, my own Toomey Grandfather joined the Royal Navy in the 1890's in Wales as a boy sailor for a 12 year term but after a few years, the last entry on his service record states "run". Same result as Earnest's. On a side note, in Australia "doing a runner" is usually associated with ordering and eating a meal, often Chinese, in a restaurant then leaving in a hurry without paying).

After Earnests name change, records seem to indicate that he lived a long life, staying married until Annie passed away and his children appear to have been gainfully employed. I also haven't seen any newspaper reports of any criminal behaviour.

Could Earnest and William E. be the same person ??

(1) Please excuse the use of the word "Hypothesis". It is the only fancy word i know. I first heard it in a Chemistry class in year nine at school in 1959 and have remembered it and wanted to use it ever since. It is also sad that it is the only thing i have remembered from that subject at school.

Hope i haven't bored you.

Sid Toomey

Well, as my x Grandad called himself GREEN - on two census returns and not WICKENDEN as he should, anything is possible.

GRO Index

PARSLOE, Violet Magdalene Eleanor - mother's maiden name KNIGHT
GRO Reference: 1905 D Quarter in GLOUCESTER Volume 06A Page 285

PARSLOE, Eric Frank - mother's maiden name KNIGHT
GRO Reference: 1897 D Quarter in NEWPORT MON - Volume 11A Page 177

GRO INDEX

PARSLOE, Ernest - mother's maiden name: HILL
GRO Reference: 1873 M Quarter in GLOUCESTER Volume 06A Page 305

-------

PARSLOE, Edward - mother's maiden name : HILL
GRO Reference: 1871 J Quarter, GLOUCESTER Volume 06A Page 285

PARSLOE, Eleanor - mother's maiden name: HILL
GRO Reference: 1880 J Quarter, GLOUCESTER Volume 06A Page 323

GRO INDEX

PARSLOE, Ernest - mother's maiden name: HILL
GRO Reference: 1873 M Quarter in GLOUCESTER Volume 06A Page 305

-------

PARSLOE, Edward - mother's maiden name : HILL
GRO Reference: 1871 J Quarter, GLOUCESTER Volume 06A Page 285

PARSLOE, Eleanor - mother's maiden name: HILL
GRO Reference: 1880 J Quarter, GLOUCESTER Volume 06A Page 323

All good information, thanks. I've added the Parsloe connection to my family trees on various sites in the hope that some new hints will turn up.

Could Earnest and William E. be the same person ??

Good question! I haven't found a credible birth record for William E so far. Hmm.

Hi Martyn

I believe there are two more pieces of evidence to support the theory that the Parsloe's changed their family name to Tovey in Wales.

(a) On your other Tovey post you mentioned that in Census forms Annie M. Tovey always gave her place of birth as Blakeney, Gloucestershire except for 1921 where she listed "Hagloe, Gloucestershire.
Hagloe is less than half a mile South of Blakeney.

In the 1881 England Census for the Parish of Awre, between Poulton Inn and Hagloe House, Oliver Knight, his wife Ann and daughter Annie aged 4 were living.

Ernest Parsloe married Annie Matilda Knight in St Lukes Gloucester on 18th Feb 1895.
The Brides parents were Oliver Knight and Matilda Kendall
Witness was A Parsloe.

Matilda Kendall was baptised 28th December 1852 in the Cam Parish.
Matilda's father was Elias Kendall. This would make Elias Kendall the Grandfather of Annie M. Tovey.
Elias Kendall married Widow Ann Wall on 23rd April 1864 in Eastington so this would make Ann Kendall Annie M. Tovey's Grandmother.
The widow Ann Wall was baptised Ann Moreland 27th January 1831 in Eastington.

(b) In the 1911 Census for Wales, the Tovey family were living in Abertillery. Listed as part of the Tovey household was a Grandmother,
Ann Thendale, aged 82 and born in Eastington.
I believe she was Annie M. Tovey's Grandmother.
In the 1901 England Census Ann Kendall is shown as a Widow and living with her sister in Eastington.

I must admit i haven't found any records for between 1901 and 1911 showing that the widow Ann Kendall married someone named "Thendale" who would have then passed away before the 1911 Census. However everything else fits to support the view that she was Annie M. Tovey's Grandmother.

I have sourced all of the above from Parish Registers and can provide details if you cant find the individual record links.

Any queries let me know.

Sid Toomey

PS Have you ever thought of providing your email address on this Forum site. Not as public but using the provision where a blue envelope would appear next to your user name (Like appears next to mine). This would allow other Forum members to email you through a private secure system that is part of the FOD site. Then questions and answers which are not of direct interest to the Forum, could be exchanged.
Images and/or documents could also be passed on by email (would have to talk more about this if you did decide to do it)
Hope i haven't confused you.

I don't know whether you subscribe to "Find My Past" but if you do, i believe there is a military record for Earnest Parsloe in Gloucester dated 1890.
It might be his service record in the Militia and could provide answers for when he was discharged after the charge of desertion in 1894.

Also there are Tovey School Admission Register records for the first decade of the 20th Century in Wales which might be for William E. & Annie M.'s children in Wales.

Sid Toomey

GloucestershireBDM

KNIGHT Annie Matilda - mother's maiden name: KENDALL

1877 Forest of Dean, Office: Westbury on Severn, Newnham

Forest of Dean records

Marriage at Flaxley 28 December 1870

Oliver KNIGHT, full age, Bachelor, Collier residence: Flaxley
Father: Thomas KNIGHT, Carpenter

Matilda KENDALL, full age, Spinster
father: Elias KENDAL, Bailiff

by banns

He marks she signs

witnesses; Mark of Jeremiah MANNS
and Mary Ann KENDALL

and Martyn said, the 1911 census was mistranscribed and the Grandmother's name was Ann KENDALL

Marriage at Blakeney - 8 December 1894

Oliver KNIGHT, aged 43, Widower, occupation labourer
father: Thomas KNIGHT, Labourer

Amelia BEARD, aged 39, Spinster
residence: Blakeney
father: Richard BEARD, occupation : Sailor

Witness 1: Edith Annie SPARKES and John SPARKES

GloucestershireBDM

PARSLOE, Ernest - mother's maiden HILL - 1873, Gloucester South Hamlet

PARSLOE, Edward - mother's maiden name HILL, 1871 Gloucester South Hamlet

On the 1881 Census, Gloucester St Barton Mary is the family of PARSLOE

William PARSLOE is aged 41 and born Cowley, Gloucestershire and Corn Packer
Eleanor is wife born Painswick

and George 19, Sydney 17, Charles 15, James 13, Edward 11, Ernest 12, and Eleanor 8

Charles on GlosBDM - born 1866 - Gloucester South Hamlet, transcribed as PARSLO - mother's maiden name: HILL, as is George (1862 Painswick) and Sydney 1864 (Painswick)

GlosBDM

William PARSLO - married Elleanor HILL - Painswick St Mary - 1859

PS Have you ever thought of providing your email address on this Forum site. Not as public but using the provision where a blue envelope would appear next to your user name (Like appears next to mine). This would allow other Forum members to email you through a private secure system that is part of the FOD site. Then questions and answers which are not of direct interest to the Forum, could be exchanged.
Images and/or documents could also be passed on by email (would have to talk more about this if you did decide to do it)

Done.

You might be interested in this TOVEY/PARSLOE marriage:

William Barratt Tovey married Elizabeth Parsloe on 21 February 1871 at Hasleton, Glos
both of Full Age, he is the son of George an Inn Keeper and she is the daughter of William.
Might be a total "red herring", but interesting.

The only possible William E Tovey who fits is the son of William & Sarah Ann born Q1 1873 at Winterbourne.