Alfred Davies was born 1871 in Ross to (William) Paul and Elizabeth Davies (nee Price). He marries Mary Ann Tomkins in Ross on Wye in 1902, but Mary Ann is not with Alfred on the 1911 census, even though it states that Alfred is married. The figure showing the number of years married as 8 was crossed through in red ink.

The 1921 census still shows Alfred as married, and still at home without Mary Ann. By the word "married" however, it states "in an asylum", and is crossed out.

Can anyone point me in the right direction for further information about Mary Ann? What Asylum? Where? At a dead end so far.

Many thanks.

This may be worth considering. Data from Ancestry.

Lunacy Patients Admission Registers, 1846-1921

Name: Mary Ann Davies
Gender: Female
Record Type: Admission
Admission Date: 22 Jan 1909
Institution: Hereford
Institution Place: Herefordshire, England
Death Date: 13 Jan 1941
Death Place: Herefordshire, England

1939 England and Wales Register

Name: Mary A Davies
Gender: Female
Marital Status: Married
Birth Date: 1873
Residence Date: 1939
Address: Hereford County & City Mental Hospital, Burghill, Hereford
Residence Place: Hereford, Herefordshire, England
Occupation: Incapacitated
Line Number: 8
Schedule Number: 2
Sub Schedule Number: 199
OVSPI: Patient
Enumeration District: Oggr
Borough: Hereford
Registration district: 337-2

Hi Mike,

I have access to Find My Past, but not Ancestry, but this would appear to be her. Thanks a lot. As usual, FOD FHT members come up trumps! I’ll investigate further.

Regards
Mike Davies

Hi Mike,

Death certificate received for Mary Ann. Thanks for your input.
It mentions her old address of Alton Court Cottages in Ross, and her husband (Alfred Davies), an Engine Attendant at Water Works. This all ties in.

My next problem is finding when Alfred died. The last evidence I have for him is the 1930 Electoral Roll, living in Alton Court Cottages with a Margaret Wood? I’ve searched on here, and Find My Past and the GRO. He had spent all of his life in Ross, unlike two of his brothers who worked for GWR, and with his wife in the hospital until she died in 1941, would he really move away?

Any pointers appreciated.

Regards
Mike Davies

Free Bmd lists no Alfred Davies who die in Ross between 1930 and 1970
There are a few older men of that name who die on Hereford in that time period. Possibly he did not die at home.

Good luck with the hunt.

I’ve not had much success with the death of Alfred Davies either. However, curiously enough, there is this entry in the 1939 Register at the same time and place as Mary Ann.

Name: Alfred Davis
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Married
Birth Date: 1 Sep 1871
Residence Date: 1939
Address: Hereford County & City Mental Hospital, Burghill, Hereford
Residence Place: Hereford, Herefordshire, England
Occupation: Incapacitated
Line Number: 18
Schedule Number: 1
Sub Schedule Number: 106
OVSPI: Patient
Enumeration District: Oggr
Borough: Hereford
Registration district: 337-2

The transcription of the surname on Ancestry is incorrect – it is, in fact, Davies. If it did turn out to be the right Alfred it would at least set an earliest date for his death.

Hi Mike,

Thanks for this, it ties in particularly as his baptism date was October 29th 1871, so the birth date fits. You may have solved his whereabouts though. I couldn’t understand why he would have moved away other than to be nearer his “incapacitated” wife. Can’t think why Alfred might be “incapacitated” as well now, but I suppose it depends what they meant by that? Or a transcription error.

The Davis/Davies is a common conundrum I suppose, but it was the generation of Alfred and his siblings where the change happened and henceforth we are “Davies”

Now to find his death date and certificate. Many thanks again.

Cheers Mike

Hi Nick,

From the info below, it looks like Hereford is where I need to concentrate my search now.

Many thanks
Mike

Possible for William DAVIES circa 1840 Pauntley GLS
1841 Redmarley D'Abitot nr Pauntley
William Davis Male 25 1816 -
Eliza Davis Female 20 1821
William Davis Male 1 1840

1851 Cabbage Tump, Bromsberrow, Newent,
William Davis Head Married Male 37 1814 Ag labourer Redmarley D'abitot, Worcestershire, England
Eliza Davis Wife Married Female 32 1819 - Powick, Worcestershire, England
William Davis Son Unmarried Male 11 1840 Scholar Birtsmorton Worcestershire, England
Anne Davis Daughter Unmarried Female 9 1842 Scholar Redmarley D'abitot, Worcestershire, England
James Davis Son Unmarried Male 7 1844 Scholar Redmarley D'abitot, Worcestershire, England
Selina Davis Daughter Unmarried Female 3 1848 - Bromsberrow, Gloucestershire, England
Sarah Davis Daughter Unmarried Female 1 1850 - Bromsberrow, Gloucestershire, England

Possible Paul DAVIS Pauntley
Births Jun 1838 (>99%)
Davis Paul Newent 11 334

1841 Lower House, Pauntley, Newent
George Davis Male 40 1801 Gloucestershire, England
Ann Davis Female 40 1801 Gloucestershire, England
Josiah Davis Male 17 1824 Gloucestershire, England
Sarah Davis Female 12 1829 Gloucestershire, England
Benjamin Davis Male 7 1834 Gloucestershire, England
Elizabeth Davis Female 6 1835 Gloucestershire, England
Paul Davis Male 3 1838 Gloucestershire, England

1851 The Wood, Upleadon, Newent
George Davis Head Married Male 54 1797 Ag labourer Newent, Gloucestershire, England
Ann Davis Wife Married Female 54 1797 - Dymock, Gloucestershire, England
Josia Davis Son Unmarried Male 29 1822 Ag labourer Gloucestershire, England
Elizabeth Davis Daughter Unmarried Female 17 1834 - Gloucestershire, England
Paul Davis Son - Male 14 1837 Ag labourer Pauntley Gloucestershire, England

Alfreds LIne ;-

Marriages Dec 1860 (>99%)
Davis William Ross 6a 913
Price Elizabeth Ross 6a 913

1861 Brookend Street, Ross
Joseph Price Head Married Male 55 1806 Labourer Ross, Herefordshire, England
Mary Price Wife Married Female 50 1811 - Kentchurch, Herefordshire, England
William Price Son Unmarried Male 14 1847 Labourer Ross, Herefordshire, England
Emily Price Daughter Unmarried Female 7 1854 Scholar Ross, Herefordshire, England
Harriett Price Daughter Unmarried Female 5 1856 Scholar Ross, Herefordshire, England
Samuel Price Son Unmarried Male 4 1857 Scholar Ross, Herefordshire, England
Elizabeth Davis Daughter Married Female 18 1843 - Ross, Herefordshire, England
William Paul Davis Son in law Married Male 22 1839 Labourer Pauntley Gloucestershire, England

1871 Brookend Street Townsend Row, Ross,
Joseph Price Head - Male 66 1805 - Herefordshire, England
Mary Price Wife - Female 62 1809 - Herefordshire, England
Samuel Price Son - Male 14 1857 - Herefordshire, England
William P Davis Son-in-law - Male 31 1840 - Upleadon Gloucestershire, England
Elizabeth Davis Daughter - Female 29 1842 - Herefordshire, England
Sarah A Davis Granddaughter - Female 9 1862 - Herefordshire, England
George Davis Grandson - Male 7 1864 - Herefordshire, England
Mary Ann Davis Granddaughter - Female 5 1866 - Herefordshire, England

1881 Over Ross Street, Ross
William Paul Davies Head Married Male 41 1840 Engine driver at tannery Gloucestershire, England
Elizabeth Davies Wife Married Female 38 1843 - Ross, Herefordshire, England
Sarah Ann Davies Daughter Single Female 18 1863 Machinist at shoe factory Ross, Herefordshire, England
Mary Ann Davies Daughter Single Female 15 1866 Domest servant Ross, Herefordshire, England
Alfred Davies Son Single Male 9 1872 Scholar Ross, Herefordshire, England
Henry Davies Son Single Male 7 1874 Scholar Ross, Herefordshire, England
John Ed Davies Son Single Male 4 1877 Scholar Ross, Herefordshire, England

1891 Alton Court Cottages, Milton Terrace, Ross,
Paul Davis Head Married Male 50 1841 Engine driver stationary Huntley, Gloucestershire, England
Elizabeth Davis Wife Married Female 48 1843 Laundress Ross, Herefordshire, England
Alfred Davis Son Single Male 19 1872 Shoemaker Ross, Herefordshire, England
John Davis Son - Male 14 1877 Errand boy Ross, Herefordshire, England

1901 4 Alton Court Cottages, Ross
William P Davies Head Married Male 60 1841 Stationary engine driver Upleadon, Gloucestershire, England
Elizabeth Davies Wife Married Female 58 1843 Laundress Ross, Herefordshire, England
Mary A Davies Daughter Single Female 33 1868 Laundress Ross, Herefordshire, England
Alfred Davies Son Single Male 29 1872 Shoemaker Ross, Herefordshire, England

Marriages Jun 1902 (>99%)
Davies Alfred Ross 6a 955
Tomkins Mary Ann Ross 6a 955

1911 4 Penyard Road Ross,
William Paul Davies Head Married Male 70 1841 Retired engine driver on old age pensioner Newent Gloustershire
Elizabeth Davies Wife Married Female 68 1843 - Ross Herefordshire
Alfred Davies Son Married Male 39 1872 Engine driver statiionary Ross Herefordshire

1911 Hereford County And City Asylum Lunatic Asylum Burghill Near Hereford
Mary Ann Davies 1873 How Capel Imbecile

1921
Paul Elizabeth and Alfred Davies living in Weston Under Penyard nr Ross

1939 Hereford County & City Mental Hospital Burghill,
Alfred Davis born 1/8/1871 Married Incapacitated

possible

Deaths Mar 1957 (>99%)
DAVIES Alfred 85 Hereford 9a 45

2023
Alton Court Cottages Penyard Lane, Ross-On-Wye, HR9 5NR

--
Ἀριστοτέλης A Gloster Boy in the Forest of Dean ><((((*>

Hi Slowhands,

Thanks for all this, and your presumption of Alfred’s death in 1957 is correct. After a couple of false starts I obtained his death certificate (25/1/1957) showing he died in Burghill Hospital.

I’m still intrigued as to the full extent of his wife’s incapacity (she spent 32 years in Burghill mental hospital) and why Alfred ended up in the same place aged 60+. Was his ‘incapacity’ perhaps early senile dementia?

Mike

As this entry from the National Archives shows, the records of Burghill Hospital are held by Herefordshire Archives and Records.

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F150837

Unfortunately, it would doubtless take a personal visit to get at them and you don’t seem to be in a position to pop in for the morning!

They do offer a research service but at about £18 per half-hour plus the cost of any copies/imaging you might run up a sizable bill and end up with nothing to show for it. Mary Ann might a good bet since you have her date of admission.

Hi Mike,

Thanks for this. You are right that “popping in” is not an option as I’m in Yorkshire.

Sounds like a trip is in order, but I’ll check the opening times etc before setting off!

Regards
Mike