Francis Henry Vines

Francis Henry, known as Frank, was the son of John Vines and Mary Ellen Vines (nee Fitzjohn). His mother was the daughter of George and Elizabeth Fitzjohn of Wood Newton, Northamptonshire. She was born in 1850 and baptised at Wood Newton on 26 May 1850. She married John Vines (b. abt 1843) in 1873 (marriage registered A/M/J, Oundle, Northamptonshire). They had at least four children; Hannah (b. abt. 1875, Wood Newton) Elizabeth (b. 1874, Oundle), Francis Henry (Frank) (b. abt. 1877, Carlton in Lindrick) and John (b. 1880, Carlton in Lindrick). John Vines senior died in 1880 (death registered J/A/S, Worksop) and in 1881 his widow, now head of household and whose occupation was given as 'housekeeper', was living on Water Lane, Carlton in Lindrick, with her four children, Hannah (9), Elizabeth (7), Frank (3) and John (7 months). In 1893 Mary married Henry Thompson, an agricultural labourer, of Water Lane, Carlton in Lindrick. Henry was a widower whose first wife, Johanna (nee Fitzjohn), had died aged 32 in 1880 leaving him with two young children, Jemima (b. 1877) and George b. 1879). Johanna was the daughter of George and Elizabeth Fitzjohn and was born in Wood Newton, Northamptonshire, in 1848. She was baptised at Wood Newton on 25 June 1848; the baptismal register gave her name as 'Joanna', the death index 'Johannah' and she was named 'Hannah' on the 1861 and 1871 census when she was living with her parents in Wood Newton. It seems that Henry Thompson's first wife, Johanna (nee Fitzjohn), and Mary Ellen (formerly Vines nee Fitzjohn) were sisters - they were both born in Wood Newton, Northamptonshire, to George and Elizabeth Fitzjohn. However, marriage with a deceased wife's sister was forbidden under the Deceased Wife's Sister Act 1835 (repealed, Deceased Wife's Sister Marriage Act 1907) although it would appear the 1835 Act was not infrequently ignored. Thus, Mary's children by her first husband, John, (Hannah, Elizabeth, Frank and John), were half-brothers and half-sisters to her children by her second husband, Henry Thompson, (Emma, Robert and William). Emma, Robert and William were half-brothers and half-sisters to Henry's children by his first wife Johanna (Jemima and George). All the children were cousins! In 1891 Henry and Mary were still living on Water Lane, Carlton in Lindrick, and had three children; Emma (b. 1884), Robert (b. 1889) and an unnamed son who was just three days old at the time of the census. Henry's two children by his first wife, Jemima (14) and George (12, agricultural labourer), were still living at home as were his stepsons, Frank (13, labourer) and John (10). Mary's two daughters by her first marriage, Hannah and Elizabeth, have not yet been traced on the 1891 Census. It is likely that Hannah died young as she was not included in the list of Frank's surviving relatives which was completed by his widow after his death. Another son, William, was born to Henry and Mary the following year in May 1892. Mary died two years later in 1894 aged 44 (death registered Oct/Nov/Dec). Frank's sister, Elizabeth, married William Henry Popple in 1893 and in 1901 was living at 12 Sand Hill Street, Worksop, with her husband and two sons, Oswald Harry (3, d. 1919 aged 21) and Frederick William (1). Also in the household was her brother, John Vines (20), who was a miner. Frank married Agnes Scurrell (b. Sheffield) in 1899 and in 1901 they were living at 4 Sand Hill Street, Worksop. By 1911 Frank (33) and Agnes (33) had moved to 5 Kelham Street, Balby with Hexthorpe, Doncaster. Living with them was Agnes' unmarried brother, Frederick Scurrell (21) who was a pony driver (colliery). Frank and Agnes later moved to 4 New Street, Balby, an address held on Frank's service record. By the time of the 1911 Census Frank's younger brother, John (30), had been married for three years to Fanny (48) and was living at 14 Bridge Terrace, Worksop. Fanny's daughter, Elsie Paulin (17), was also in the home along with Fanny's grandson, Stanley Scott Paulin (2). When Agnes completed the form for the Army giving details of her husband's living relatives she gave the following information: Agnes (wife), 4 New Street, Balby, Doncaster; brother John Vines (37), 14 Bridge Terrace, Worksop; sister Elizabeth Popple (45), 26 Devonshire Street, Worksop. Frank's stepbrother, William Thompson, joined the Royal Navy in 1912 and died when HMS Hampshire was lost on 5 June 1916. The newspaper report of William's death records that he had lived with his sister (sic), Elizabeth Popple, at 26 Devonshire Street, Worksop, for nine years before joining the Royal Navy in 1912 although he was not in the household on the night of the 1911 Census. Frank's widow, Agnes, married Charles HH White in 1920 (marriage registered O/N/D, Worksop).

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