Her birth index:

First name(s) MAY MATHILDE
Last name FRY
Birth year 1886
Birth quarter 4
Registration month -
Mother's last name -
District KINGSTON
County Surrey
Country England
Volume 2A
Page 335
Record set England & Wales births 1837-2006

However in 1939 she gave her birth date as 8 Aug 1887.  I could believe 8 Aug 1886, but not 1887.  This could do with a check on her birth certificate, but this is only for idle curiosity, not to resolve any problem.

Wher her birth registration was in Kingston, her birth location was given variously in the censuses as ‘London’, ’Tolworth, Surrey’ and ’Surbiton, Surrey’.  I could be interested to know what the 1921 census says.  Sounds like Surrey.
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Her address on their marriage certificate (in AP-L's possession on 15.1.98) was 50 Beaconsfield Road, St Margarets, Twickenham.  This was a copy made on 24 June 1925 for reasons unknown.

The divorce decree was made on 18 Dec 1919 for reason of adultery with E MCLEOD (by him or by her?).  Made absolute on 5 Jul 1920.

(In 1925 Philip Lybbe Powys-Lybbe had died in the Channel isles and Richard had approached the executor as he was a beneficiary.  Was he thinking of re-marrying?  And so needed the old marriage cert???  2012: NO, he had already remarried in 1921.)

- TFPL

Eileen PL, May's eventual daughter-in-law refers to May as May Sarony, a theatrical family - a stage name?
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In the 1901 census she was living at 50 Beaconsfield Rd, Twickenham, Mx with her parents, aged 14, born in Isleworth, Mx.
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On April 9th 1918, she wrote this letter:

"12 Sheen Gate Mansions
East Sheen  S.W.14
April 9th 1918

The Secretary, War office

Dear Sir
I have been advised to apply to you direct re seperation allowance to Officers wifes, (R. B. Powys-Lybbe) is 1st Lieut in A.S.C. & is overdrawn at Messrs Cox & if the money due to me for my four [sic] shcildren is not sent nn nn to me I am afraid that my husband still retain it to balance his a/c.  he mades me no allowance from his pay.  I have been and still am in great distress, this home had been taken with the exception of the beds for my children the flat is empty six months rent is owing & the landlord Mr Melville has given me until Monday to pay failing which he will evict me, can you not make it an allotment & let me have it direct.
I assure you I would not ask but I am in desperate need.
Will you please let me hear from you at your earliest convenience
Yours faithfully
May Powys-Lybbe

A Brigadier General Kennedy replied that the army could not make deductions from an officer's pay but that the matter would be brought to the attention of her husband, then serving at Blackheath, near London.

The interesting thing about her letter is the mention of four children.  I have never before heard mention of a fourth child nor was such in RCLP-L's pedigrees of the family.  Is it possible that this child was not RBP-L's and this was what led to his obtaining a divorce?  A trip to the Family Record centre in Middleton Street looks on the cards.
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In the 1911 census she was at home with a mistranscribed name of ‘Syble’, now, in 2016, correct on FindMyPast:

Name Relation Condition/ Yrs married Sex Age  Birth Year  Occupation  Where Born

SYBBE, May Mathilde Powys Wife Married 3 years  F  23  1888  No Occupation  Surbiton Surrey
FRYE, Sophia Elizabeth Sister Single M 28 1883  No Occupation  Shepherds Bush London
SYBBE, Doris Jean Powys Daughter F 0 (10 MONTHS)  1911  East Sheen Surrey

RG number: RG14 Piece: 3611
Reference: RG14PN3611 RG78PN136 RD41 SD2 ED6 SN273

Registration District: Richmond   Sub District: Mortlake
Enumeration District: 6 Parish: Mortlake

Address: 30 Milton Road Mortlake S W
County: Surrey
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She is not to be found in the 1939 register.

From the Commonwealth War Grave site:

Name: McLEOD, MAY MATHILDE
Initials: M M
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Civilian
Regiment/Service: Civilian War Dead
Age: 54
Date of Death: 29/04/1941
Additional information: of 19 Llanbleddian Gardens. Wife of Ernest McLeod. Died at 19 Llanbleddian Gardens.
Casualty Type: Civilian War Dead
Reporting Authority: CARDIFF, COUNTY BOROUGH, WALES
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Her info within the records of cardiff Cemetery”

Id  Surname  Forename  Initials  AgeAtDeath  Honours  DateOfDeath  DateOfDeath2  Rank  Regiment  SecondaryRegiment  Unit  CountryOfService  ServiceNumber Burial  Cemetery  GraveRef  AdditionalInfo

3161901  McLEOD  MAY MATHILDE  M M  54    29/04/1941    Civilian  Civilian War Dead      United Kingdom  ''  Civilian War Dead  CARDIFF, COUNTY BOROUGH, WALES    of 19 Llanbleddian Gardens. Wife of Ernest McLeod. Died at 19 Llanbleddian Gardens.
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From Copy of an Entry of marriage, copy made on 24th June 1925:

Register No 76. by Licence, Registrar: L. Liversidge, Superintendent Registrar: T.A.Marsh.
Witnesses: Leslie Legge Frye
William Ransthorne Frye
Sophia Ransthorne Frye

Father of groom: Reginald Lybbe Powys-Lybbe (deceased)
Father of bride: William Ransthorne Frye, Artist (Painter)

Age of groom: 24 years, bachelor, of independent means, of 37 Lillyville Road, Fulham
Age of bride: 22 years, spinster of 50 Beaconsfield Rd, St Margaret's, Twickenham.

From the Sealed Copy of the Divorce Decree Absolute:
Marriage between Richard Barrington Powys-Lybbe and May Mathilde P-L (then Rawsthorne-Frye spinster)
Co-Respondent: E. MC LEOD
Decree NISI on: 18th December 1919
Decree Absolute: 5th July 1920
Judge: Sir Henry Edward Luke
Court: High Court of Justice, Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division, in Royal Courts of Justice, Middlesex
Registrar: W.T. Barnard
Reason for Divorce: Adultery between M M P-L and E McLeod.
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The National Archive has the divorce record:

Item details J 77/1407/3217











Context
: quick reference
J  Records of the Supreme Court of Judicature and related courts
Division within J  Records of the Family Division and predecessors
J 77  Court for Divorce and Matrimonial Causes, later Supreme Court of Judicature: Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Files
Subseries within J 77  
J 77/1407  

Record Summary
Scope and content
Divorce Court File: 3217. Appellant: Richard Barrigton Powys-Lybbe. Respondent: May Mathilde Powys-Lybbe. Co-respondent: E McLeod. Type: Husband's petition for divorce [hd].
Covering dates 1918
Availability Open Document, Open Description, Normal Closure before FOI Act: 30 years
Held by The National Archives, Kew
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Their marriage index:

First name(s) MAY M
Last name POWYS-LYBBE
Marriage quarter 3
Marriage year 1920
Registration month -
Spouse's last name MCLEOD
District RICHMOND (SURREY)
District number -
County Surrey
Country England
Volume 2A
Page 1473
Record set England & Wales marriages 1837-2008
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