Powys-Lybbe Forbears - Person Sheet
Powys-Lybbe Forbears - Person Sheet
Birth26 Apr 1875, Port View, Saltash, Cornwall
Deathca May 1963, Bournemouth district, Hants
FatherThomas Brook (<1834-ca1917)
Mother Hester (born Esther) Stanbury (ca1843-ca1895)
Notes for Agnes Elizabeth May Brook
On her birth certificate the entries are:

Heading: 1875 Registration district of St Germans, Birth in the sub-district of Saltash in the County of Cornwall.

Certificate NO: 79
Birth when, where: Twenty Sixth April 1875, Port View, Saltash
Name: Agnes Elizabeth May
Sex: Girl
Father’s name: Thomas Brook
Mother with maiden name: Hester Brook formerly Stanbury
Father’s Occupation: Merchant
Informant: Thomas Brook father Port View Saltash
When registered: Eleventh August 1875
Registrar: William Elias Efford Webber, Registrar; Fredk W P Elverton, Supt Regr
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In the 1901 census there is an Agnes aged 12, born in Ashburton, Devon and living with her parents at Brannidge farm, Torbrean (?), Newton Abbot, Devon.  I wonder if this was her?

No it wasn’t.

Geoffrey’s mother was a May.  Who Was Who says her maiden name was Brook.  All confirmed by the BMD index entry for this marriage.

This has to be her birth as the forenames are the same as in her marriage:

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page
Births Sep 1875   (>99%)
BROOK Agnes Elizabeth M St Germans 5c 41
________________

I wonder if this 1881 census entry is for her:

Name Relation Condition Sex Age Birth Year Occupation  Disability  Where Born

WELCH, Richard Head Married M 57 1824 Schoolmaster  Masboro, Yorkshire
WELCH, Elizth Wife Married F 45 1836 Stonehouse, Devon
RICHES, Harry Lodger Single M 20 1861 Musician  Greenwich, Kent
HARRIS, Mary Servant Single F 23 1858 General Serv  Gt Torrington
BROOK, Agnes Visitor Single F 6 1875 Scholar  Saltash, Cornwall
PHILLIPS, Maud Visitor Single F 8 1873 Scholar  Stonehouse, Devon

RG number: RG11 Piece: 2211 Folio: 72 Page: 12    

Registration District: Stoke-Damerel Sub District: Stoke
EnumerationDistrict:  Ecclesiastical Parish:

Civil Parish: Devonport Stoke-Damerel Municipal Borough:
Address: 1, Collingwood Villas, Devonport Stoke-Damerel
County: Devonshire
__________________

I can’t locate her in the 1891 census.  And I certainly cannot identify her parents, short of purchasing her birth certificate or her marriage certificate for her father’s name.

TFPL, 1916: However the parish record of her and Eernest Pethick’s church marriages shows her father’s name as Thomas Brook who was a JP.

Taking this a bit further, I have managed to obtain a scan of the marriage register.  This indicates that at her marriage, her father was both still alive and signed as the principal witness together with a Mabel Brook.  He also said that he was a JP, which a subsequent clerk has interpreted as and added ‘justice of peace’.  One of the two other witnesses was a Mabel Brook.  So I looked up in the 1891 census to see if there was a household containing both Thomas and a Mabel Brook and found this combination present only at a house in Tavistock Devon:

First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status  Gender  Age  Birth year  Occupation  Birth place

Thomas Brook Head Married Male 45 1846 Boot & Shoe Maker  Beaworthy, Devon
Elizabeth Brook Wife Married Female 46 1845   -  Calstock, Cornwall
Lizzie Brook Daughter Single Female 19 1872   Tailoress  Tavistock, Devon
Charlie Brook Son Single Male    16 1875   Coach Painter  Tavistock, Devon
Willie Brook Son Single Male     13 1878   Domestic Servant General  Tavistock, Devon
Jessie Brook Daughter - Female 9 1882   Scholar  Tavistock, Devon
Mabel Brook Daughter - Female 7 1884   Scholar  Tavistock, Devon
Sidney Brook Son -     Male 2 1889   - Tavistock, Devon

Might ‘Lizzie’ have been Agnes Elizabeth May?  Though if so, her birth year is three years earlier than on other reports.  I wish I knew more!  And I can’t reconcile Boot & Shoe Kaker in this 1881 census entry with Merchant in her birth certificate in 1875.

There are 14 homes around with a Thomas Brook their head in Devon and one more in Cornwall.
__________________

Her death index:

Surname First name(s) Age District Vol Page
Deaths Jun 1963   (>99%)
PETHICK AGNES E M 88 BOURNEMOUTH 6B 190
_________________
Will notes for Agnes Elizabeth May Brook
Her probate index:

PETHICK Agnes Elizabeth May of 12 Brandon Court 308 Poole Road Branksome Poole widow died 24 June 1963 at Herbert Hospital 49 Alunchurst Road Westbourne Bournemouth  Probate Winchester to Dorothy Grace Smit widow.  Effects £14017 16s.

Dorothy Grace Smit must have been her daughter Dorothy Grace Pethick, though I have yet to account for her widowed surname of Smit.
_______________________

This is NOT her will.  It IS data about her possible family but for which categorical evidence is lacking.  An answer would be to spend money on Agnes’ birth certificate as this would reveal her mother’s forename and maiden name.

1. The marriage of her candidate parents:

First name(s) Thomas
Last name Brook
Marriage year 1863
Marriage date 29 Dec 1863
Parish St George
Place East Stonehouse, St George
Spouse's first name(s) Hester
Spouse's last name Stanbury
Denomination Anglican
City or town Stonehouse, Plymouth
County Devon
Archive South West Heritage Trust
Record set Devon Marriages
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Subcategory Marriages & divorces
Collections from Great Britain
Transcription Devon Family History Society

2. The census entries with Thomas and Hester as the Head and Wife:

Last name First name Born Died Event Location   
Brook Thomas 1810 — 1881 Dalton, Huddersfield, Yorkshire
Brook Thomas 1836 — 1881 Compton-Gifford, Plympton St Mary, Devon
Brook Thomas 1835 — 1891 Plymouth, Devon

Brook Tom 1868 — 1881 Compton-Gifford, Plympton St Mary, Devon

3. The census details for the 1881 family, note Agnes is missing (additionally there were three servants in the household):

First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status  Gender  Age  Birth year  Occupation Birth place

Thomas    Brook  Head      Married  Male    45  1836  Wollen Draper  Huish, Devon
Hester    Brook  Wife      Married  Female  38  1843  -              Plymouth, Devon
Edith     Brook  Daughter  Single   Female  15  1866  Scholar        Plymouth, Devon
Berth     Brook  Daughter  Single   Female  14  1867  Scholar        Plymouth, Devon
Tom       Brook  Son       Single   Male    13  1868  Scholar        Plymouth, Devon
Harry     Brook  Son       Single   Male    10  1871  Scholar        Plymouth, Devon
Kathleen  Brook  Daughter  Single   Female   0  1881  -              Plymouth, Devon
Mable     Brook  Daughter  Single   Female   4  1877  -              Plymouth, Devon

4. The family of the 1891 census:

First name(s)  Last name  Relationship  Marital status  Gender  Age  Birth year  Occupation  Birth place

Thomas  Brook  Head      Married  Male    56  1835  Merchant & Magistrate  Devon
Hester  Brook  Wife      Married  Female  48  1843  -                      Plymouth, Devon
Edith   Brook  Daughter  Single   Female  25  1866  -                      Plymouth, Devon
Bertha  Brook  Daughter  Single   Female  24  1867  -                      Saltash, Cornwall
Dolly   Brook  Daughter  Single   Female  16  1875  -                      Plymouth, Devon
Mabel   Brook  Daughter  Single   Female  14  1877  -                      Plymouth, Devon
Daisy   Brook  Daughter  Single   Female  10  1881  -                      Plymouth, Devon
George  Brook  Son       -        Male     8  1883  -                      Plymouth, Devon

5. Deaths:

Surname First name(s) Age District Vol Page
Deaths Mar 1892   (>99%)
Brook Hester Hannah 48 Hailsham 2b 94

Surname First name(s) Age District Vol Page
Deaths Jun 1917   (>99%)
Brook Thomas 82 Plymouth 5b 293

6. Agnes in 1881, possibly:

Name Relation Condition Sex Age Birth Year Occupation  Disability  Where Born

WELCH, Richard Head Married M 57 1824 Schoolmaster  Masboro, Yorkshire
WELCH, Elizth Wife Married F 45 1836 Stonehouse, Devon
RICHES, Harry Lodger Single M 20 1861 Musician  Greenwich, Kent
HARRIS, Mary Servant Single F 23 1858 General Serv  Gt Torrington
BROOK, Agnes Visitor Single F 6 1875 Scholar  Saltash, Cornwall
PHILLIPS, Maud Visitor Single F 8 1873 Scholar  Stonehouse, Devon

and the marriage of Richard Welch and Elizabeth:

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page
Marriages Jun 1859   (>99%)
Stanbury Elizabeth Grace E Stonehouse 5b 494
Welch Richard Brewer E Stonehouse 5b 494
Welch Richard Drewer E Stonehouse 5B 494

This leads to the query whether Elizabeth and Hester were sisters in the 1851 census:

First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status  Gender  Age  Birth year  Occupation  Birth place

Henry Stanbury Head Married Male 44 1807  Baker  Hatherleigh, Devon
Elizabeth Stanbury Wife Married Female 38 1813  Wife Baker  St Budeaux, Devon
Elizabeth Stanbury Daughter Unm Female 15  1836  Scholar  East Stonehouse, Devon
Lidia J Stanbury Daughter Unm Female 12 1839  Scholar  East Stonehouse, Devon
Esther Stanbury Daughter Unm Female 8 1843  Scholar  East Stonehouse, Devon
George Stanbury Son Unm Male 4 1847  Scholar  East Stonehouse, Devon
Francis Stanbury Son Unm Male 3 1848  Scholar  East Stonehouse, Devon
James Stanbury Son Unm Male 0 1851  -  East Stonehouse, Devon

Yes, I would surmise, they were sisters.  And they were both married in the East Stonehouse district.  So in 1881 Agnes was (probably) staying with her maternal aunt.

Elizabeth’s baptism:

First name(s) Elizabeth Grace
Last name Stanbury
Birth year 1835
Birth date 01 Jul 1835
Baptism year 1835
Denomination Anglican
Baptism place East Stonehouse
Father's first name(s) Henry
Father's occupation Baker
Mother's first name(s) Elizabeth
Residence Stonehouse
County Devon
Archive South West Heritage Trust
Record set Devon Baptisms
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Subcategory Births & baptisms
Collections from Great Britain
Transcription Devon Family History Society

Esther’s birth regisgtration (baptism not found, not within 20 years of her birth in both Devon and Cornwall):

First name(s) ESTHER
Last name STANBURY
Birth year 1842
Birth quarter 4
Registration month -
Mother's last name -
District EAST STONEHOUSE
County Devon
Country England
Volume IX
Page 323
Record set England & Wales births 1837-2006
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Subcategory Births & baptisms
Collections from Great Britain
__________________
Notes for Ernest Ellacott & Agnes Elizabeth May (Family)
Their marriage:

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page
Marriages Dec 1900
Brook Agnes Elizabeth M Plymouth 5b 465
Pethick Ernest Ellacott Plymouth 5b 465

and from FindMyPast, their church record:

First name(s) Ernest Ellacott
Last name Pethick
Age 25
Birth year 1875
Marriage year 1900
Marriage date 03 Oct 1900
Denomination Anglican
Place Plymouth, St Andrew
Father's first name(s) Thomas
Father's last name Pethick
Spouse's first name(s) Agnes Elizabeth May
Spouse's last name Brook
Spouse's age 25
Spouse's father's first name(s) Thomas
Spouse's father's last name Brook
Archive Plymouth & West Devon Record Office
County Devon
Record set Devon Marriages
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Transcription Devon Family History Society

TFPL, Feb 2016: Note that, in the church record, verified in the copy of the image of the register page downloaded from FindMyPast’s site, his father is named as Thomas Pethick, deceased.  Note further that Ernest gave his age as 25.

In fact, on the original document the entries are:

Heading
-------
Year: 1900
Church: Parish of St Andrew
County: County Borough of Plymouth

Details
-------
Cert No: 1
Date:    October 3 1900

Item              Groom                    Bride
----              -----                    ----
Name:          Ernest Ellacott Pethick     Agnes Elizabeth May Brook
Age:           25                          25
Condition:     Bachelor                    Spinster
Jon:           Engineer RN                 -
Abode:         Old Town Street             St Laurence Road
Father:        Thomas Pethick              Thomas Brook
Father job:    Deceased                    JP [struck out] Justice of Peace

Married: after banns

Signatures: [in their own hand]

Witnesses: Thos Brook, Mabel Brook, Arthur J Simson
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Last Modified 7 Sep 2020Created 14 May 2022 by Tim Powys-Lybbe
Re-created by Tim Powys-Lybbe on 14 May 20220