Powys-Lybbe Forbears - Person Sheet
Powys-Lybbe Forbears - Person Sheet
NameEvelyn Zoe R ‘Zoe’ James 
[3, Their marriage, Q3 of 1925, Worcester dist, vol 6c, p. 273], [3, Her birth, Q1 of 1898, Upton dist, vol 6c, p. 310a]
[3, Their marriage, Q3 of 1925, Worcester dist, vol 6c, p. 273], [3, Her birth, Q1 of 1898, Upton dist, vol 6c, p. 310a]Birthca Feb 1898, Malvern, Worcs
Spouses
Marriageca Aug 1925, Worcester district, Worcs [3, Marriage, Q3 of 1925, Worcester dist, vol 6c, p. 273]
ChildrenRobin Colville
Notes for Evelyn Zoe R ‘Zoe’ James
The following are all the Britten-James births on FindMyPast with, curiously, none in Isle of Wight:
Last name First names Registration district County Registered year Month / quarter
BRITTEN Christopher Maidenhead Berkshire 1926 Apr-May-Jun
BRITTEN Forester R J Windsor Berkshire 1928 Apr-May-Jun
BRITTEN Freda J Chard Somerset 1929 Jan-Feb-Mar
BRITTEN David R Chard Somerset 1930 Jul-Aug-Sep
BRITTEN Male (unnamed) Maidenhead Berkshire 1932 Apr-May-Jun
BRITTEN Mary D Chard Somerset 1932 Jul-Aug-Sep
BRITTEN Lesley R Eton Buckinghamshire 1946 Jul-Aug-Sep
The second of these looks very likely and the fifth may be Robin Colville’s.
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I cannot find Evelyn Zoe James on the 1911 census; I wonder if she had married previously?
No. She is on the 1901 census, aged 3 with her parents Rev Sidney E and Linda who ran the School House at Malvern. She was born in Malvern, Worcs.
And she is on the 1911 census as Zoe and had a sister and a brother.
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Her birth:
Surname First name(s) District Vol Page
Births Mar 1898 (>99%)
James Evelyn Zoe R Upton 6c 310a
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She was alive in Aug 1982, judging by the Times notice. But I cannot find her death between then and 2006 on FindMyPast. I don’t beleive she survived to 108, though it could have happened.
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Christine Buckley wrote in February 2014:
“I've just tripped over the material relating to Robin Colville Britten in 1982, living at St Denis, High Street, Bembridge, IoW. Just wanted to check whether you'd realized that his mother, Evelyn (Zoe) R James, was the daughter of ghost-story writer M R James's elder brother, Sydney. Some details of Sydney's biog can be found in those for Monty, e.g. the ones by Pfaff and by Michael Cox. There's also an on-line memoir written by Zoe's younger sister Margery, whose married name was Burrows. For some reason I can't remember, it's on www.tameside.gov.uk/museumsgalleries site. It confirms that Zoe was born in 1898, and that was the name she was known by in the family. The R was probably for Rhodes, the middle name used by Sydney and Monty. She should be on FreeBMD, anyway.
“Sydney's wife, mother of Zoe and Margery, was from the Hoare banking family, as the memoir relates. Sydney was a master at Eton College, then headmaster of Malvern College, and after that, residentiary canon of Worcester Cathedral and Archdeacon of Dudley (but lived on College Green in Worcester).”
Much of this can be confirmed by the censuses and reveals a Montague R James as Sidney’s very much youngest brother.
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Last name First names Registration district County Registered year Month / quarter
BRITTEN Christopher Maidenhead Berkshire 1926 Apr-May-Jun
BRITTEN Forester R J Windsor Berkshire 1928 Apr-May-Jun
BRITTEN Freda J Chard Somerset 1929 Jan-Feb-Mar
BRITTEN David R Chard Somerset 1930 Jul-Aug-Sep
BRITTEN Male (unnamed) Maidenhead Berkshire 1932 Apr-May-Jun
BRITTEN Mary D Chard Somerset 1932 Jul-Aug-Sep
BRITTEN Lesley R Eton Buckinghamshire 1946 Jul-Aug-Sep
The second of these looks very likely and the fifth may be Robin Colville’s.
____________________
I cannot find Evelyn Zoe James on the 1911 census; I wonder if she had married previously?
No. She is on the 1901 census, aged 3 with her parents Rev Sidney E and Linda who ran the School House at Malvern. She was born in Malvern, Worcs.
And she is on the 1911 census as Zoe and had a sister and a brother.
____________________
Her birth:
Surname First name(s) District Vol Page
Births Mar 1898 (>99%)
James Evelyn Zoe R Upton 6c 310a
_____________________
She was alive in Aug 1982, judging by the Times notice. But I cannot find her death between then and 2006 on FindMyPast. I don’t beleive she survived to 108, though it could have happened.
______________________
Christine Buckley wrote in February 2014:
“I've just tripped over the material relating to Robin Colville Britten in 1982, living at St Denis, High Street, Bembridge, IoW. Just wanted to check whether you'd realized that his mother, Evelyn (Zoe) R James, was the daughter of ghost-story writer M R James's elder brother, Sydney. Some details of Sydney's biog can be found in those for Monty, e.g. the ones by Pfaff and by Michael Cox. There's also an on-line memoir written by Zoe's younger sister Margery, whose married name was Burrows. For some reason I can't remember, it's on www.tameside.gov.uk/museumsgalleries site. It confirms that Zoe was born in 1898, and that was the name she was known by in the family. The R was probably for Rhodes, the middle name used by Sydney and Monty. She should be on FreeBMD, anyway.
“Sydney's wife, mother of Zoe and Margery, was from the Hoare banking family, as the memoir relates. Sydney was a master at Eton College, then headmaster of Malvern College, and after that, residentiary canon of Worcester Cathedral and Archdeacon of Dudley (but lived on College Green in Worcester).”
Much of this can be confirmed by the censuses and reveals a Montague R James as Sidney’s very much youngest brother.
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Notes for Forester Cecil Robin & Evelyn Zoe R ‘Zoe’ (Family)
This has to be their marriage, in spite of his incorrect second initial:
Surname First name(s) Spouse District Vol Page
Marriages Sep 1925 (>99%)
Britten Forester O R James Worcester 6c 273
James Evelyn Z R Britten Worcester 6c 273
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Surname First name(s) Spouse District Vol Page
Marriages Sep 1925 (>99%)
Britten Forester O R James Worcester 6c 273
James Evelyn Z R Britten Worcester 6c 273
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