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Quiney and King families

D

Deegs

proper brummie kid
Dear everyone!

I have recently discovered that my great grandmother, Edith May Quiney nee King, was a shopkeeper at 18 Long Acre, from about 1930-1935. She married a man called John Quiney in 1931 and had my grandmother, Gwen, that year. It would be great if anyone could tell me anything about the Quiney family (John was the youngest of 10 and grew up at Back54 Long Acre). Also if anyone knows what sort of shop my great grandmother was likely to have been running. John is a controversial figure in our family and I am trying to find out the truth about what he was really like. Many thanks!
 
Listed as an assistant shopkeeper grocer in 1911. So similar maybe.

I see that in 1939 Edith is still in Bham whilst John is in Bournemouth with 2 of his sisters. Is that part of the controversy?
 
Hi MWS

Thank you for your reply. Yes, that is the heart of the controversy. No one knew about this apparent marriage breakdown until I started researching the family history. They got back together after the War and lived in Bournemouth. What my grandmother and great grandmother (Edith Quiney) were during WWII is a mystery. Family legend is that John Quiney was an unpleasant person to say the least, but I have other theories. I have discovered he served in the RAF during WWI and I think he may have had PTSD.
Where is the assistant shopkeeper grocer listing? I can't find Edith May Quiney nee King on the 1911 census either.
 
She is listed as May Edith King a sevant of Clara Mills. Her brother appears to be a boarder there as well.

There are some pictures of Long Acre here...

long acre pics wanted

hi folks i am now looking for any old pics of long acre nechells so if anyone can help i would be very grateful..anything upto the late 70s would be great many thanks lyn
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
 
Number 18 is on the corner of Long Acre and Charles Arthur St and there is a picture (post 6) here...

Charles Arthur Street

Any one live there from the 1950's to the mid 60's who went to Charles Artur St Senior School? and who knew my family? we who lived next door to the school.
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk

Looking at the map it seems it could only be one of the 4 corners of Long Acre & Charles Arthur St so could be the shop. Someone more knowledgeable than me might be able to say.
 
Looking at the picture again I would guess that it was the other corner unfortunately. Charles Arthur St running to the left and Long Acre to the right, making the shop 55 Charles Arthur St. No 18 Long Acre would have been to the right out of shot.
 
Wow! I am just delighted to see a photo of the shop my great grandmother worked in! My great grandfather lived on the same street, so I think that maybe he was a customer at the shop and that it is how they got to know each other. Thank you so much!
 
Hi

It's ok your post arrived just after I clicked 'send' on mine...I am still delighted as that shop will have been very similar to the one my great grandmother had....my Mum is also going to be fascinated as she doesn't know any of this. The family moved down south after the War and all this faded into a few patchy stories...it's great to know what it was really like.
 
  • Appreciate
Reactions: MWS
Edith & John are listed on the probate of Edith's brother George. Also listed is is Lucy (her sister).

Interestingly the probate date is 1953 but he died in 1946. His wife died in 1943. They seem to have had 2 sons, George W who died young and Maurice Walter who was born late (1931). Maybe him being so young had something to do with the delay.
 
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Ah! I had found the probate for Edith's brother George and noticed it was late but thought that may be delay due to the post war situation in Birmingham. I hadn't noticed that Edith and John are on the probate though...must look again. That may finally explain how they managed to buy a house for themselves down south. George did well for himself, he owned a ran a coffee shop and lived in a double fronted terrace house and at one point had a domestic servant.
 
...I have looked up the probate granted in 1953 for George Walter of 28 Monument Road who has a son called Maurice...but can see no mention of Edith and John or Lucy....can I ask which document you were searching? I am something of a newbie at this family history business! Thanks so much for your help!
 
It was a search result on familysearch - National Index of Wills and Administrations.

Lists death and probate date and beneficiary's name Edith May Quiney, Second Beneficiary's Name John Quiney, Additional Person's Name Lucy Ann Locke.
 
It's listed on the National Archives 30 Apr 1948. Handwritten next to this one is New Grant 22 Sep 1953 which is the one you found.

Between the 2 grants the money has gone down from over £5000 to £2700.
 
Hi

Thank you very much! This is so helpful...now I know how they afforded the house down south and how and why it is my family ended up southerners not Brummies!
 
Maurice had a daughter called Wendy J King and I would love to know whether she married but on Ancestry the search comes up with many many Wendy J Kings who married about the right time and there is no way of knowing which is her! Do you know a way of working this out without having to buy multiple marriage certificates?
Parthenia Duffett sounds fascinating....
 
How many children did Parthenia have?!?! and her daughter Elizabeth had 9...then Elizabeth's daughter Sarah had 10...one of whom was John Quiney...what a matriachy!
 
It's not easy to be certain with nothing to corroborate, especially with 2 Wendy J King registered in Bham within a year of each other. Was there another daughter, Lesley?

There were certainly some big families.
 
Thank you very much. I think that must be her as it seems unlikely there are two Wendy Kings with a father called Maurice and a mother called June.
 
Does anyone have any ideas on how to track down where my grandmother and her mother were during WWII? I have searched the 1939 Register extensively and can find no mention of them. They were called Edith May/Mary Quiney dob April 1894 and Gwendoline Quiney dob Nov 1931 and until 1935 lived at 18 Long Acre. Is it possible to search Ration Book information online? I have been told my grandmother was not evacuated...but that may not be accurate. Thanks in advance!
 
Deegs said:
Does anyone have any ideas on how to track down where my grandmother and her mother were during WWII? I have searched the 1939 Register extensively and can find no mention of them. They were called Edith May/Mary Quiney dob April 1894 and Gwendoline Quiney dob Nov 1931 and until 1935 lived at 18 Long Acre. Is it possible to search Ration Book information online? I have been told my grandmother was not evacuated...but that may not be accurate. Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
..update...I have found her myself! Name was misspelled Quincy.....
 
She appears on the 1939 e roll as May King at 40 Dolphin Road. By the next e roll in 1945 she had gone from that address.
 
That's interesting Janice. I didn't know there was a 1945 roll...may I ask where you can find and search it? Thank you.
 
There's an Ethel M Quiney at 113 Lyncroft Road in 1945. Can't be certain it's her though,
 
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