Family Myth

[AMW]

Hi

There is a story that somewhere in the family on my dad's side through his aunts there is a connection to Vesta Tilley (Matilda Powles). I have made two separate trees one for the Matilda Alice Powles family and one for the Wilkins/Dunn family but not getting very far. Would anyone know of any other ways of how to go about trying to prove a link? So far Matilda Powles was born in Worcester not to far away from Birmingham, and during the 1890s Powles, Dunns and Wilkins all lived in Sparkbrook.

Best wishes
Alison

 

[MWS]

Sadly family myths have a life of there own. A chance meeting, a drink in a pub can over time grow to something more significant. My step mom's family always said they were related to Bernard Cribbins, I looked into but couldn't see anything. Eventually, I found that my step grandmom's cousin married Bernard Cribbins' sister, hardly the close connection they thought.

They only way to prove it is to trace all relatives - cousin, second cousins etc - and see what turns up. Unless you have any clues to narrow it down.

 

[AMW]

Thank you. Wasn't sure if there was anything else I could do. I suspect the story is going to be a bit like the one you've mentioned.

 

[carolina]

Have you got Vesta's birth certificate?

 

[Morturn]

Hi

There is a story that somewhere in the family on my dad's side through his aunts there is a connection to Vesta Tilley (Matilda Powles). I have made two separate trees one for the Matilda Alice Powles family and one for the Wilkins/Dunn family but not getting very far. Would anyone know of any other ways of how to go about trying to prove a link? So far Matilda Powles was born in Worcester not to far away from Birmingham, and during the 1890s Powles, Dunns and Wilkins all lived in Sparkbrook.

Best wishes
Alison

Just by coincidence I was in Worcester last week and came across a small sculpture of Vesta Tilley. It was such a lovely subject and interesting back story that I photographed it.

AS MWS quite rightly says family myths have a life of their own, my family had several of them.

I once attended a lecture by a professor who had researched a family story of a hand (human) that was allegedly taken from a slave servant and kept by the family as a trophy. He had spent years researching and had even written a book. Yet he had no evidence of the existence of this hand whatsoever. He was completely blinkered to any alternative expiation or would accept it was just a family story.

 

[MWS]

Interestingly, the family seem to be listed as Ball on many censuses, father not with them on any of them, Matilda Alice only in 1871. All the children with Matilda (the mother) in Balsall Heath 1891 appear to be with in London 1901.

Also, there appears to be a completely different Powles family in Balsall Heath in 1901.

 

[pjmburns]

Google suggests her father Henry Powles was also known as Harry Ball. I am not sure which was his real name

 

[AMW]

Have you got Vesta's birth certificate?

No I haven't got her Vesta's birth certificate. The Powles and Ball surname are confusing as they do change from censuses. Henry Powles was also on the stage at one point and his stage name was Harry Ball...but then the children use the surname Ball on some censuses. Great photo of the statue. Thanks for that.

 

[pjmburns]

There is a marriage for Matilda Broughton (Vesta Tilley's mother) and William Henry Powles

 

[Alberta]

It will be a big family to plough through to make a link
1871 in worcester
Matilda Ball
Matilda 6
Maria E 2

1881 Lambeth
Harry Ball married, Comedian and musician
Matilda 16 Burlesque Actress
Henry 9

The rest of the family in cheapside Aston
Matilda Ball 37
Amy 18
Lizzie 12
Jessie 4

William Henry Powles died in 1888 in Prestwich .

1891 Moseley road Kings Norton
Matilda Powles ,widow
Amy 27
Henry 20
Jessie 14
May 12
Eva 10
Arthur 9
Frederick 8
Arthur Day 26 son-in-law
Lizzie 21 daughter

Matilda (Vesta tilley) married theatrical agent Walter de Frece
they are in Leeds in 1891 and Lambeth 1901
Walter became a conservative politician and was knighted, retiring in 1920 matilda called herself Lady de Frece
Walter retired in 1930 and they went to live in Monaco.

 

[AMW]

Thanks Janice and Alberta for the info, really kind of you to take the time to provide it. I guess I just need to keep ploughing away to see if I can make a link somewhere.
Best wishes
Alison