Edward John Bicknell married Marcella Jones (b. 10 May 1883 in Rushbrooke, Cobh (Queenstown, as it was then), Ireland), daughter of David Jones and Johannah Anne O'Callaghan, at St Jude's Church, Southsea on 12 Dec 1906. Among the witnesses was Marcella's younger sister, Helena Jones. At the time of this marriage, Edward John Bicknell was a Corporal RGA (Royal Garrison Artillery) and was then stationed at Southsea Castle. On the marriage certificate, Bicknell's father is 'invented' as Edward Bicknell, a farmer.
Their only child was:
- David Nicholas Bicknell b. 20 Jan 1909 at 15 Gold Street, Southsea (1909 M Quarter in PORTSMOUTH Volume 02B Page 491), bap. 10 Feb 1909, at the church of St Thomas of Canterbury, Portsmouth (now Portsmouth Cathedral), son of Edward John Bicknell, Corporal Royal Artillery and Marcella, of 15 Gold Street, Southsea.
There is no birth, nor baptism of an Edward John Bicknell. The only likely record is a birth of an Edward Bicknell, in 1879 D Quarter in SAINT THOMAS Volume 05B Page 46. The birth certificate lists that the child, born on 19 Nov 1879, in the Village, Withycombe Raleigh (which certainly falls within St Thomas Registration District), was the illegitimate son of Rose Creasley Bicknell, Domestic Servant, Cook. His birth was registered by his mother, on 9 Dec 1879 and the name of the deputy registrar on the certificate was Edward John Carter. Is that where the Edward John came from? That and naming their son after Marcella's father and uncle and not after Bicknell's ancestors, leads me to be certain Edward had no idea who his father was and, as is so often done, just made one up for appearances on the marriage certificate.
There was a Rose Cressly Bicknell b. 1859 M Quarter in TOTNES Volume 05B Page 173 and baptised on 2 Jan 1859 at St Saviour's Church, Dartmouth, Devon, clearly listed as the base child of Elizabeth Bicknell (and a bloke named Cressly, I wouldn't be surprised). Edward John was described as Elizabeth's nephew, but it's obvious she was actually his grandmother.
Records show that Henry Palmer had married Elizabeth Fanny Bicknell, at St Margaret's, Westminster, London, in 1873. In 1881, they had been living at Church End, Tempsford, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, where Henry was Under butler. Elizabeth Bicknell (bap. 5 Jan 1834), listed in Withycombe Rawleigh in 1841 and 1851, certainly had a brother named Edward, born in 1830. However, he had died in 1870, so could not have been the boy's father. In fact, there were very many people named Edward Bicknell, in Withycombe, going right back to the 17th Century. Not one of them were farmers.
In 1891, Edward Jno Bricknell (sic) (10), 'nephew', had been living with Henry Palmer (42) Butler domestic and Elizabeth F Palmer (54) from Withycombe, Devon, at Hencroft Street, Upton with Chalvey, Eton, Buckinghamshire.
On 17 Dec 1895, Edward John Bicknell, listed originally as aged 14 years, 11 months (although the 14 appears to have been over-written as 15 on the 2nd page), from Withycombe [Withycombe Raleigh], Exmouth, Devon, formerly a Telegraph Messenger, had enlisted for Long Service in the Royal Artillery, at Slough, Bucks. The name and address of his next of kin was given as Mrs F E Palmer, 18 Hencroft Street, Sough, Bucks. (In 1901, Elizabeth F Palmer (60) Tailoress, from Withycombe, Devon, was still listed at that address.)
When he enlisted in 1895, Edward John was 5' 1⅝' tall, weighed 98lbs, had a fresh complexion, hazel eyes and dark brown hair. He was then sent to Fort Rowner, Gosport on 21 Dec 1895. Initially passed as fit, he spent 29 days in hospital from 5 Feb 1896 to 4 Mar 1896, suffering from an illness referred to only by the initials V.D.H. (valvular disease of the heart and implies some organic disease or heart malfunction), of unknown cause and was discharged on 7 Mar 1896, as "Not being likely to become an efficient soldier."
On 19 Sep 1900, in London, at 18 years and 9 months, Edward John Bicknell, once again enlisted in the Royal Artillery. The record, again, says he was from Withycombe, Exmouth, Devon. Was he cured of his previous condition, or hopeful nobody would tie the two together (which they don't seem to do)?
In 1901, Edward John Bicknell (19) Gunner Royal Artillery, was listed on the census at Leith Fort, North Fort Street, Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland.
In 1911, Sergeant Edward John Bicknell (29), from Exmouth, Devon, was listed on the census of Overseas Establishments with 96th Company RGA (
Royal Garrison Artillery) at
Fort Tigné, Malta. Also listed there at that time were wife, Marcella Bicknell (26) and son, David Nicholas Bicknell (2) (96th Company, I believe,
remained in Malta for the duration of World War I.)
But on 27 Oct 1919, Edward John Bicknell, then a Battery Sergeant Major at
Sandown Barracks, Sandown, Isle of Wight, filed for divorce from Marcella, citing her adultery with co-respondent, Harry Babb, a Fitter in
His Majesty's Dockyard at Portsmouth, with whom she was allegedly residing at
34, Castle Road, Southsea. The final decree was granted on 29 Sep 1920 and Harry Babb was ordered to pay costs of £63 18s 4d (around
£3,655 in 2025).
Edward John Bicknell remarried, to
Ida Gertrude Pressley, on
25 Mar 1921, on the Isle of Wight. Ida Gertrude Pressley (b. 31 Dec 1890 (1891 M Quarter in ISLE OF WIGHT Volume 02B Page 615)), was the daughter of Thomas Frederick Pressley (a Yacht steward) and Sophia Caroline Lobb (from Jersey, Channel Islands). In 1901, the family address was Grocer's Shop,
62, West Street, Ryde, Isle of Wight (now a branch of
The Co-operative Food). In 1911, Ida Gertrude Priestley (20), had been employed as a Lady's Maid to a Mrs Winifred Walker at
10 Marmion Road, Battersea, London.
Edward John Bicknell was discharged from the Army on 18 Sep 1921, at Dover, under
Paragraph 392 (xxi) of the King's Regulations - the end of a period of engagement - and awarded a pension of 51½d per day for life. His address on discharge matches, as 177, Filbert Street, Leicester.
However,
Edward John Bicknell of
4 Burton Street, Leicester, Bank Messenger, died on 21 Apr 1922 (1922 J Quarter in LEICESTER Volume 07A Page 300), at
Leicester Royal Infirmary from shock following an operation (stomach cancer, diagnosed 5-6 months previously). He was ~40. His death was registered by P H Priestley, Brother-in-law (Ida's younger brother).
 |
| 34, Castle Road, Southsea, alleged address of these shocking adulterers. |
Henry Babb (30 - only 26), Engine fitter at
HM Dockyard, son of Levi Frank Babb (deceased), Antique Dealer, married
Marcella Bicknell formerly Jones (34 - actually 37) '
the divorced wife of Edward John Bicknell', daughter of
David Jones, Naval Pensioner, both of
34, Castle Road, Southsea, at The Register Office,
St Michael's Road, Portsmouth, on
15 Dec 1920 (1920 Q4 Vol 2B Pg 1395). Witnesses were Maria Arnold and Edith Arnold.
The only relevant birth of a Harry Babb, was in 1894 D Quarter in BARNSTAPLE UNION Volume 05B Page 417, with his mother's maiden name given as Ware. There was a marriage of an Eli Francis Babb and Annie Ware on 21 Feb 1880, at
St Martin-in-the-Fields, in The Strand, London. Harry was baptised on 25 Jan 1895 at
Holy Trinity Church, Barnstaple and the baptism record gives his parents as Levi Frank and Annie Babb, with his father's occupation listed as 'Boots' at the
Fortescue Hotel. (The word 'Boots' came from, ‘
boot boys’, an occupation in the 1830s and 40s requiring young men to clean the boots of hotel guests. Later, the occupation had become simply known as ‘
boots’, and duties included odd-jobs.)
In 1921, Henry Babb (30) - still adding 4 years - from Barnstaple, Devon, working for the Department (Engineering)
H M Dockyard Portsmouth was again living at 34, Castle Road, Southsea with Marcella Babb (~36), step-son David Bicknell (12), four Boarders and one Domestic servant.
In 1939, Harry Babb (b. 17 Nov 1894), Marine Engineer, Marcella Babb, David N Bicknell and a lodger were living at
10 Wilberforce Road.
My
late cousin Margery and her mother had visited and stayed with Marcella in Portsmouth in 1946. By then the story, or Margery's understanding, seemed to have 'conveniently' shifted to Marcella's former husband, with much made of him having been an Army
Officer, not having come back from WWI. Maybe that is when the marriage broke up. Hard to psychologise at this distance, but reading between the lines, I wonder if Bicknell completely overcompensated for having been born illegitimately and probably even more so from his first knock back from the army. As a result, he may have been cold and strict, or even a bully. If so, little wonder Marcella found solace with Harry Babb.
Marcella Babb of 1 Festing Grove, Southsea, died on 9 Oct 1963, at 80.
Henry Babb, also still of 1 Festing Grove, Southsea, died on 19 Nov 1967, just two days after celebrating his 73rd birthday.
David Nicholas Bicknell never married. He died of a cardiac arrest on 22 Jan 1987 (Q1/1987 in PORTSMOUTH (4971E) Volume 20 Page 1011), two days after his 78th birthday. The retired production controller still lived at 1 Festing Grove, Southsea. On his death certificate, his place of birth was listed as India. Records show that he was born in Southsea, so I wonder if his father spent time in India while he was growing up, or did David only think it was India, being just a small child in the Mediterranean heat of Malta?
