Genealogy Chat

Please can anyone help find a marriage between Olwen Mary Phillips born 1924 near Oswestry and a Basil Ward. According to family information, Basil was of Russian stock. I do not know when he came to England. Presumably the Russian family name was changed to Ward at that stage. I do not have a birth date for him but I believe he was older than Mary by quite a few years. They may have married in London or possibly abroad. Mary was in the armed forces, probably during WWII. They had a son Graham Ward (probably still living) and also child born about 1946 who was killed in 1949.

Any information about Basil would be gratefully received.

Mary

Name Olwen M Phillips
Event Type Birth Registration
Registration Quarter Oct-Nov-Dec
Registration Year 1924
Registration District Oswestry
County Shropshire
Event Place Oswestry, Shropshire, England
Mother's Maiden Name (not available before 1911 Q3) Lewis
Volume 6A
Page 945
Line Number 89

Thank you AnnCardiff. Marriage? I have hunted using FMP and Free BMD, using various combinations of their names and initials, with no result..
Mary

Any chance she might have married to someone else briefly during the war years?

Then she might either have not been able to marry because still married to someone else, or she might have married under another surname if widowed/divorced.

Apparently not but worth exploring. Unfortunately, I can find no marriage for Olwyn Mary Phillips at all.
I wondered if they were not married but Olwen Mary's brother (now age 90) and sister in law believe they were. Her younger brother and his wife visited Mary and Basil in the 1950s but lost touch at some point. Her brother was in the regular army and posted abroad through much of the late 1940s and 50s. They did not go to the wedding. Mary was not close to her brothers. After their mother died the children were farmed out to different relatives. It makes sense that there were no family members at the wedding. However, it is a bit of a mystery. I do know that in later life Mary received an MBE for services to youth. No one seems to know exactly what. But that was after Basil died in the 1970s. He is a ghost man. I may have found his death reg and also hers but other than that, Basil may not have existed.

where did basil die in 1970

Possibly Hampstead where they lived, in 1977. I have found a death reg but no means of knowing it is him. This Basil was born in 1913. I know that "our" Basil was quite a lot older than his wife, who was born in 1924. So it could be him.

Basil Ward
England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007
Name
Basil Ward
Event Type
Death
Registration Quarter
Apr-May-Jun
Registration Year
1977
Registration District
Hampstead
County
London
Event Place
Hampstead, London, England
Birth Date (available after June quarter 1969)
29 May 1913
Volume
12
Page
1812
Line Number
47

this could be his birth

Basil Ward
England and Wales Birth Registration Index
Name
Basil Ward
Event Type
Birth Registration
Registration Quarter
Apr-May-Jun
Registration Year
1913
Registration District
Bradford
County
Yorkshire
Event Place
Bradford, Yorkshire, England
Mother's Maiden Name (not available before 1911 Q3)
Kenefick
Volume
9B
Page
218
Line Number
9

Marriages June 1908
KENEFICK Frances Bradford 9b 219
Ward Joseph Bradford 9b 219

Name: Frances Ward
Age in 1911: 35
Estimated birth year: abt 1876
Relation to Head: Wife
Gender: Female
Birth Place: Bradford, Yorshire
Civil Parish: Bradford
Search Photos: Search for 'Bradford' in the UK City, Town and Village Photos collection
County/Island: Yorkshire-West Riding
Country: England
Street address: 45 Malvern St Leeds Rd Bradford
Marital Status: Married
Registration district: Bradford
Registration District Number: 498
Sub-registration district: Bradford Central
ED, institution, or vessel: 28
Piece: 26747
Household Members:
Name Age
Joseph Ward 45
Frances Ward 35 says Irish parents
John Ward 2
Joseph Ward 1

married 2 years 2 children born

Births Sep 1875   (>99%)

KENEFICK
 Frances
 
 Bradford, Y.
 9b
107

Name: Wilfred Ward
Mother's Maiden Surname: Kenefick
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1919
Registration district: Bradford
Inferred County: Yorkshire West Riding
Volume Number: 9b
Page Number: 210


Name: James Ward
Mother's Maiden Surname: Kenefick
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1918
Registration district: Bradford
Inferred County: Yorkshire West Riding
Volume Number: 9b
Page Number: 16

Name: Thomas Ward
Mother's Maiden Surname: Kenefick
Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1916
Registration district: Bradford
Inferred County: Yorkshire West Riding
Volume Number: 9b
Page Number: 194

Name: Hannah Ward
Mother's Maiden Name: Kenefick
Registration Year: 1911
Registration Quarter: Oct-Nov-Dec
Registration district: Bradford
Parishes for this Registration District: View Ecclesiastical Parishes associated with this Registration District
Inferred County: Yorkshire West Riding
Volume: 9b
Page: 222

Maybe this is the reason no marriage can be found!!

Basil Ward married A/M/J 1936 to Manuela Vidal in Hampstead V1a P1736 they can be seen on electoral rolls in the same area as Basil and Alwyn M Ward were when they were together.

Manuela ada Ward 1947 Camden Hampstead Belsize Park, I can't find a death or remarriage for her.

this could be her Manuela a Vidal born J/A/S 1911 in Steyning mum nee Thompson.
Ada A Thompson married 1906 Felipe Vidal , Ada was born 1883 died 1947

Basil born May 1913 died 2/4/1977of 40,The Wells Hampstead probate £8357

Alwyn Mary Ward 28/9/1924 of 237,Fordwych Road Hampstead died Aug 1986
Probate not exceeding £40,000

Maryb.

IF Olwen did change the spelling of her name to Alwyn, as Mary indicates above, then this is Alwyn M Ward on the London Electoral Rolls from at least 1949

Alwyn M Ward 1949 Camden Hampstead 2500 Evelyn M.-J

Alwyn M Ward 1950 Camden Hampstead 12 Vale House

Alwyn M Ward 1951 Camden Hampstead 12 Well Walk

Alwyn M Ward 1956 Camden Hampstead 12 Weatherall Lc

Alwyn M Ward 1957 Camden Hampstead 12 Well Walk

Alwyn M Ward 1959 Camden Hampstead 12 Barrett, Michael

Alwyn M Ward 1960 Camden Hampstead 40 Denton

Alwyn M Ward 1960 Camden Hampstead 12 Denton

Alwyn M Ward 1960 Camden Hampstead 40 Denton

Alwyn M Ward 1962 Hampstead Hampstead 40 Whitestone Lane

Alwyn M Ward 1963 Hampstead Hampstead 40 The Wells House

Alwyn M Ward 1964 Camden Hampstead 40 Well Road



A Basil Ward is with her

I wonder if Manuela used her middle name ada

found this death

Ada Ward
England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007
Name
Ada Ward
Event Type
Death
Registration Quarter
Jan-Feb-Mar
Registration Year
1972
Registration District
Pontefract
County
Yorkshire
Event Place
Pontefract, Yorkshire, England
Birth Date (available after June quarter 1969)
15 Sep 1911
Volume
2C
Page
1693
Line Number
113

Electoral Roll

Manuela Ward 1939 Camden Hampstead 68 White

Manuela Ward 1946 Camden Hampstead 65 Belsize Park Mews

Manuela Ward 1947 Camden Hampstead 65 Leila


In 1939, Manuela is with Basil at 68 White

In 1946, Manuela is living with about 12 other women

In 1947, Manuela appears to be living in a large house/hotel/??with about 14 other women

SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 30TH DECEMBER 1978

Alwyn Mary, Mrs. WARD, Leader, Young Adventurers' Club, Hampstead, London.

There are many articles in the papers covering the murder of Alwyn's daughter Marian in 1949.

This is her death, but I don't see her birth:

First name(s) MARIAN
Last name WARD
Gender Unknown
Birth year 1946
Age 3
Death quarter 4
Death year 1949
District HAMPSTEAD
County London
Volume 5C Page 864

who killed marian?