The escapades of 'Professor' George Higgins and Miss De Voy make interesting reading in the British Newspaper Archive. Higgins was originally a carman in London before he became a balloonist and parachutist performing with Miss De Voy on a trapeze below a gas filled balloon. He experienced hair-raising incidents, one of which involved the death of an assistant, until he finally killed himself near Leeds in 1891. Miss Emily De Voy gave evidence at the inquest and claimed to be the wife of George Higgins. She was given a sovereign from a collection to help with the funeral expenses. It was said that she was due to appear that night at the Theatre Royal. Strangely the next day a woman in deep mourning appeared and said that she was actually the wife of Higgins, whom she had married in 1880, and was the sister of Emily De Voy. She was given 12s.6d., the balance of the collection. In the censuses Higgins's wife is named as Elizabeth but I can't find a marriage to a De Voy. It sounds very much like a stage name. In 1875 a George Higgins married Elizabeth Mary E Eldridge or Elizabeth Beechey. Is this a clue? Don Tomkinson

As an observer of this thread I have been fascinated with the story,well done to those diligent researchers who found out the details. Gill Sent from my iPad On 29 Nov 2013, at 16:43, "Don Tomkinson" <don.tomkinson@lineone.net> wrote: > The escapades of 'Professor' George Higgins and Miss De Voy make interesting > reading in the British Newspaper Archive. Higgins was originally a carman in > London before he became a balloonist and parachutist performing with Miss De > Voy on a trapeze below a gas filled balloon. He experienced hair-raising > incidents, one of which involved the death of an assistant, until he finally > killed himself near Leeds in 1891. Miss Emily De Voy gave evidence at the > inquest and claimed to be the wife of George Higgins. She was given a > sovereign from a collection to help with the funeral expenses. It was said > that she was due to appear that night at the Theatre Royal. Strangely the > next day a woman in deep mourning appeared and said that she was actually > the wife of Higgins, whom she had married in 1880, and was the sister of > Emily De Voy. She was given 12s.6d., the balance of the collection. > > In the censuses Higgins's wife is named as Elizabeth but I can't find a > marriage to a De Voy. It sounds very much like a stage name. > > In 1875 a George Higgins married Elizabeth Mary E Eldridge or Elizabeth > Beechey. Is this a clue? > > Don Tomkinson > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to CHESHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message