Hello David, My interest in George Higgins and Miss De Voy began with an excerpt from Earley's Crewe Almanac of August 8 1891 reporting the death of 'Professor' Higgins the Crewe aeronaut, killed at Kirkstall. I hadn't looked at the 1891 census for Crewe and realised that he had been actually living in Crewe as the licencee of the Lord Nelson Inn. I had found what I think to be him in the 1881 census in Paddington, a carman aged 27, born Wiltshire, with wife Elizabeth, aged 28, born Paddington, and daughters Elizabeth and Rose, 3 and 2, respectively, both born Paddington. George Higgins also appears in the 1891 census, this time he's 33, born in Highworth, Wiltshire, with wife Elizabeth, aged 34, and daughters Elizabeth and Rose, aged 13 and 11 respectively. The place of birth and age are different to the Crewe census, however I've come across census entries before where a person away from home is entered as being present, and the other variations are not unusual. The entry of Lily Higgins, daughter aged 14, born in Notting Hill London seems to confirm that George the carman is the aeronaut, as in 1881 a Lily Higgins aged 4 and Charles Higgins aged 6, both born Paddington, are living with their widowed grandmother Ann Higgins in Dinton, Buchinghamshire. The woman who turned up after Higgins's inquest, claiming to be his wife, said that they had four children. These would seem to be Elizabeth, Rose, Lily and Charles, all born Paddington. The inquest on George was attended by his brother Charles. A George Higgins was born September 1851 in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire which is probably our George, as Bigstrup is in the Aylesbury district. He probably lived in Wiltshire for a time as a Charles Higgins, probably his brother, was born there. It is probable that the woman who turned up at Higgins funeral, claiming to be his wife with four children and also that she was Emily De Voy's sister, was telling the truth. As I mentioned before Higgins's marriage appears to be that in Kensington March 1875 to Elizabeth Mary E. Eldridge or Elizabeth Beechey, suggesting that one of these was Emily's real name. There were Emily Eldrideges and Emily Beecheys born in the London area, one of whom might be her. It's very probable that Emily would marry after the death of George Higgins and this might be the way to look for her. I hope you can make sense of all this and I'd like to know if you come to any further conclusion. Don Tomkinson ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Railton" <railton.david@btinternet.com> To: "'Don Tomkinson'" <don.tomkinson@lineone.net> Sent: Friday, November 29, 2013 5:11 PM Subject: RE: [CHS] DE VOY > Don, > > Thanks for your interest in my query. Here, attached, is what I have so > far. > I am now concentrating on finding Emily's family and information about her > stage career. > > Regards > > David > > -----Original Message----- > From: cheshire-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:cheshire-bounces@rootsweb.com] > On Behalf Of Don Tomkinson > Sent: 29 November 2013 16:44 > To: CHESHIRE-L > Subject: [CHS] DE VOY > > 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 >