Gertrude Alice (Bartlam) Dumbleton (bef. 1885 - abt. 1937)

Born before 12 Apr 1885 in Grendon, Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Wife of William Arnold — married 5 Aug 1912 in Atherstone, Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom

Wife of William Henry Dumbleton — married 1925 in Atherstone, Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom

Died about 1937 after about age 51 in Wednesbury, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom

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Biography

Overview

Gertrude was born in Grendon, Warwickshire in 1885, the only daughter of William Bartlam and Alice Ison. Gertrude didn't marry until age 27 and didn't have any biological children but did foster at least one child in 1917 (during World War I). Her first husband died when she was aged 39 and she remarried the following year, a man who had lived in the same road years earlier. She died in Wednesbury in Staffordshire.

Life History

Gertrude was born in 1885 and baptised on 12 April 1885 in Grendon, Warwickshire, daughter of William Bartlam and Alice Ison. ^{[1] [2]}

In 1891, Gertrude was living with her parents and siblings in the Plough Inn, Mancetter, where her father was the landlord. ^[3]

Whilst her future husband, William Arnold, a coal miner, was living with her parents and siblings in 1911 as a boarder, Gertrude was not listed on the census and could not be found elsewhere on 1911 census records.

Gertrude married William Arnold in 1912 in St Mary's Church, Parish of Atherstone. William was a miner whose father Aaron Arnold, was also a miner. Gertrude was aged 27 when she married William. ^[4]

There was sadness to come. Gertrude's mother died in 1913. Gertrude's father did not take it well and the newspapers reflect this, with various reports of drunken and irrational behaviour. In 1914, the newpapers reported that her father was summoned for assaulting her on January 19th. It was an argument over a shawl of her mother's, that she said he had given her when her mother died, and it appeared that he wanted it back. He was alleged to have been quite violent in this incident and acted very irrationally in court, asking to be sent to prison. ^[5]

Also in 1914, her brother Harry was ill with tuberculosis and her father turned him out of the family home, so Gertrude and her husband took him in until he passed away. After his death, her father took her husband and his son Solomon to court over some of Harry's possessions. ^[6]

In March 1917, the newspapers reported that Gertrude was charged with an offence, that is, of taking a child to a licensed premises. She did not have any children of her own, but this was reported as a foster child, "Beatrice O'Brien Arnold" age 4 1/2 years. Gertrude stated that she was in the habit of taking the child to the Picturedrome opposite the Coach and Horse Inn, Atherstone, on Monday nights. There were no public toilets in town and she was friends with the landlady of the Inn. ^[7]

On the 1921 Census, the family lived at 43 Erdington rd Atherstone and consisted of Gertrude, husband William, Beatrice O'Brien (described as William's step-daughter from London, father deceased), William's 10 year old sister, May, and a boarder. ^[8]

Gertrude's husband William died in 1924. ^[9]

Gertrude married a second time in 1925, to William Henry Dumbleton. ^[10] William had lived at 14 Erdington Rd in 1911, the same road that Gertrude and her husband lived at number 37 in 1914. William had had 3 children (who were now adults) with his first wife who had died in 1907. He had remarried and his second wife died in 1924. ^[11]

Gertrude died in 1937 age 53 in Wednesbury, Staffordshire. At the time fo her death she was living with her husband, who was the publican of the Grinders Arms, Horsely Heath, Staffordshire. Cause of death was stated on the death certificate as "heart failure due to splenic infarction due to a blood thrombus of unknown origin, death being accelerated by a toxic jaundice". ^{[12] [13]}

Sources

1. ↑ Civil Births Index, England, Atherston, Gertrude Alice Bartlam Vol 6d Page 429
2. ↑ Parish Baptism Records, Grendon, County of Warwick. 1885, Gertrude Alice, daughter of William, labourer, and Alice Bartlam of Grendon.
3. ↑ 1891 Census
4. ↑ Parish Marriage Records, 1912, St Mary's Atherstone. William Arnold, 32, bachelor, miner, of Bicley Tce Atherstone, son of Aaron Arnold a miner. Married Gertrude Alice Bartlam, spinster, age 27, of Bickley Terrace Atherstone, daughter of William Andrew Bartlam, a miner. Witnessed by William Andrew Bartlam and Lillie Benn (who would later marry Gertrude's brother Solomon).
5. ↑ Nuneaton Observer, 1914, 23 January "A Heartless Father"
6. ↑ Nuneaton Observer, 1915 February 12. "All About a Medal: Strange Court Case at Atherstone"
7. ↑ Atherstone News and Herald 1917, 16 March "Atherstone Petty Sessions. Children on Licensed Premises. Atherstone Publican Fined".
8. ↑ 1921 Census
9. ↑ Probate, William Arnold of 2 Church Street Atherstone died 9 June 1924, administration to Gertrude Alice Arnold, widow.
10. ↑ Civil Marriage Index, 1925 Atherstone Vol 6d Page 1241
11. ↑ 1911 census
12. ↑ Civil Death Index, 1937 Vol 6b Page 337
13. ↑ General Register Office. Death Certificate. Died on 16 July 1937, at The Grinders Arms, Horseley Heath, Tipton. Gertrude Alice Dumbleton, 53 years, wife of William Henry Dumbleton, licensed victualler. Certified by the Coroner, inquest held 20 July.