John Patrick Wells (1912 - 1964)

Born 13 Oct 1912 in Romford, Essex, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Pamela Margaret (Joy) Wells — married 1939 in Canterbury, Kent, England, United Kingdom

Died 4 Aug 1964 at age 51 in Nairobi, Kenya

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Gerald Wells [send private message]

Biography

John was born on 13 October 1912 full date of birth from Rudkin^[1], at Romford, Essex. He was the first child of John Wells and Elizabeth Tremlett. His parents married in 1911. His birth was registered at Romford, Essex in the fourth quarter of 1912.

He was baptised at St Edward the Confessor church, Romford, Essex on 3 January 1913.

On 23 March 1936 John was commissioned into the Royal Air Force^[2]. He served in the RAF until 1957 when he retired, retaining the rank of Squadron Leader.

In 1939 John Patrick Wells married Pamela Margaret Joy. The marriage was registered at Canterbury, Kent, in the fourth quarter of the year.

A son was born around 1943.

A second son was born around 1944.

By 1950 John and Pamela Wells had divorced.

It is understood that John married again in 1950^[3] marrying Susan Mabel Christian Homer (born Ramsay), a widow. Susan was known as Betty.

On 1 August 1964 John shot his wife and killed her while on their coffee plantation at Kiambu, Kenya^[4][5][6]. He then shot himself and died on either 4 August or 14 August 1964. Descrepancy in dates in official Kenya Gazette publications.^[7].^[8]

John Patrick Wells "of Kiambu, Kenya, died 14 August 1964 at Nairobi, Kenya. Administration ... to Simon Russell Wollen and Philip John Ramsby and Reg Norman Sampson, attorneys to Timothy Nigel Tremlett Wells and Michael Hugh Carroll Wells". (National Probate Calendar)

The Kenya Gazette of 2 March 1965 also gave notice of probate and administration, noting the aforementioned were of Claremont, Western Australia.

Sources

1. ↑ Pedigree of Wells of Wallingford, Major H. R. E. Rudkin, January 1933
2. ↑ https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html
3. ↑ Burke's Peerage 2003, 107th edition, p.3260
4. ↑ https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html
5. ↑ Burke's Peerage 2003, 107th edition, p.3260
6. ↑ https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/26873462/person/12906751008/facts?_phsrc=KeS277&_phstart=successSource
7. ↑ The Kenya Gazette 26 September 1964
8. ↑ The Kenya Gazette 2 March 1965

• England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 for John P Wells, 1912, Q4-Oct-Nov-Dec

• John Patrick Wells, in the Essex, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1918

• https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html

• England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005 for John P Wells, 1939, Q4-Oct-Nov-Dec

• England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995 for John Patrick Wells, 1965