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omg, Ingrid -- I cannot believe that you have had Jacqueline doing the whole Edward Levy thing in her "lookup" thread, *after* this thread. I absolutely cannot believe it.

http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards.page/board/ancestors/lost%20ancestors/thread/1188027?page=27

http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards.page/board/ancestors/thread/1265070

and now I see yet another one about the same people.

http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards.page/board/ancestors/thread/1267040

Lucky Jacqueline. So much for what it says in her first post in her thread:

"please do not ask me and also place other messages on boards as it is not fair to anyone with us all researching the same thing, thank you"

Are there no rules at this site? No consideration?

Hi Mary,
Yes I was pleased to find David and Amelia. The passenger list is not too clear but does say that they had visited US before but I can't read the date. I am now looking at the US census for 1900 but haven't found any sure matches yet and then I'll have another look at the 1901 census for them. Is there some way of searching it by address to see who was living in 409 Caledonian Road where they were living in 1891? There might be a connection.
No frustratingly the only newspaper announcement just said son of David Levy. I might try emailing the New Light Cemetery to see if they have any more information.
Thanks again
Ingrid

Nice one Ingrid,I wonder if they were here in 1901.
Regarding the birth of Edward in SF 1880 were there no other clues about his parents in the newspaper announcement.

The New Light Cemetary for Jewish People.E.Mail [email protected]

Maryb

Wow,
Just found David and Amelia Levy on a passenger list from Liverpool to Boston in Feb 1905. They are on the Aliens list and have English nationality. The onward address is Clark Street Chicago which is where the burial record for David says he died.
Ingrid

It's an interesting tale which is why I've spent quite a lot of time puddling with it. (My gr-grfather and his sister, and then his sister's husband, put considerable effort into changing their own names and identities, and their secrets were known to no one for 125 years, until the internet and I came along and followed the trails around England, Canada, Australia, South Africa and the US -- and I'm still working on it! )

"Edward Lewis Levy was born in 1880 in San Francisco (I have the newspaper announcement in a SF newspaper and there is another article in the Chicago Tribune Jan 1925 exposing him as an ex-yankee – I have been unable to obtain the full article as yet) and did marry Rebecca Morris in 1899, divorced in 1900 and married Katherine Rea (born in Battersea) in 1901. If he was not an American as all the articles about him say why would he need to be naturalised in 1925?"

That makes sense now. Applying for naturalization *after* becoming an MP didn't. US citizens aren't eligible to sit in the House of Commons. But if he'd masqueraded as British, then it makes sense.

It also provides confirmation of his birth - that's a birth announcement?

But it leaves the inconsistency about the generations of Englishness -- that was surely patently false, and a cover-up of his Yankeeness. So looking for his parents in English records seems to me to be a waste of time. Unless the scenario of English parents becoming US citizens and then returning to England were what had happened.

As I said, though, if the David Levy in 1891 is the the same person in 1911 in England, that contradicts a 1905 death in the US.

If David Levy was present in England in 1891 it hardly seems likely he had taken out US citizenship -- necessitating naturalization of his son. But it's one of those things that an expert, under cross-examination, would have to agree was "possible". ;)

New Light Cemetery
Address:
6807 N East Prairie Rd
Lincolnwood, IL 60712
(847) 676-1122

Somebody needs to get a photo/transcript of the gravestone, hoping that it gives a date of birth! Or ask the cemetery whether it has any records relating to the burial.


And just a request/tip -- when you post, could you hit that Enter button a couple of times now and then?

Giant run-on paragraphs full of info are extremely hard to follow. Short paragraphs with different parts separated by some white space are much easier.

Profuse apologies

I must apologize about the dublicate post – the GR board was playing up and it kept telling me my post contained angles and curly brackets which it didn’t. The message was that my reply could not be posted. I then missed the second page when I looked the next day. So imagine my surprise when I saw the duplicates.
Many apologies and I am very much listening to your replies. On my initial posting I did not ask for marriage, births,wills etc for Harry or his wife or her family but I should have made it clear that I already had Katherine Rea’s ancestors and all the details about Harry aka Edward’s first marriage and divorce,probate and passenger lists for some of his many journeys and was only looking to find them in 1901 and 1911. I assumed that only the information I asked for help with would be searched for. As I say I am very grateful for the new information I have received especially the 1911 whereabouts of the Day family and also Harry Day and Katherine in 1901. I hadn’t realised he was already using his alias back in 1901 and it was so great to receive a clue as to who Edgar Cox was so thank you so much for that and for solving how Katherine Rea changed to Rea-Cox.
I wasn’t going to bore you with the details of which facts I know to be true and others that I have deduced are right but here goes if it clarifies things:-
Edward Lewis Levy was born in 1880 in San Francisco (I have the newspaper announcement in a SF newspaper and there is another article in the Chicago Tribune Jan 1925 exposing him as an ex-yankee – I have been unable to obtain the full article as yet) and did marry Rebecca Morris in 1899, divorced in 1900 and married Katherine Rea (born in Battersea) in 1901. If he was not an American as all the articles about him say why would he need to be naturalised in 1925? But yes I did think it strange that if Edward/Harry's father was English back four generation that he was not already a British Subject even if born in the US’. But he may have lost his status if his father became a US citizen and he had US nationality also. Dual nationality was not allowed.
under the British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act 1914
British subject status is normally lost by:
• naturalisation in a foreign state, such as the United States of America or France
• in the case of a woman, upon marriage to a foreign man. Prior to 1933, British subject status was lost even if the woman did not acquire her husband's nationality.
• a child of a father who lost British subject status, provided the child also had the father's new nationality.
• renunciation.
I only received the information about David John Levy’s burial on Thursday so that is why I did not give that information before. It came from 2 different sources – a descendent of Harry Day who found reference to his grave in New Light cemetery in llinois in some family papers. I found the burial record online for 1905. Also Houdini’s wife (Harry Day was his friend and manager in the UK) writes about Houdini visiting Harry Day’s father’s grave in her book He found it in a very bad state so as he was alive in 1901 (Harry Day’s second marriage certificate) and Houdini died in 1926 I assumed David Levy died some years before. Added to that his middle name of John seems to me to add weight to this being the correct grave and the article in the Chicago Tribune suggests a link to Chicago.
Yes the Amelia as Levy’s wife came from the 1891 census. It could be another family but I assumed, maybe incorrectly that the chances of another David Levy being born in Whitechapel and having a son Edward born in America with the right birthday were pretty slim. If Harry Day’s claims that his ancestors through at least 4 generations were British were not true I would have thought this would have been exposed when he was investigated by the newspapers and for naturalisation.
I hope this clarifies the mix-up and I truly am listening and am grateful for your help but I am only looking for information on Harry Day’s parents now.
Ingrid

the divorce was in The Times, Tuesday, Nov 20, 1900; pg. 14; Issue 36304; col C

Levy V Levy
In this case Rebecca Levy prayed for a dissolution of her marriage with Edward Lewis Levy on the grounds of his cruelty and adultery. The case was undefended.
Mr Calvery, in opening the case on behalf of the petitioner, said that she was a variety artist, acting on the music hall stage under the name of Flo Elvin and that her husband was also an actor, acting under the name of Harry Day. The parties were married on November 30th 1899, at the registry office in the Strand. In January of this year the respondent violently assaulted his wife by striking her in the mouth while they were living at 85 Kennington Road. She left him, but subsequently returned and lived with him. Owing however to further acts of cruelty and to perpetual demands by the husband for money, the petitioner left her husband in August last. After she has left him she discovered that in January last the respondent had committed adultery with a woman of the name Nellie Sheldon. Evidence having been given in support of these charges. Mr Justice Gorell Barnes granted a decree nisi with costs

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article660458.ece

"Among a cast of exotic characters, I would like to have known more about Harry Day, Houdini’s British manager, described as “a mysterious expatriate American who changed his name” before becoming an MP and doing “overseas espionage for the British government”. The index (not the text) indicates his real name was Edward Lewis Levy, but otherwise little is written about him, except that he seems to have played a part in a plot to discredit Margery and Conan Doyle.

It is no use turning to notes for enlightenment, because they do not exist. For this resource, the reader is directed to a website. However, they cover only 10 out of 26 chapters and the reference to Levy/Day is marked “details to follow”. Rudimentary research in the digital archive of The Times unveils a litigious impresario turned MP who titled himself colonel (although his obituary gives no indication how he earned this rank). His first appearance in print was a divorce case where he was alleged to have beaten up his wife. This suggests the competitive, duplicitous and often violent subculture in which Houdini operated."

Regarding the 1897 passage to New York of a Katie Rea found by JC, the following info is available on Ellis Island:

First Name: Katie
Last Name: Rea
Ethnicity: Ireland, Irish
Last Place of Residence: Tyrone,
Date of Arrival: Jul 20, 1897
Age at Arrival: 25y Gender: F Marital Status: S
Ship of Travel: Circassia
Port of Departure: Londonderry
Manifest Line Number: 0005

The original image states she is a D Servant, nationality Irish, visiting her relative Mrs Lockhart in Niagara Falls (where she had visited before). She paid her own passage and had 20$ with her.

So, probably not the same Katie.

http://forum.mind-energy.net/skeptiko-podcast/964-have-magicians-helped-hindered-paranormal-research-experts-hypocrites-12.html

And I have to say I very much dislike being asked to help with a search, offered a fraction of the available information, and not told about the searching going on elsewhere. The reason for the rule against duplicate posts at this website is so as not to waste other people's time. The same principle applies.

"Searcher" says:

"Harry Day's wife was indeed Katherine Rea who used the stage name Kitty Colyer. Although he claimed to be a bachelor on their wedding certificate in 1901 I have found a possible first marriage for him in 1899 to Rebecca Morris. Is she the first wife who divorced him I wonder?"

Has no one obtained the certificate of the marriage to Rebecca Morris to see what it says about his age and father?

This is the divorce, btw:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=7&CATID=-3080498
Divorce Court File: 1279.
Appellant: Rebecca Levy.
Respondent: Edward Lewis Levy.
Type: Wife's petition [wx]. .
Divorce Court File: 1279.
Appellant: Rebecca Levy.
Respondent: Edward Lewis Levy.
Type: Wife's petition [wx].
Date: 1900
Source: The Catalogue of The National Archives

I assume someone has actually looked at the file.



Ta, tempest, the passenger record. No clues there, then, and given the port of departure, probably an Irish Katie Rea ...

sorry Janey I meant REA

this is the only on I found

passenger transcript details
Name: Katie REA
Date of departure: 9 July 1897
Port of departure: Londonderry
Passenger destination port: New York, USA
Passenger destination: New York, USA

Date of Birth:
Age:
Marital status: Single
Sex: Female
Occupation: Domstc Servt
Passenger recorded on: Page 1 of 2

Ship: CIRCASSIA
Official Number:
Master's name: G C Boothby
Steamship Line: Anchor Line Of Mail Steamships
Where bound: New York, USA
Square feet: 1500
Registered tonnage: 2769
Passengers on voyage: 36

his will

England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1861-1941
about Harry Day Name: Harry Day
Probate Date: 18 May 1940
Death Date: 15 Sep 1939
Death Place: Sussex, England
Registry: London

Day Harry of The Bungalow Lancing Sussex died 15 September 1939 at Jeffrey Hale Hospital Quebec Canada Probate London 18 May to Katherine Amelia Day widow and Henry David Day company director £79547 11s 7d

tempest -- Katie REA not Rae? The one I noted looked like the only one, I think. That doesn't make her ours, but the coincidence seemed worth looking at.

been looking at passenger lists on fmp

the Katie Raes of the correct age seem to all be servants, little given away re birth or family or employer

Col. Harry Day was apparently the colonel of a cadet regiment during WWI. Is there any record of his military career? It sounds like maybe an honorary position. (I assume he's not the Col. Harry Day who co-designed the Nevada flag in 1905. ;) That one may have come from the US Civil War.)


http://www.gcompany.org.uk/images/1990s/Gazettes/gaz1991-2s.pdf

A Tribute to R. W. Holmes who died recently
1st Cadet Battalion - The London Scottish (1914-18 War: affiliated to 14th London Regt).
... Also we were able to go in batches to Collins Music Hall off the Edgware Road on one or two occasions as Colonel Harry Day, M.P. (our Colonel) had an interest in that theatre.

Somehow I missed Mary's intervening post. ;) Thought I'd refreshed ...

So, born New York and not San Francisco? If either is true, my supposition about Harry and Katie meeting in the US might bear out, anyhow. ;)

I wonder how Katie Rea morphed into Katie Cox ...


I wonder whether anyone has in fact looked at this record, just in case it is the right Katie and holds any clues:

http://www.findmypast.co.uk/passengerListPersonSearchStart.action

REA Katie dob: Unknown F 1897 Londonderry USA New York

Not a lot of point in repeating the same thing over and over, Ingrid. Really. We aren't deaf, although you don't seem to want to listen to anything else.

By the way, I already explained, in case you didn't know, that most of the 1890 US census no longer exists. If you do a search of that census at Ancestry, you will see what states survive. Very few.

I still have no idea how you "know" that the David J Levy who died in Illinois was your David Levy. If it was, then the widowed tailor David Levy in the 1911 census (David Levy father of Edward in the 1891 census?) is not the man.

If Edward/Harry's father was English back four generations, he would have been a British Subject even if born in the US.

Evidently Harry Day applied for naturalization in 1925. He was elected as MP in 1924, after running previously in 1923.

There are irreconcilable inconsistencies on each element of the story.

1901 lambeth Brixton D5 > 33
Edgar Cox 42 Ireland Attendant in bankruptcy court.(on marriage cert for Edward Lewis Levy it looks like witness Edgar Cox)
Harriett Cox 40 Clapham
KATIE COX daughter 19 Clapham
HARRY DAY single visitor age 26 born new York USA VARIETY AGENT!!!

Maryb

Hi All,
Thank your for your replies especially the 1911 census. I know now that the David John Levy was buried in New Light cemetery in Illinois. He died in May 1905 aged 55 and 4 months so born in January 1850. The burial record says he had only been in Illinois for 4 months so I am still looking for where he lived 1891-1905. If the 1891 census is him (with wife Amelia and son Edward - later Harry Day) he and his wife were born in Whitechapel. so none of the 1880 US census are right unless there was some fibbing going on!
The family legend says they travelled to US in July 1880 to visit David’s dying uncle in San Francisco so would not have been on the 1880 California US census which is date June. . Harry Day maintained that his father’s family were English back 4 generations and his mother’s 6 generation in England but that might have been to prove himself more British. :The 1900 US census does have 2 Edward Levys but neither pan out as they continued in the US marrying different women. We know Edward Levy (Harry Day) married in London in 1899 (divorced in 1900) and again in 1901 in London.
Thank you again for helping and if you find any more information on David Levy,his wife or his parents I would appreciate it.
Ingrid

If 1891 census is correct with Edward lewis Levy born USA and David is a tailor,why can't the 1911 for David Levy widow married 36 years a Tailor and Gent can't be correct.

David Levy is on marriage cert as Gent.

Edward looks to have been born in USA as if he wasn't why would he apply for Nationalisation from USA in 1925!!
Around the time he became MP.

Maryb