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27 Jul 2010Who Do You Think You Are? – Rupert Everett’s discoveries
This week it was actor Rupert Everett’s turn to trace his family history. The programme focused mainly on Rupert’s grandfather, Cyril Frederick Cunningham Everett.
Rupert Everett (copyright Vicki Neave)
Cyril was born on 12 June 1886 at 20 Porchester Terrace, Hyde Park, to Georgina Teague and Frederick William Cunningham Everett. Here we can see Cyril Everett, aged 4, living as an ‘inmate’ in The Home For Little Boys in Horton Kirby, Kent on the 1891 census:
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The 1901 census reveals that Cyril Frederick still lived in the Home For Little Boys in Kent.
In 1908 Cyril went to Nigeria, where he worked on Lagos port. He travelled to and from Nigeria many times in the following years – we counted 15 separate journeys from the UK to Nigeria in our passenger lists. Here you can see one of the many journeys Cyril made:
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This records Cyril as a Civil Servant and also informs us that his last address in the United Kingdom was Browning Avenue in Boscombe.
Our passenger lists show that Cyril’s wife, Marcella, visited him several times in Nigeria. The journey she made in 1923 is recorded here – she’s recorded as Mrs C F C Everett:
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Cyril’s mother (Rupert’s great-grandmother), Georgina Everett nee Teague, appears on the 1871 census with her parents, Rupert’s great-great-grandparents, George and Esther Teague. George was a Railway Porter, Esther a Housekeeper and the family was living in Marylebone:
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The 1881 census shows Georgina living with her widowed mother Esther. Georgina was a Dressmaker while her mother was a Housekeeper. They were living at a ‘home for old ladies’ in Marylebone:
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Georgina Teague is a bit of a mystery: she literally disappears after the 1881 census and her marriage to Frederick William Cunningham Everett in 1883. Can you find out what happened to her? If you have any luck, post your findings underneath this blog post.
She was still around in 1886 when her son Frederick was born and is shown on his baptism entry at St Clement, Notting Hill, on 5 September 1886. The family were living at 33 Woodstock Road, Shepherd’s Bush at that time. There is also a GRO Deaths entry for a Georgina Everett in the December quarter of 1941, Surrey South Western, Volume 2a, Page 689, age 74. This would be the right age for Georgina Everett nee Teague.
I haven’t had a chance to check out my theory – however could it be possible that since Cyril was placed age 3 in a childrens home and Georgina in the 1881 census living with her widowed mother as a dressmaker could it be possible that Georgina’s mother died and since Frederick her husband was a mariner and in the far east perhaps that is where Georgina went in search of her husband leaving Cyril behind. The only drawback to this is why was Cyril still in the home ten years later. Unless of course Georgina found her husband and remained with him in the far east. It may have been that he was a bit of a philanderer and Georgina returned to the UK sometime after Cyril had made something of himself. The programme didn’t really go into family relationships so we can only speculate as to whether Cyril had any contact whatsoever with his parents when he was in the home or even after. If Cyril was an only child then somehow he must have had some contact or else he would have not known about the stock-broker side of his family. At age 3 he probably would not have remembered or even known anything about his grandparents.
I have information on the father of Georgina Teague, he was George William Teague born on 11 Aug 1833 baptised on 8 Sep 1883 at St George Bloomsbury, the son of William Teague and Martha, their address was given as Somerset Place. George’s death was registered in the December quarter of 1875 in Kensington aged 44.
I think I have found her, if these two signatures are by the same hand, first one 1883 marriage, 2nd one 1911 census
http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/6786b07da4.jpg
got any handwriting experts about ??
GL
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I thought it arguably the worst programme yet, apart from possibly the one featuring John Hurt in a previous series. Everett came over as an arrogant and short-sighted snob and his research methods – probably not his, to be fair, but the programme researchers who were obviously guiding him – left much to be desired. I thought it left more questions unanswered than it answered.
What nobody except me seems to have picked up on is that on his mother Sara MacLean’s side of the family, he appears to be a direct descendant of King Charles II by one of his mistresses, Barbara Villiers. For details, see a website on Famous descendants of William the Conqueror at: http://familypedia.wikia.com/wiki/Famous_Descendants_of_William_the_Conqueror_of_England. Everett comes very near the bottom, immediately above Lady Diana Spencer.
Now if that is correct, I would have found that somewhat more interesting than what was broadcast, since Barbara Villiers, apparently Everett’s 8th great-grandmother, was one heck of a character! She became Charles II’s mistress when she was married to someone else, bore him at least five children, was grossly extravagant, foul-tempered and notoriously sexually promiscuous. Perhaps this could explain Everett’s character?
Roy Stockdill, Hertfordshire
Professional genealogical researcher, writer & lecturer
12.11.1894 Marion Everett married in Shanghai Edward Charles Pearce, clerk
12.05.1890 Emily Everett ditto Robert William Little, journalist
On both certificates the brides’ father was Frederick Everett deceased, so it looks as though he deserted this family, too
Wendy
Those are his sisters, his father and mother must have been out there as well, though this wasnt mentioned, but they vanish from GB after the Kerfuffel when the pa went bankrupt.
GL
There is a Frederick W Everett listed as a ‘supposed husband’ but classified as single in the 1981 census in Hammersmith at the home of a Louisa Fowler (she is listed as married and has two children).
In 1901 there is a Fred Wm Everett who is a visitor to the Physician William Halley in Fulham, he is again classed as single and is a stockbroker, both are about the right age. It is possible that he just deserted Georgina after the birth of Cyril, she could be Georgina Everett, Servant in Croydon in 1891 (slightly young but could have lied about her age and birthplace, also lists herself as ‘single’) and again in 1901 Georgina Efford a servant in Streatham (again a little young, single and mis-spelt surname – but there is no link backwards on the surname Georgina Efford either on census or birth records.)
I too found the death record in 1941 and there is nothing earlier that fits with her.
Sorry 1891 not 1981 census!
I am an admirer of Who Do You Think You Are and think that normally you get the balance about right between judging historical events by current standards and those in which the event happed .
I have spoken to a number of experienced people about this episode and we all felt the same way about the episode with Rupert Everett..
Apart from Everett’s surprising ignorance of any history or historical awareness three points particularly stuck out.
1. Everett’s exclamation the his great grandfather was a “Navee” was extraordinary. Surely the skill and expertise required to pass the Merchant Marine’s First Mate and Captains Qualifying examination counts for more? These certificates were hard won and involved celestial navigation and complex calculations. A ship’s captain in those days was relatively the equivalent of a airline pilot today.
2. The Boys home to which his grandfather was dispatched was not a work house. His great grandfather, the Sea Captain, obviously chose it with care and it clearly it a very good job by the standards of the day. The group photos of apparently contented, well fed, happy boys is evidence that this was, as stated, an unlighted alternative to the poor alternatives. The fact that his grandfather went on to a honourable, and it could be said ,distinguished career as Collector of Customs at Lagos Port is proof that they did a good job.
3. The other truly astonishing thing was the apparent ignorance of the “Nigerian Expert” at the National Archives. I know the Archives well and have been helped by numerous expert staff. But to say that the reason English children did not to accompany their fathers to Nigeria was for fear that they would say something inappropriate to the locals and thus let down the Empire, was frankly ridiculous.
White mortality was notoriously high on the West Coast and even higher among children – the White Man’s Grave. Goodness knows it was even higher among African children. Colonial Civil Servants were generally on three year tours, six months of which was spent “at home” on leave specifically to compensate for these long absences. On the West Coast the tour may have been shorter because of the conditions. Everett’s grandfather was in Nigeria before the days of Penicillin and even a small scratch could lead to blood poisoning and death.There were no effective Malaria prophylactics, only treatments like quinine with their own serious side effects. Did the Expert really know none of this?
Interestingly in the consular deaths for 1911-15 there is a Georgina J M Everett age 49 at Hyeres ( which was in France ). Although Georgina was born Georgina Esther Martha Teague it would be an easy mistake to get the second initial wrong in the death lists. This could explain why Frederick was free to remarry in the far east.
There is a Georgina J. M. Everett listed in the 1891 census with parents George and Arabella E. who was 27 and born Wayhill, Hants. A Georgina Mary Jane was born 1863 in Andover district, Hants. I couldn’t spot a marriage for her so this might be the person you found. Cheers! MArcel