💒Jessie Stokes💕Bob Styles🌸

Recently my friend Diana sent me this lovely folder/album with a few wedding photos and other family photos inside, all from one family and a few clues too. I thought it would be good to share for Christmas time in the hope that someone may recognise the family.

Looking at the individuals and writing all the names down as I went I started a family tree on Ancestry with Jessie Stokes with a brother Fred married to Bob Styles.

“Fred’s sister’s Wedding. Fred and Jess on far left”. We can now also identify Bob Stiles far right!

This photo above implies that Jessie and Fred also had another sister, as this is her marriage here above. I now know that Fred was Arthur Frederick. But what was the bride’s name above? I would think the marriage date is the late 1920s. I now believe this marriage above is Cissie and Ernest who married in April 1927. More info on them later.

Jessie Stokes to Stiles marriage. Stiles Family.

Bob Styles/Stiles is in the centre at the back. This photo above was taken with his family most likely just before his marriage to Jessie. You can see his parents at the front as they match the likely parents at his wedding. See the photo below.

Jessie’s Wedding & Bob’s. Fred’s sister. Fred Best Man (far right). Fred’s mother & father & sister (Far left).

So, from the way the above photo is written, I think that perhaps it was Fred’s wife; it seems to imply that I think. Also from the writing on the photo below too. I now know that Fred’s wife was Mary Ethel Thomas, so thank you Mary for all your writing of everyone’s names!

Fred’s sister’s wedding group held at Burton, he was in Police Force. Jessie died in Lymington.

The wedding was held in Burton on Trent. With extra information saying that Jessie died in Lymington.

This two sided music sheet was also in with the old photos

Was this music relevant to Fred and his wife? Maybe their wedding music?

Fred’s brother in Law, Jessie’s husband.

So above we have Bob Styles again.

Fred in this photo at the front, is marked, as a young lad. Says: Choir outing from St Modwens, Burton. Parish Church.

Family History

Jessie Stokes was born on 17 December 1901 in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, her father was Arthur Stokes 1870-1931, Arthur was a Cooper, and her mother was Edith Long 1870-1930. She married Bob Stiles in July 1928 in Burton on Trent. Jessie died in January 1986 in Lymington, Hampshire, at the age of 84.

Bob Stiles was born on 17 September 1900. His parents were Samuel Henry Stiles 1863-1943 and Alice Maud Jackson 1872-1931. Bob died in 1966 at the age of 66.

In 1939 Jessie and Bob were living at 14 Prospect Street, Ocker Hill, Tipton, Staffordshire. Bob is a Police Constable. I have found no children of the couple.

Jessie Stokes was the eldest child, and she had four younger siblings. Second born was Cissie Stokes on 9 September 1903 in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. She married Ernest Joseph Mellor in April 1927 in Burton upon Trent. They had two sons during their marriage. Cissie died in July 1977 in Staffordshire at the age of 73.

Third was Charles Long Stokes born in January 1906 in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, sadly he died a just a few months old in September 1906.

Fourth was Lucy Stokes born in 1908 in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. I have found her with her family on the 1921 census and a mention of her as a bridesmaid to her brother Fred, (Arthur Frederick) in the newspaper article below dated 1933. But what happened to her after this? If anyone can help that would be great to know. I’ve found several possibilities of Marriage/Death but I just can’t be sure without certificates. I feel sure that she must have married and that’s why I can’t find a definite death as her surname would have been different.

Lastly, we have Fred or Arthur Frederick Stokes, who was born on 9 February 1910 in Stapenhill, Derbyshire. He married Mary E Thomas in July 1933. Fred died on 28 May 1995 at the age of 85. Although we don’t have a photo of Fred and Mary’s wedding we do have a lovely description in this newspaper report below.

It seems that Jessie moved down to the New Forest area of Hampshire after husband Bob died in 1966 in Birmingham.

Fred’s wife Mary died on 19 October 1976 at her home, The Hawthorns, Barrow Lane, Sway, Lymington. Jessie died in 1986, also in the Lymington area of Hampshire. Fred died at 12 Pegasus Avenue, Hordle, Lymington in 1995. So I would imagine that’s how this collection was put together, as the brother and sister obviously were close. I’m just amazed that over the years it wasn’t split up!

Here’s the small public family tree I have compiled for the Stokes and Styles family on Ancestry: Album Stokes Styles Family

This is Bob Stiles below aged 10 with his family living in Burton on Trent in 1911. As you can see Bob had 7 siblings and his father Samuel Henry Stiles was a Police Constable, so Bob followed his father in the same profession.