My wife's ancestors - Kerr - Contents

Ralph Clement Davies

Photo of Ralph Clement Davies among photos of prisoners in the (internal) Victoria Police Gazette, 1914.
He served multiple prison sentences in 1913 and 1914.

Ralph Clement Davies,
born Ralph John Clement Davies, 2 June 1888, Wales.
Australian military record has him with surname "Clement-Davies".
See entry in tree by Bronwyn Davies.

His father in Wales committed suicide in 1908.
He is at home with mother in 1911 census. He is not listed with any occupation.
He went to Australia by 1913.
In 1913 he was convicted of larceny in Australia and served 1 month in prison (Sept-Oct 1913).
He then served another month for larceny in Feb-Mar 1914.
And he served 6 months for "insufficient means" in May-October 1914.

Fought in WWI:
Fought in Australian Army in France in WWI.
See his WWI military record. Joined 9 Oct 1916. Occupation: "Accountant". Unmarried. Presbyterian.
To the question "Have you ever been convicted by the civil power?" he answers "No."
He was in Australian Imperial Force, No.6044, Unit: 24th Btn.

He mar 1stly, 18 Mar 1919, England, to Edith Annie Laurie [born 2 Sept 1899].
She is Lawrie on mar cert. But her family is Laurie in census so we go with that spelling.
See entry in Henderson tree by "hendenw".
She was born in Teignmouth, Devon, dau of James Laurie and his wife Edith.
They mar at Okehampton, Devon. NOT 1918.
(todo) See mar of Edith A Lawrie and Ralph J Clement-Davies, [GRO.UK], Okehampton, 1st qr 1919, Volume 6b, Page 801.
In 1921 census she is living with parents at Okehampton, and Ralph is not there. See entry from here.
Presumably they divorced.
She re-married in 1923 to George Kitt. See her grave.
Ralph went back to Australia.

He may be Ralph J C Davies who married in 1926 in Newcastle, New South Wales, to Ena Adkins [Edith Amelia Adkins]. See record.
Did he have 4 wives?

At marriage to Violet in 1929 he was living at 25 Victoria Rd, Northcote, Melbourne, Victoria. He was a dyer and dry cleaner.
Violet's divorce petition says he was a bachelor when he married her. But this is false. Did she even know about his 1st wife?
He mar 2ndly, 1 June 1929, Northcote, to Violet Jane Gilchrist [born 1898].
They lived at Victoria Rd, Northcote.
He deserted her in 1932.
She petitioned for divorce in 1936. Divorce was granted on 10 Dec 1936 on grounds of desertion.
Ralph had issue by 2nd wife Violet:

John Vincent Clement Davies,
born 29 December 1929 [according to mother]. Think not 28 December.
NOT Vincent John Clement Davies.
He was John Vincent. His brother was John Todd.
He mar Lorraine Lawrence.
They had issue:
1. Bronwyn Davies.
  DNA match to John Gibbon.
  She mar Doug McLay.
  She is researching family tree.

Ralph mar 3rdly, 1939, to Nancy Murray [Hannah Myrle Murray].
He had issue by 3rd wife:

John Clement Davies,
John Todd Clement Davies, born 1938, Australia.
He was John Todd. His brother was John Vincent.
He mar Margaret Ann Jenkins.
They had issue:
1. Emma Clement Davies.
2. Sarah Clement Davies.

Ralph Clement Davies jailed in 1913 and 1914

Ralph Clement Davies was jailed multiple times in Australia in 1913 and 1914.
The following is from The Victoria Police Gazette, an internal publication for members of the police force in Victoria, Australia.

A larceny is reported in Melbourne, 2 Sept 1913.
From the Victoria Police Gazette, 4 Sept 1913, p.429.

"Ralph John Clement Davies" arrested for larceny, Melbourne, 9 Sept 1913.
From the Victoria Police Gazette, 11 Sept 1913, p.439.

The Victoria Police Gazette, 16 Oct 1913, p.546, reports that he was just released.
He had been tried at Melbourne on 12 Sept 1913 and got 1 month prison.

The Victoria Police Gazette, 2 Apr 1914, p.198, reports that he was just released from another jail term.
He had been tried at Melbourne on 26 Feb 1914 for larceny and got 1 month prison.
Says he had one previous conviction.

The Victoria Police Gazette in 1914 has photo of him.
From pages of photos in between issues of 27 Aug 1914 and 3 Sept 1914.
From here.

The Victoria Police Gazette, 15 Oct 1914, p.563.
Shows he served 6 months in jail in May-October 1914 for "insufficient means".
It says he has "three" previous convictions.
It says he has brown hair, blue eyes, "birth mark inside left knee". Our Ralph's WWI military record says he has brown hair, blue eyes, "mole inside left knee". So definitely the same person.

Sources yet to be fully consulted

WWI service record of Ralph John Clement-Davies. 93 pages. Or via here.
Divorce case of Ralph and Violet, 1936. 36 pages.

Sources yet to be consulted

Items on Ralph's marriage in 1919. See The Western Times, Mar 24, 1919, p.3. And Mar 25, 1919, p.2. And Mar 28, 1919, p.9.