George Edward Sykes

My great-grandmother, Ida Muriel Sykes, and her family have not been easy to research.
Her parents, George Edward Sykes and Emilie Dawson, were both in the theatre. Her father used the stage name J. K. Murray. They were not married and had three illegitimate daughters who used both Sykes and Murray as surnames. G. E. Sykes was baptised 17 April 1842 as George Edward Lewis Jones, the natural son of Edward Sykes, a barrister in Lambeth and Sophia Eliza Jones.

Obituary, The Era, 21 Jan 1905, p. 13:
Mr J.K. Murray (George Edward Sykes) who died on the 12 inst at Mount Pleasant, Chilcompton, Bath, at the age of sixty four, was the son of Mr E. G. Sykes, barrister of Binfield Road, Stockwell. Mr J.K. Murray was educated at Kennington and Oxford, where he fell in love with Miss Ada Amelia Ponder, and secretly married her in February 1861. At this time he was also a lieutenant in the 1st Surrey Rifles and a member of the Surrey Amateur Dramatic Society. His father on discovering he was married, packed him off to America with his newly wedded wife. On arriving there they assumed the names of J.K. Murray and Miss Ada Murray. They toured the North and South America during the time of the Civil War, meeting with some strange adventures. After visiting Canada they returned to England some thirty five years ago, and toured in the old circuit and stock days as heavy leads. They afterwards opened at the Star Theatre, Swansea under the management of the late George Andrew Melville.
Mr Murray was next appointed manager, and toured the late Mr Melville's companies, afterwards becoming his own manager, and touring for seventeen years 'Millions of Money', 'Driven from Home', 'The Strike' etc. He was also the author of several well known plays his most recent works including 'A Woman's Error', 'Luck of Life', and 'A Son of the Empire'. He was acknowledged to be one of the finest broadsword combat fighters on the British stage, and was also a most cultured actor of his time. Amongst other leading parts he played Mathias in 'The Bells'; Duboscq in 'The Lyon's Mail'; Macbeth, Othello, Iago and Richard III. The deceased leaves a widow and three children: the eldest, Miss Kate Murray (now at Alhabrama); George Murray, who lately toured 'A Hidden Crime'; and Percy Murray, the sketch proprietor. The late Seymour Murray, of the 1st Royal Dragoon Guards, was also a son of the deceased.

The table below summarises what I have found for George, Emilie and her five daughters:

Generation No. 1

1. EDWARD SYKES He married ELIZABETH GRATRIX August 22, 1811.

Children of EDWARD SYKES and ELIZABETH GRATRIX are:

2. i. EDWARD SYKES, b. May 1813, Thornhill, Dewsbury, Yorkshire; d. April 23, 1867, 23 Binfield Rd, Stockwell, Surrey.

ii. ELIZABETH MARY SYKES, b. 1814.

iii. SARAH SYKES, b. 1818; m. WILLIAM TAGART.

iv. JOHN SYKES, b. 1820.

v. CAROLINE SYKES, b. 1822.

vi. PERCIVAL SYKES, b. 1825.

vii. SIDNEY SYKES, b. 1826.

viii. GEORGE GREATRIX SYKES, b. 1830.

Generation No. 2

2. EDWARD SYKES was born May 1813 in Thornhill, Dewsbury, Yorkshire, and died April 23, 1867 in 23 Binfield Rd, Stockwell, Surrey. He met (1) SOPHIA ELIZA JONES. She was born Abt. 1820 in West Thurrock, Essex, and died June 06, 1852 in 13 Chryssell Rd, Lambeth, London. He married (2) JANE MORGAN November 11, 1854 in St Mary's, Princes Rd, Lambeth. She was born Abt. 1820.

Children of EDWARD SYKES and SOPHIA JONES are:

3. i. GEORGE EDWARD SYKES, b. Abt. 1842, Stepney; d. January 13, 1905, Chilcompton, Somerset. Also known as J.K. Murray.

ii. SOPHIA SYKES, b. February 22, 1845, Stepney; d. January 20, 1849, 46 Havering St, Ratcliff, Stepney.

iii. CATHERINE SYKES, b. Abt. 1848, Stepney.

Child of EDWARD SYKES and JANE MORGAN is:

iv. EDWARD GRATRIX SYKES, b. June 12, 1864.

Generation No. 3

3. GEORGE EDWARD SYKES was born Abt. 1842 in Stepney, and died January 13, 1905 in Chilcompton, Somerset. He married (1) ADA PONDER February 27, 1862 in St Mary, Lambeth, Surrey. She died 1913. He met (2) EMILY DAWSON, daughter of WILLIAM DAWSON and MARY KIRK. She was born 1861 in Great Grimsby, Lincs, and died December 30, 1919 in Kingston upon Hull.

Children of GEORGE SYKES and ADA PONDER are:

4. i. KATE SYKES, b. Abt. 1864, Canada.

5. ii. HARRIS G. L. SYKES, b. 1866.

6. iii. PERCIVAL HORACE T. SYKES, b. 1869.

iv. SEYMOUR SYKES, b. Abt. 1875.

Children of GEORGE SYKES and EMILY DAWSON are:

7. v. IDA MURIEL SYKES (MURRAY), b. March 02, 1890, Peterborough, Cambridge; d. 1981, Taupo, NZ.

8. vi. MARIE SYKES (MURRAY), b. April 02, 1892, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire; d. Australia.

vii. PHYLLIS SYKES, b. April 15, 1903; d. England; m. RALPH NEWTON.

Generation No. 4

4. KATE SYKES was born Abt. 1864 in Canada. She married Thomas REED.

Children of KATE SYKES and Thomas REED are:

i. SYDNEY REED, b. Abt. 1888.

ii. ROSE REED, b. 1891

5. HARRIS G. L. SYKES was born 1866. He married CONSTANCE TOWNEND.

Child of HARRIS SYKES and CONSTANCE TOWNEND is:

i. CONSTANCE SYKES, b. 1900.

6. PERCIVAL HORACE T. SYKES was born 1869. He married SCARD BARR ANNIE BURGESS.

Children of PERCIVAL HORACE T. SYKES and SCARD BURGESS are:

i. SWEET BRIAR SYKES, b. 1899

ii. STRATHCONA WINGROVE BRUCE SYKES, b. 1900. (AKA PATRICK MURRAY)

iii. SEYMOUR CHRISTOPHER TATTON SYKES, b. 1905.

iv. SAMUEL JOSEPH TATTON SYKES, b 1908.

7. IDA MURIEL SYKES was born March 02, 1890 in Peterborough, Cambridge, and died 1981 in Taupo, NZ. She married (1) ARTHUR WROUGHTON MONTAGU MAURICE March 31, 1909 in Pilton, Somerset, son of ARTHUR MAURICE and EMILY MONTAGU. He was born 1885, and died June 26, 1913 in Somerset. She married (2) JAMES FREDERICK BOOTH August 16, 1941 in Wellington, NZ.

Children of IDA SYKES and ARTHUR MAURICE are:

i. ARTHUR HAROLD MONTAGU MAURICE, b. July 05, 1909, Wales; d. 1996, Feilding, NZ; m. MARGARET CECIL MYERS, September 13, 1932, St John's Church, Feilding; b. July 27, 1913, Feilding, NZ; d. December 09, 1997, Feilding, NZ.

ii. PHILLIP WROUGHTON MAURICE, b. 1910, Long Ashton, Somerset; d. Taupo, NZ; m. MARGERY DURRANT.

iii. BARBARA JOAN MAURICE, b. 1912, Taunton, Somerset; d. 2002, Rotorua, NZ; m. MATTHEW DURRANT.

iv. EDWARD BEAUCLERK MAURICE, b. 1913, Long Ashton, Somerset; d. September 2003, Crowborough, Sussex; m. ANNE PATRICIA SANDERSON.

8. MARIE SYKES was born April 02, 1892 in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, and died in Australia. She married (1) JOHN BULPITT. She married (2) CLARENCE EDWIN HINKSMAN.

Child of MARIE SYKES and JOHN BULPITT is:

i. ESTHER (DORA) BULPITT, b. 1911, d. 2012, m. TREVOR SANDERSON.

Children of MARIE SYKES and CLARENCE HINKSMAN are:

ii. KEN HINCKSMAN.

iii. BOB HINCKSMAN.

iv. CLEM HINCKSMAN.

Emilie Dawson's parents were:

WILLIAM WELBERRY DAWSON was born 1827 in Skidbrook, Lincoln, and died July 11, 1909 in Great Grimsby, Lincs. He married MARY JANE KIRK 1848, daughter of EDWARD KIRK and MARY HOLMES.

Children of WILLIAM DAWSON and MARY KIRK are:

i. ELIZA ANN DAWSON, b. 1849; m. ? ROBERTS.

ii. ALFRED THOMAS DAWSON, b. 1852.

iii. MARY J (JENNY) DAWSON, b. 1855.

iv. ALICE ELIZABETH DAWSON, b. 1856.

v. MARGARET FANNY DAWSON, b. 1859.

vi. EMILIE DAWSON, b. 1861, Great Grimsby, Lincs; d. December 30, 1919, Kingston upon Hull; (1) ARTHUR BROWNE, (2) GEORGE EDWARD SYKES, m. (3) FARNHAM TOWNSEND CATLEY, 1906.

vii. ADA DAWSON, b. 1863.

viii. ARTHUR E DAWSON, b. 1865.

ix. FLORENCE DAWSON, b. 1866.

x. HERBERT W DAWSON, b. 1868.

xi. HARRY HOLMES DAWSON, b. 1871.