James’s eventful and
FOLLOWING on from Professor James Turvey marrying for the third time, to Jersey-born Maude Janvrin Vincent (1848-1926), we conclude his interesting story with the couple happily married for a decade with six adorable children – then everything turned sour!
13th LRV Corps Southport
But first, we look at James Turvey the military man.
The 13th Lancashire Rifle Volunteers Force at Southport first appears in the Army List in October 1859 as the 1st Sub-division, and then, in the following December the Corps became a full company, its officers, Capt. William McInroy, Lieutenant, with George Bretherton and Ensign John A. Robinson, holding commissions dated December 6.
In 1863 it was attached to the 1st Rifle Volunteers for drills and administration, and comprised mostly of riflemen units – although there were also artillery, engineer and cavalry formations.
The men were prepared to pay the three-guinea entrance fee and one guinea annual subscription, and pay for their own uniform.
Not surprisingly this sort of expense could only be borne by the middleclass patriots.
The 14th (2nd Southport) Lancashire RVC, February 16, 1860 – joined 13th (1st Southport) in 1st Admin Battalion in 1862.
The basic organisational unit was a company whereby the minimum and maximum strengths were authorised at 60 and 100 men respectively. The Volunteers were initially independent and lacked co-ordination.
In 1860 the War Office authorised a system of consolidating battalions (or brigades in case of artillery) whereby several companies became a larger unit, and later that year ‘administrative battalions’ were created.
These drew together companies, usually from rural areas, not already consolidated into battalions.
In the 1880 Army reforms the remaining administrative battalions were grouped together, and the Volunteers ceased to exist in 1908, with the majority of the formations becoming the 4th Battalion of local regiments.
Now of two companies the unit transferred to the 15th Corps in 1873, then amalgamated with the 54th Rifle Volunteer Corps at Ormskirk in 1880 (increasing to six – four at Southport, two in Ormskirk), and the resulting unit retained the senior title, until in 1888 when it became the 3rd Volunteer Battalion, which then resulted in the 15th Corps forming in 1888.
Yes, it’s all a bit complicated!
The 54th Lancashire Rifle Volunteers (LRV), raised in Ormskirk on March 15 1860,was attached to the 1st Admin Battalion in 1863. The 3rd Volunteer Battalion had seven companies including three in North Meols, Companies ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’.
Two more companies were sanctioned in 1899, the personnel being found out of the Mounted Infantry and Cyclist sections.
The battalion was designated as the 3rd Volunteer Battalion of The King’s (Liverpool Regiment) but was disbanded in March 1908.
Its uniform colours were scarlet and blue.
Meanwhile, back to family life. During the six-month period between May and October 1881 the 49 year-old music seller, of 20 Talbot Street, is recorded being on business trips in Australia, going to and from here and there, to places in between Alice Springs and Simpson Desert National Park.
But, he was diddled, the people he was dealing with reneged on an agreed fee, but more of that a little later.
Then, following these failed trips “down under” Prof Turvey returned to
England only to discover his wife – 16 years his junior – had been having an affair for some time and, was in fact carrying the man’s baby!
The baby was named John Frederick, born June 26 1882 in Southport (he died in Canada in 1977).
The child’s father was Albert Bernard Seymour, a brewer at Springfield Brewery, St Helier, Jersey.
Maude had her affair with Mr Seymour between May 1880 and October 1882 – especially the six months James was “temporarily absent due to business matters” in Australia.
Maude had actually met up with Seymour in various parts of the country in between Southport and Jersey.
In his divorce papers James cites four specific hotels with dates, including the Golden Cross Hotel, Charing Cross, Middlesex; the Queen’s Hotel St. Martins-le-Grande, London; Red Lion Hotel, Basingstoke, Hants; and Valley Cottage, Val de Vause, Jersey, the private residence of her lover. Jersey was her birthplace.
In November 1882 the 50 year-old professor of music filed a civil divorce petition against Maude on grounds of her adultery, but this wasn’t completed until April 13, 1883 – three weeks after his death!
He had filed for £2,000 costs and damages from Albert Seymour.
Meanwhile, Maude had made a counterclaim, filing for and being granted granted alimony on February 4 1883, and on March 19 James was ordered by the Courts to pay her £4 a week – but he died three days later!
Demands were also made against James’ estate, which appeared in the London Gazette (October 19, 1883), but no details are available.
Two months before his death (January 7, 1883) James was involved in a shipping accident when 10 people (two passengers and eight crew members) were killed when two British passenger ships, the City of Brussels – which James Turvey was aboard and the Kirby Hall collided, following a sudden storm close to the mouth of the Mersey; some 20 minutes after impact the City of Brussels sank, but fortunately the rest of those on board (70 passengers and 97 crew members) were rescued – including 50-year old James.