May Bartley and William G Allen
May Elizabeth Bartley was the ninth child of Edward Bartley and Elizabeth Hannken. She was born at Devonport 21 July 1875. Like her siblings she attended Devonport Primary School. She shared the family love of music and theatre.
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| May as Queen of the Fairies - an early stage triumph reported in the Observer 20 June 1891 page 14 |
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| Observer 21 November 1901 |
The light operas and musicals of this period made for popular programming. The Christmas performance of HMS Pinafore in 1903 proved a sell out show and a successful fundraiser for the Devonport Band.
May and Bill welcomed a son Bryan William 18 May 1902, followed soon after by their daughter Lois
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| Bryan William Allen in full command of his vehicle, from the Album of George F Bartley |
May and Bill lived in Mt Eden all their married life. May died there in January 1951. Bill followed her a few years later, in May 1956.
Eva Bartley and the Cotes Family
 Eva with her brother Percy who died in early adulthood Photo by Josiah Martin & E Partington Auckland. Eva Rosine Bartley was the tenth child of Edward Bartley and Elizabeth Hannken. She was born 16 May 1877 at Devonport. The younger Bartley children found good friends in the Cotes household. They were also Devonport residents and attended the Devonport Public School. Amy Cotes was a good friend of both May and Eva. Her brother Bill, Des Grattan and Bill Allen and the Bartley brothers all shared musical and social connections.  Observer 9 September 1905 Eva was late to marry. Her brother Percy (born 1878) was physically frail from just after his primary school years. He required nursing care. Eva became his inseparable nurse and companion by the time he died of consumption in 1907. Four years later, aged 34 she married William Proctor COTES on 2 February 1911 at Holy Trinity Church in Devonport. Eva and Bill had one daughter Marjorie Eva  Bill, as he was known was born in 1881 in Dudley, Worcester, where his family were living at 107 Stourbridge Road (RG11 2878/152p52). Bill's father, Arthur Edward Cotes was a native of Matlock in Derbyshire employed as a traveller for a drapery firm. Bill's parents Arthur and Annie were married in Manchester, Annie's home town, on 27 June 1874. The family emigrated soon after Bill was born and settled in Devonport. Bill had an elder brother Henry (known as Harry). Harry became engaged to Florrie COURT in 1898, a daughter of John Court.  Observer 12 February 1898 The romance did not prosper, however, and Florrie married another of their circle, Charles Rainger. Harry remained unmarried. Bill's sister Amy Cotes married Desmond GRATTAN 3 October 1900. The couple had four children. |
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| Observer 13 October 1900 |
