The Blake family has already been quite well documented. John Johnston Blake and his wife, Mary have already been "created" on Gwulo, as has their son Charles Henry Blake, known as Harry. Although I knew that J.J. Blake and my grandfather, C.E. Warren had been linked through their ownership of the Unity Stand at Happy Valley since 1904, I was surprised to see from a "Passengers Departed" list that the elder Warren children sailed to England in 1913 in the company of the Blake family. I had previously not been able to find the date when my uncle, Leslie Warren and my aunt, Evelyn Warren left Hong Kong to go to school in England, nor who accompanied them. The SCMP of 15th May 1913 gives Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Blake, Miss Blake, Master Blake, Miss Warren and Master Warren departing on the S.S. Nile for London on 14th May. Harry Blake and Leslie Warren were both born in 1900 and the right age to start public school in England. I don't know if they went to the same school either in Hong Kong or England. As far as I know, Harry Blake's sister has so far not been recorded on Gwulo. She may well have come back to Hong Kong, as her brother did. I don't know if she was in Stanley with him. Perhaps relatives know her name for certain.
Sex
Female
Status
Deceased
Comments
Children of John Johnston Blake
I think more searching is needed before we can assume that Harry Blake's sister, daughter of J.J. Blake was in Stanley Camp. A lot of water had passed under the bridge between the Blake children leaving Hong Kong in 1913 and the Japanese invasion. If J.J. Blake died in Scotland in 1925 and his wife was with him, it is possible that their daughter stayed in Scotland. I'm not sure what year the Blake parents left Hong Kong for good.
Carl Smith card 00082639 gives Maria Margarita Blake born 13 November 1896, dau. John Johnston and Maria (jun) Blake. Sp. Maria (senr) Blake. Smith mistakenly gives Carolus Henricus Blake b. 7 Apr. 1900 as the son of Joannes A. Blake, but we know from Charles Henry's marriage certificate posted by Bob Tatz that John Johns(t)on Blake was his father. .
Card no 00082640 gives Alice Luise Blaike [sic] born 12 September 1901 as the daughter of Joannes and Maria Blaike [sic]. The father of Alice probably is John A. Blake. Perhaps it is safe to assume that John Johnston Blake's daughter was christened Mary like her mother and grandmother and perhaps used her middle name like her brother. It would be useful to find out if she got married in Hong Kong or Scotland or not at all.
Mary Margaret Cocks nee Blake 13 November 1896 -
Marriage Out of the United Kingdom 24 December 1917 Command 87th Company R G A Hong Kong
Mary Margaret Blake (Scotch) age 21 spinster Soldiers Club Queens Road East daughter of John Johnson Blake Store Accountant
Robert Cocks (English) 22 Bachelor Lieutenant R G A Stonecutters Island Hong Kong son of James Cocks Chemist
Witnesses Frank Harry Mann and John Johnson Blake
(Details from copy of marriage certificate)
Margaret Mary Blake born 13 November 1896
Robert Cocks 1895 - 1970
BIRTH 31 MAY 1895 • East Stonehouse, Devon, England
DEATH 29 JAN 1970 • Leatherhead Surrey
Passenger List July 1920 Incoming to Quebec Canada from Liverpool
Mary Margaret Cocks 24 in transit to Hong Kong Country of birth China
Robert Blake Cocks 1 and a half Country of birth Canada
Mary Margaret Cocks
Thank you for finding out about Mary Margaret Blake's marriage to Robert Cocks. Maybe the experts can find out if she was in Stanley as Mrs Cocks or if she was evacuated.
Roman Catholic Birth Marriage Death Documents
The names are changed to a Latinised version
e.g. Smith mistakenly gives Carolus Henricus Blake b. 7 Apr. 1900 as the son of Joannes A. Blake, but we know from Charles Henry's marriage certificate posted by Bob Tatz that John Johns(t)on Blake was his father.
Smith is not mistaken. He is using the Church version of names. Mary Margaret would have been Maria Margarita
Latin names
I think we are on the same page, Ann. All my Warren relatives were baptised with Latin names. I may need to reread everything in the clear light of day to make sure I have understood you correctly. I think what I was saying was that John A. Blake and John Johnston Blake were two different men and that Carl Smith mixed them up, giving Charles Henry aka Carolus Henricus the wrong father. Am I on the right track?
Not in Stanley
Philip Cracknell has kindly consulted his Stanley lists and finds that Mary Margaret Cocks is not recorded there. I haven't followed up her husband, Robert Cocks.