1Information provided by Angela Nelson, Ancestry message to James Cosgrave, 21 May 2023.
Thanks for the reminder - I recently organised the 50th anniversary weekend of my local kayak club (which was a huge event) but it put me behind with everything!! It took a LOT of research (& LUCK) plus DNA to make the connection. My side of the family only had a few facts from my Aunty Gillian Asplin (nee Davy) who was the daughter of Alfred Brook Davy (my grandfather who died before my parents married). She told us that when she was 16 she was sent to a finishing school in Windsor (later was told that a Miss Brook paid for it). On the train to Windsor she was accompanied by her older brother by 7 years John Harrop Davy (my father who died nearly 30 years ago) who had been instructed to inform her on the train that her paternal grandmother was not actually her real grandmother and that whilst she was in Windsor she would be meeting her real grandmother Miss Brook. There was no talk about her paternal grandfather being real or not. She also told us that Miss Brook was a nurse who had assisted a Sir Joseph who was a doctor to the King in Windsor. We were told that Sir Joseph had paid for Alfred Brook Davy to attend a boarding school near Windsor (so we thought maybe he was the real father!) When my Aunty Gill was in Windsor she met Miss Brook a few times and went to the Theatre with her and sat in the Royal Box. Firstly we tried to track down Miss Brook in Windsor but without a first name it was impossible due to Brook being a common name so we tried the Sir Joseph and firstly went down the wrong path with another Sir Joseph. It was only when we found an article on Miss Brook (who had changed her name to Brooke when she moved to Windsor) and we contacted the name on the article that we got in touch with the Turners who had been unsuccessfully searching for us as they had found Alfred Brook Davy in Agnew Brook's will. Then we found out she was Agnes and were able to start proper research and got a birth certificate for Alfred Brook Davy (who had Agnes Brook listed as the mother but father unknown). Alfred Brook Davy was called Roy but my Aunty didn't know why and the Turners couldn't tell me so that is still a mystery. The Turners also provided me with photos of Agnes and I could provide them with photos of Roy. From the birth certificate it showed that just after Agnes gave birth to Roy in York, she was in Windsor as a nurse (on the census) so she obviously moved down there to start a new life and changed her name to Brooke. The Turners told me that her brothers supported her whilst she was training to be a nurse by sending her money. As to Sir Joseph we discovered he was not the father due to DNA but was a work associate of Miss Brook and she obviously confided in him about Roy which is why he paid for Roy to go to boarding school nearby so she could presumably spend time with her son - we know Roy left a family holiday to attend her funeral (departing the holiday as soon as she died) so he had maintained a relationship with her . So as I have Davy DNA and my aunty was never told that her paternal grandfather was not her grandfather then we have assumed that the paternal grandfather was Roy's real father. This also ties in with what the Turner family were told. The paternal grandfather was Joshua Alfred Davy - married Annie Bishop - they had one child Alfred Davy who died as a baby, then they adopted a daughter (was never given the Davy surname) and then "adopted" a son Alfred Brook (later changed name to Alfred Brook Davy). As for what the relationship was between Joshua Alfred Davy and Agnes Brook - whether it was an affair or a one night stand (Roy was born 9 months after Xmas so maybe a one night stand at a Xmas party?), we will never know. It has been suggested maybe it was an early form of surrogacy but if so she was never paid for it, as needed her brothers to support her whilst doing nurse training - and in those days would definately not have been approved of! So Alfred Brook Davy was raised by his father and his father's wife, near Middlesbrough. When Alfred Brook Davy was 4 they had moved to Tingley Common and their house was in walking distance of Agnes Brook's parents house so they were obviously in contact with each other (although Agnes was in Windsor). Hope this answers some of your questions, Angela Sir Joseph never married and left all his fortune to Miss Brook (who also never married) - she left a bit to Roy but most to her family & friends."
"Hi Jim2Census 1891 - England, RG12; piece 3715; folio 122; page 36.
Agness Brook is listed as Daughter; single; 8 years old; Scholar; born at Morley, Yorks.3FreeBMD Index (http://freebmd.rootsweb.com), Birth Dec 1882; Dewsbury; 9b; 568.
"BROOK, Agnes; mother's maiden surname is PEEL."
1Civil Registration Index - England & Wales (https://www.gro.gov.uk), Birth Dec 1906; York; 9d; 41.
"BROOK, Alfred; mother's maiden surname is ---."2Census 1939 - England (1939 Register), ED Code HGGN.
Alfred B. Davy is listed as married; Wholesale & retail coal and coke distributor / ARP Warden; born 20 Sep 1906.3FreeBMD Index (http://freebmd.rootsweb.com), Death Sep 1962; Ulverston; 10f; 516.
"DAVY, Alfred B.; 55 years old."4FreeBMD Index, Marriage Dec 1931; Wakefield; 9c; 77.
"DAVY, Alfred B.; and HARRAP, Alice M."5Parish Registers - England, York, Sandal Magna - St. Helens.
"Page 49
1931 Marriage solemnized at the parish church of St. Helens in the parish of Sandal Magna in the County of York
No. 97
When married - November 5, 1931
Groom - Alfred Brook Davy
Groom's age - 25
Groom's condition - Bachelor
Groom's occupation - Salesman
Groom's residence - Alston House, Ceigglestone
Groom's father - Joshua Alfred Davy; General Manager
Bride - Alice Mary Harrap
Bride's age - 27
Bride's condition - Spinster
Bride's residence - 20 Castle Road, Sandal
Bride's father - Arthur Harrop(deceased); Manufacturer
Married in the parish church according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Established Church after banns, by me, George Goode (Vicar of East Hardwick)
in the presence of us, Fred Harrap; and Joshua Alfred Davy."
1FreeBMD Index (http://freebmd.rootsweb.com), Birth Jun 1904; Wakefield; 9c; 76.
"HARRAP, Alice Mary."2FreeBMD Index, Death Sep 1976; Leeds; 5; 348.
"DAVY, Alice Mary; born 17MR1904."3Census 1939 - England (1939 Register), ED Code HGGN.
Alice M. Savy is listed as married; unpaid domestic duties; born 17 Mar 1904.4FreeBMD Index, Death Sep 1976; Leeds; 5; 348.
"DAVY, Alice Mary; born 17MR1904."5FreeBMD Index, Marriage Dec 1931; Wakefield; 9c; 77.
"DAVY, Alfred B.; and HARRAP, Alice M."6Parish Registers - England, York, Sandal Magna - St. Helens.
"Page 49
1931 Marriage solemnized at the parish church of St. Helens in the parish of Sandal Magna in the County of York
No. 97
When married - November 5, 1931
Groom - Alfred Brook Davy
Groom's age - 25
Groom's condition - Bachelor
Groom's occupation - Salesman
Groom's residence - Alston House, Ceigglestone
Groom's father - Joshua Alfred Davy; General Manager
Bride - Alice Mary Harrap
Bride's age - 27
Bride's condition - Spinster
Bride's residence - 20 Castle Road, Sandal
Bride's father - Arthur Harrop(deceased); Manufacturer
Married in the parish church according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Established Church after banns, by me, George Goode (Vicar of East Hardwick)
in the presence of us, Fred Harrap; and Joshua Alfred Davy."
1FreeBMD Index (http://freebmd.rootsweb.com), Birth Jun 1933; Wakefield; 9c; 8.
"DAVY, John H.; mother's maiden surname is HARRAP."2FreeBMD Index, Death 1993; Kendal; 3771; 260.
"DAVY, John Harrap; born 26MR1933."3FreeBMD Index, Death 1993; Kendal; 3771; 260.
"DAVY, John Harrap; born 26MR1933."4FreeBMD Index, Marriage Sep 1962; Ulverston; 10f; 1420.
"DAVY, John H.; and BRETHERTON, Hilary W."