Mary (nee Hodge) had been married to yeoman David Symes whom she married in the December quarter 1869 in Taunton, Somerset. Their first born, Ada Mary Hodge Symes was baptised 15 March 1871 in Holy Cross parish church in Thornfalcon, Somerset.
In 1871, Mary, David and baby daughter Ada were residing at Lower Farm in Thorn Falcon (also known as Thornfalcon), Taunton. David is listed as owning 130 acres and employing 3 men, so the family were well-to-do and living a comfortable life having two female and one male servants residing with them and attending their needs.
1871 Census showing David, Mary, Ada (1 Month) and servants Emily Harvey and Mary Winter.
Census' courtesy of Ancestry.com
David and Mary had another child in the September quarter in 1873, he was named David after his father.
However, things were about to change. David Symes died aged 51 in the December quarter of 1879 in the Taunton District. This left Mary a widow with two young children. I believe this is where Charles Avery, although young, saw an opportunity to climb above his station as a poor tenant on the Symes estate. Maybe he was even one of the men employed by Mary's late husband and therefore already knew the lonely, yet quite rich widow.
By 1881, Charles Avery had wormed his way into the family home. The 1881 census was taken 3rd April.
1881 Census showing Charles Avery residing at Lower Farm, Thornfalcon, Taunton, aged 30, Bailiff, born in ??? Devon.
Mary Symes is the head of the house, a widow, aged 40, a farmer of 100 acres, employing 2 labourers (remember in the 1871 census, 3 men were employed), and 1 boy. Mary is listed as being born in West Monkton, Somerset. Ada Mary Symes, unmarried, daughter, scholar was born at Thornfalcon, Taunton, Somerset. David Symes, son aged 7, also scholar also born in Thornfalcon, Taunton, Somerset. Also residing with the family are Joan Hayman, a visitor, married aged 46, an annuitant (a person who receives annuiety), she was born in Ruishton, Somerset. Lastly Jane Rawsell (?) an unmarried domestic servant, born in Langport, Somerset.
Charles Avery married Mary Symes (nee Hodge) in the June quarter (which includes the months April, May and June, meaning they must have or at least in theory married the 1st, 2nd or even the 3rd of April) 1881 in the Taunton District. Her daughter Ada would have been about ten and son David about seven. Four short years later, Mary died in April 1885. Mary was buried 23 April 1885 in the Holy Cross parish church in Thornfalcon. She was 46 years old.
The children Ada and David were now left in the care of their stepfather Charles Avery. Sometime between the death in April 1885 of their mother and June 1885, Charles abducted the children and they made their way to Iowa, America. News of the abduction was first reported early September 1885.
"SYMES-AVERY - Two Children Abducted. COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa, Sept 5 - On April 14, 1885, Mrs. Symes-Avery died at Taunton, Somerset, England, leaving an estate valued at over $200,000 to her two children, Ada H. and David Symes, aged fourteen and ten years. Charles Avery, the stepfather of the children, abducted them and brought them to this city, where he has been living since June 17 with the fourteen-year-old girl as his wife. E. H. Hodges, of Somerset, England, the legal guardian of the children, arrived here to-day, took possesion of them and left for England. Avery has disappeared".
Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania) - Monday September 7 1885, p8.
Courtesty of http://www.fultonhistory.com/
(You really should check out this site!)
Later in September 1885, a more in-depth article was published in England maybe giving away a hint as to why Charles Avery took the children to America.
"SAVING A YOUNG HEIRESS - A despatch from the New York World from Council Bluffs, Indiana, dated 7th inst., says :- This city has just been treated to a startling abduction case, originating in Somerset, England, and terminating here. Four years ago Charles Avery, 29 years old, married Mrs. Symmes, a widow of Taunton, Somerset, having an estate valued at 200,000dols. Avery was a poor tenant on Mrs. Symmes estate. Mrs. Symmes died in April last leaving 8,000dols. to Avery and giving the rest of her estate to her two children, Ada born in 1871, and David. The guardians of the heirs and executors of the estate were William Partridge and Mrs. Louise Guillaumes. Partridge died soon after his appointment, and was succeeded by Edward Hodge, a cousin of Mrs. Symmes and uncle of the children. Avery took steps to gain possession of the entire estate, whereupon the administrators demanded the possession of the two children, while Avery instituted proceedings for their retention. When the matter was finally brought into Court had fled from England with the children and came to Council Bluffs, registering from New York, and announcing that the young girl was his wife. Among the guests at the hotel was Mrs. A. B. Moore of Grand Island, Neb., who in the course of a week or two gained the confidence of young Ada Symmes, who was a delicate, slender creature, and Ada confided to Mrs. Moore the story of her wrongs. She said she was not married. Avery had sold Mrs. Symmes' valuable collection of jewels, she said, mostly in New York, and taken from young Ada a gold watch given to her by her mother, which he sold in Council Bluffs, together with other valuable articles. Mrs. Moore caused a letter to be written to the girl's uncle, Mr, Hodge, informing him of all the circumstances. On July 16 Avery applied for a marriage licence at Council Bluffs, alleging the girls age to be 17, but the clerk refused a licence, as 17 was under the lawful age. Avery then made an affidavit that he was the lawful guardian of the girl, and gave consent to the marriage of his own ward and step-daughter to himself. Licence was there-upon granted, and a marriage ceremony was performed by the Rev. T. S. Webb, a visiting minister. Mr. Hodge arrived in Council Bluffs on August 27th, and the children were handed over to him and he left for England. Avery was at this time at work on a farm 15 miles from Council Bluffs, and Mr. Hodge's arrival and departure were kept a secret until yesterday, when he sailed from New York with the children. After restoring the children to their friends and to their property he will prosecute Avery, who, it is said, has disappeared".
Source: The Evening News (Portsmouth, England) - Wednesday September 23 1885, p2.
Courtesy of The British Newspaper Archives.
It is unclear why the family weren't living in the birthplace of Lower Farm, Thornfalcon in 1891 but Ada and David seem to return to some sort of normality after their traumatic abduction.
Ada Mary Hodge Symes is to be found in the 1891 census in Denmarklyn (school), South Road, Weston-super-Mare, aged 20, she is employed as a governess teaching English. She goes on to marry in 1893 in Plymouth. In order to confirm this is the correct Ada Symes, marriage certificates will be ordered.
In 1891 young David Symes is residing with the Daw family in Paignton, Devon, he is now 17 and employed as an apprentice draper.
It is not known what became of Charles Avery.
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