Kate, the youngest daughter of Frederick Stokes, married Harold Reid, son of Sir Thomas Reid, in 1915. Harold was Resident Engineer in charge of the construction of the G.W.R. Birmingham Moor Street stations, and the widening of the Bordesley to Moor Street viaduct.
Kate may have met Harold while working as a lady's help in Erdington, Birmingham. They married in Hammersmith in 1915. There were no children from this marriage.
There is no record of the marriage other than the newspaper announcement, and oral memory from Andrew WEAVER recalling his great aunt talking about Harold REID working on the railway. There is also a newspaper mention of Harold being sued by Evesham Overseers of the Poor in 1916 while living at La Quinta. So the 'marriage' appeared to be genuine.
But there are a couple of mysteries. A. Why is there no civil marriage record? B. What happened to Harold?
As regards the marriage, there may have been an existing wife called Rebecca Eliza REID nee LAND. A Harold REID married Rebecca LAND in Hampstead in 1907. There is no record of Rebecca RIED's death before 1915 or of Harold REID's death before 1918. As for what happened to Harold: Harold is thought to have died in Whitchurch, Glamorgan in 1926 with Rebecca REID as the widow.
In 1918 Kate STOKES married George R SPENCE in Paddington. NB Kate used the surname STOKES.
As the evidence stands it looks like the marriage to Harold was annulled fairly quickly, although no documentary evidence has confirmed that.
It was reported that George and Kate had two children: Graham and Jane, although no birth records for these children have been found. A boy, John M SPENCE, born 27 Dec 1918, is living near Tetbury with Kate in 1939. He was born in West Ham, Essex 3-6 months after Kate and George were married. Another child, Janet D SPENCE was born there in 1923, also to a mother with maiden name STOKES. It is not known where the name Graham came from, but it may have been mistaken, or an earlier child of George.
Kate died in Portreath, Redruth in January 1962 and her probate record names both her husband George Robert SPENCE and her son John Mackay SPENCE.
Kate shared a memorial/burial service with her sister Annie Elizabeth at St Michael's, Broadway on 10 Jan 1962. She was cremated in Truro on 3 Jan 1962.