From an email sent to me from Christine Gardiner, 29 April, 2010.

Oh great joy! This is marvellous! since e-mailing you and not being able to find a birth or a death for a Harold Lynx, I looked at the 1911 census, (I've been unable to track Harriett and Frank down since 1901, and found that indeed you are right, on there is a Harold Lynx and a Mary Lynx, both artists, the same age as my great aunt and her husband, and both born in the correct places, so they were indeed leading a double life as the Lynx's; what a scream. They were both music hall artistes in the 1890s, in London, then by 1901 they had changed their names to Franks middle name, and now I find ten years later they are once again living different lives as different names!!!!

This is amazing as we have lots of photos of both of them and their music hall friends in London, and also photos of them in Dover but we didn't know the connection until I managed to find Franks death, and hence the address when he died at the "Providence Inn" so now all is revealed. Many thanks indeed.

It was also puzzling that Harriett didn't pay for Franks grave, when I enquired at the cemetery, but an A BUCKLAND, and having read the details of the "Providence Inn," it mentions something about the Buckland Estate, so it all coming into place now, it is more interesting that in fact Harriett's sister and her uncle were in the workhouse in the 1870s, so Harriett must have then gone to London and met and married Frank who was on the stage, so this had been an eventful journey trying to find out more about them.

Thanks again for your prompt reply!!!

Christine Gardiner.

From an email sent to me from Christine Gardiner, 30 April, 2010.

It's taken me some years to track down Harriett and her adventures, all my sister and I knew was that my dad had an aunt called aunt Harriett who was on the stage, so from that we tracked her birth and marriage, and of course were very excited when we got her marriage certificate saying she and her new husband were "Music Hall Artistes" in the 1890s. (Apparently she danced on the stage with Nellie Wallis, who was a star then.)

We then had to find out where she was in 1901, but took months to find them under the names then of Franks middle name (Rowland) so now they were called Mary and Frank Rowland.

We also knew there was an adopted daughter called Grace, as we have a lovely picture of a girl about 14 with the remarks on the back of the picture:- "To my darling Gracie, I know she is in heaven"

It wasn't until I found a record of Harriett's death in 1956, under the name of Hudson. We found she had remarried in 1934 to a Charles Hudson. She had also lied about her age on the document. Then blow me, when I found her death and enquired in Lambeth about her burial, we were told she was buried along with a Grace Minter Hignell, so we knew this was her adopted daughter who had died at the age of 29 with TB.

And now we have her adventures in from 1911 in Dover thanks to your website about the old pubs in Dover!

I will search out some photos for you, unfortunately we don't have any of the "Providence inn," but do have some of them together when they were in London and one of her on the stage!

I wonder if they did any variety work in the Dover theatres?

On the 1911 census they have a lodger called Gordon Grant who was also a musician. I really cant thank you enough as you have been a great help.

Now I have to find out what happened after Dover.

As soon as I get all the pics out, I promise I will send them onto you, and maybe someone else might know of the two Lynx's in Dover!!!!!

Kind regards.

Christine Gardiner. (Bristol)

From an email sent to me from Christine Gardiner, 3 May, 2010.

Hi Paul, I went to my sisters at the weekend to get out the photos we have of Harry and wife (LYNX)! nee Hignell, and her husband is going to scan them and can then send them onto you, as I said unfortunately we don't have any of the "Providence Inn," but Kathleen Hollingsbee has kindly as a result of your e-mail found there was a photo of Harry and wife in the Oct 16th edition of the Dover Express 1914. We could hardly contain ourselves, so she has e-mailed the Dover library and asked for a copy if possible. This would be absolutely amazing for us, as we have been searching our family tree for years now and everything is finally coming together. Many thanks again. We are even going to come to Dover for a few days soon to see if we can find out anything else from the library there.

We live in Bristol where indeed Harriett lived before she went off to London to seek her fortune on the stage, will be in touch again in the next few days. Kind regards.

Christine Gardener.

Above photograph of fishing on the pier shows Harry in the middle turning round with what looks like a bottle to his mouth. Circa 1918.

Above shows Harriett in her Music Hall days.

Above photo shows Harold and Harriett on the left of the photograph, again in their music hall days, with unknown friends.

All photos kindly sent by Christine Gardiner.

From an email sent to me from Christine Gardiner, 8 May, 2010.

I have studied the 1911 census that states Harry and May were in 73 High Street, Dover then, and can see that "May" or Harriett Catherine as we knew her, had made several mistakes on the actual form, where it says how long married she has first put "forgot" then covered it over with 25 years, (they married in 1891!) then instead of Head, she's put husband, then again crossed out to put Head, so you can see she wasn't the most intelligent of souls! But what is more interesting is her signature at the bottom of the form saying all information correct is exactly the same as the signature we have on her music hall pictures! So it's got to be them. This was just before they must have taken over as the Licensees of the "Providence Inn" in 1912.

From an email sent to me from Christine Gardiner, 8 May, 2010.

Hi Paul.

You remember I told you that Harold and wife were on the 1911 census as living at 73 High Street, Dover, and they had a lodger called Gordon Grant? Well, funnily enough your site has been helpful once again, when I was looking at the other pubs in Dover at that time, and found that Gordon Grant was a pot man in 1911 at one of the other pubs mentioned, as a witness to a fight there! (Click here for details)

What a coincidence, this must have been their lodger, though on the census it says he's a musician. Perhaps he was busking at the time, never mind, its all extra information from your site again. its amazing.

Regards. Christine