The 1901 census for Plymouth records 42-year-old John Yeo living at North Quay, his occupation innkeeper. His place of birth is marked as ‘NK’ (not known). Listed with him are his wife Annie Yeo (age 40, born at Sticklepath [note 1]), his daughters Emma Yeo (age 23, a barmaid), Hetty Yeo (age 17) and Rosie Yeo (age 13), his mother Mary Yeo (a 60-year-old widow born at Okehampton) and two 67-year-old lodgers [note 2].
It seems odd for John’s birthplace not to be known, given that his mother was present: his birth was registered at Okehampton in 1857 to parents James Yeo and Mary Ann Gillard. Before reaching the age of majority, he married 15-year-old Mary Ann Knapman at Sampford Courtenay in 1876 [note 3]. They had ten children, six of whom died as infants:
– Emma Yeo (1876–1943, married William James Vosper)
– Richard Yeo (1877–1878)
– James Yeo (1878–1879)
– Ada Yeo (1881–1881)
– Edith Yeo (1882–1883)
– Henrietta Yeo (born 1884, known as Hetty, emigrated to the United States and married Oliver Cann)
– John Yeo (1885–1886)
– Maud Yeo (1886–1888)
– Rosie Yeo (1888–1907)
– John Yeo (born 1892).
Two years after the census was taken, Mary Ann Yeo died when the sailing ship Devonia sank in Plymouth Sound [note 4]. Her husband John has not been found in later censuses and there appears to be no record of his death in England. Did he perhaps emigrate to the United States to join his daughter Henrietta?
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Notes
1. Place of birth inaccurately recorded; she was born at Belstone in 1860 to parents Richard Knapman and Mary Ellis.
2. William Bailey (a forage dealer born in Plymouth) and Louis Joubert (a professor of music, recorded as a French subject born in Guadeloupe)
3. John is recorded as a baker on his marriage certificate.
4. Recorded as Mrs Annie Yeo, age 42.