David - it has taken many hours searching but here is what I now have for Agnes Friggens.
There are still some unanswered questions but I believe that Agnes was illegitimate as should be apparent from the information to follow. Unfortunately I have not been able to find a Birth Record for her in FreeBMD but I do have enough information to suggest that I have identified her correctly.
Certainly more correctly than the authors of all the Titanic Biographies that are prevalent on the Internet!
I will commence with the record of her first marriage which is taken from the Ludgvan Parish Register.
31st May 1886 Ludgvan by Banns
Richard Henry NICHOLLS, age 20, bachelor, mason of Ludgvan, son of Richard Nicholls, mason
Agnes FRIGGENS, age 22, spinster of Ludgvan, daughter of John Friggens, miner
Witnesses - Alexander Herbert Harrison, Richard Jones
1891 Census
Nancledra, Ludgvan
Richard H NICHOLLS, head, mar, 25, mason, Ludgvan
Agnes do., wife, mar, 27, Penzance
Mary E do., daur, 4, Ludgvan
Richard H do., son, 9 mo, Ludgvan
1901 Census
Carbis Bay, Lelant
Agnes NICHOLLS, head, widow, 37, Penzance
Mary E do., daur, 14, Towednack
Richard Henry do., son, 10, Towednack
Joseph Charles do., son, 8, Towednack
March Qtr 1903
Penzance R.D. Vol 5c Page 393
Robert DAVIES
Agnes NICHOLLS
John Morgan DAVIS son of Robert (Insurance Agent) and Agnes Davis of Little-in-Sight (Stennack) baptised 25th August 1903 (born July 31st)
1920 Census
Hancock City, Houghton, Michigan
Water Street
Agnes DAVIS, head, widow, age 55, born England, arrived 1912
John M DAVIS, son, age 16, born England, arrived 1912
All of that was the easy part and I had to spend a lot of time and effort to find the rest of the pieces to this puzzle.
We know from the above records that Agnes was born sometime during the early to mid 1860s. Penzance is recorded twice as her birthplace - 1891 and 1901 Census - but that 'may be' just a broad term for where she was actually born.
However, this information told me that she had to be somewhere in both 1871 and 1881 and I eventually found her as follows:-
1871 Census Zennor
Dinah WHITE, head, widow, 50, Ludgvan
Clarinda do., daur, unm, 21, Towednack
William do., son, unm, 19, tin miner, Towednack
Thomas do., son, unm, 17, tin miner, Towednack
Richard N do., son, 14, tin miner, Towednack
Mary Ann do., daur, 12, scholar, Towednack
Agnis FRGGENS, Boarder, 9, TowednackPerhaps this is where the name WHITE entered the picture but it is almost certainly the future wife of Richard Henry Nicholls.
Note that the surname appears as FRGGENS which is why she was so hard to find!
1881 Census
New Mill, Madron
Dinah WHITE, head, wid., 61, Charwoman, Gulval
Agnes WHITE, grandaughter, unm, 19, Charwoman, GulvalThis is obviously the same girl who was with Dinah in 1871 but notice she is now recorded as Agnes WHITE and her birthplace is Gulval.
With the help of FamilySearch I then tracked down the following:-
Gulval Parish Register
Agnes illegitimate daughter of Grace FRIGGENS of Trezelah baptised 2nd April 1873 Gulval age 11 yearsThis entry does not appear in FreeBMD and in fact Agnes does not appear in FreeBMD under any name.
I suggest that you pass all of this information to Carole. If required then I can supply copies of most of these records as proof.
I believe that this proves the previous information (as found on the Internet) is wrong beyond any reasonable doubt.
But unfortunately the puzzle does not entirely end there.
The problem is now to identify Grace Friggens!
Agnes is recorded as a grandaughter to Dinah White in the 1881 Census but I am yet to find a daughter named Grace for Dinah.
Henry WHITE married Dinah ROWE at Ludgvan 13th April 1843
Henry was baptised at Zennor 12th December 1819 son of Thomas and Elizabeth (nee Matthews) White of Bosigran
Dinah was baptised at Ludgvan 11th June 1820 daughter of John and Jennifer/Jane (nee Nicholas) Rowe
I have identified some children for them but have yet to check the registers and add them to my database.
CT