Find Ancestors

Hello I am looking for my Grandfather his surname is Denison He was killed in 1WW I do not know his christian name He possibly came from Manchester area He was engaged to my grandmother Margaret Alice Minta 1887-1986 born Skegby Notts Her father John Minta and had dairy shop 74 Portsmouth st Chorlton on matlock Manchester. Margaret became pregnant by this Denison and was sent out of the way to 54 Leigham Court Road Streatham London to have the baby The baby was my mother Joan Denison Minta born 6/7/ 1915-1992 She was adopted in about 1919 Any help please Colin.
PS Thanks for help so far

Hello Colin, according to CWGC http://www.cwgc.org/ there were 42 men with the surname Denison and 84 with surname Dennison died during WW1. Not going to be easy to whittle those down.

Colin,

What other help has been found so far - so we do not duplicate any searches?

Thank-you

Unless he was named on the child's birth cert, you don't have much chance of identifying him.

Welcome to the Community Boards Colin.



Note: I'll let Colin know that he has replies to his query. :-)

Do you know where Joan was living between the time of her birth and her adoption?
There was no formal adoption at that time, but children were sometimes looked after by extended family.

As there was some time between birth and 'adoption', I wonder if there is a baptism record, which might name the father.

Do you know if the child's father died before she was born?
The delay in her being adopted might mean that her mother was hoping that her fiance would return from the war and they could marry.

In the same area??
John William Denison born 1887 to John and Sarah.
1911 South Manchester 44 Moss Lane West, Brook Bars he was a butcher.
Joined up 24/11/1915 next of kin mum Sarah of 117,Withington Road Whalley Range postcode M16 8FA

John Minta address Portsmouth Street postcode M13 9GB
on google earth it shows them very near to each other.
maybe he had contact with John Minta through their occupations.

Maryb

Mary

I wondered about that person, but I think he survived the war.

However, was the War death a story to cover the absent father and illegitimacy ??

Gwyn

1911

Name: Margaret Minta
Age in 1911: 23
Estimated birth year: abt 1888
Relation to Head: Daughter
Gender: Female
Birth Place: Skegby, Nottinghamshire, England
Civil Parish: South Manchester
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England
Street address: 74 Portsmouth St C Ib N Manchester
Marital Status: Single
Occupation: Storthand Sypist
Registration district: Chorlton
Registration District Number: 464
Sub-registration district: Chorlton upon Medlock
ED, institution, or vessel: 12
Piece: 23840
Household Members:
Name Age
John Minta 64 formerly Farmer
Mary Minta 53
Margaret Minta 23
Henry Minta 18
Evelepa Minta 16
Barbara Minta 14


1911

Name: John William Denison
Age in 1911: 24
Estimated birth year: abt 1887
Relation to Head: Son
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Manchester, Lancashire, England
Civil Parish: South Manchester
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England
Street address: 44 Moss Lane West Brooks Bar Manchester
Marital Status: Single
Occupation: Butcher
Registration district: Chorlton
Registration District Number: 464
Sub-registration district: Hulme
ED, institution, or vessel: 46
Piece: 23911
Household Members:
Name Age
Sarah Denison 50
Sarah Denison 23
John William Denison 24
Catherine Denison 19
Laura Denison 17


Name: John William Denison
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1886
Registration district: Chorlton
Inferred County: Lancashire
Volume: 8c
Page: 8140

John William Denison's mum Sarah born 1861 Ripon of 51,Wood Lane Whalley Range died 1935 probate to a solicitor and Sarah Denison spinster £7350 7s 8d
Laura Denison his sister died of same address 1938 probate to Sarah Denison spinster and Catherine Bruce. £3694

Catherine Denison married 1919 Norman Peel Bruce.1889-1945
No mention of John William at all,I can't find a relevant death record for him!!

Maryb.

Hello researchers,
Thanks for the information very interesting. In Gwyn's question, I do not know where my mother was living between birth and adoption. My mother always told me she was put on a train with another lady, she remembers crying and thought she was abou 4 years old, and was adopted into the Rice family in Brookland Kent. I do not know if she was baptized.
The information I have about my grandmother (Margaret) and this Denison was from a great nephew, who said that only one of Margaret's sisters married, this was Lesley Mary Minta. He did not know Denison's name but knew that he was killed in WW1 and was engaged to Margaret.
Thanks Mary, John Wm Denison does seem feasible.
Also Rootgatherer for the information
Patchman, thanks for the message, I put this on the suggestion board by mistake.
Thanks to all the others who replied, from Colin.

Your mother may have been at one of the Christian Family Concern's own ChildrenHomes until adoption.

Have a read here....

http://www.christianfamilyconcern.org.uk/history.htm

Chris

Do you mean Brookland on Romney Marsh near the border of East Sussex?

If so, that's quite an out-of-the-way place to go to. Was there a family connection to the RICE family, I wonder?
Did Joan take their surname?

By coincidence I was looking at Brookland filmed parish records today at the library.

Gwyn

Maybe someone with access to newspaper archives could check if there was an announcement for their engagement?

Hello Gwyn, yes Brookland on Romney Marsh, Kent. There was no family connecition there. The Rice couple were trying for a baby for years and as soon as my mother became part of the family Isabel Rice becme pregnant and had a baby boy. I am pretty sure she took the name of Joan Denison Rice.

Thanks Flip, it seems a good idea to try and get information from the papers.
Colin.

Have you seen a copy of your parents' marriage certificate?

That just might give a name to her father.

If I can help look up anything in the Romney Marsh area, just let me know.

Gwyn

mother born 1915 so if her mother was sent away because he had died you should be able to dismiss some of the later deaths on the cwgc site ,you can also see if they have a wife's name on death info if you click on the soldier's name.

You Mum maybe kept her own surname? She married using her birth name.

Name: Joan D Minta
Spouse Surname: Clark
Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1937
Registration district: Brighton
Inferred County: Sussex
Volume Number: 2b
Page Number: 476
Find Spouse: Find Spouse


EDIT

No. She used both surnames when she married



Name: William J Clark
Spouse Surname: Minta Or Rice
Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1937
Registration district: Brighton
Inferred County: Sussex
Volume Number: 2b
Page Number: 476
Find Spouse: Find Spouse

Hello everybody,
I am very impressed with all the response. To answer Gwyn's question, I do not have a copy of my parents marriage certificate, I think she used either Joan Denison Rice or Joan Denison Minta and married Wm Jackson Clark in Brighton Sussex in 1937, as Rootgatherer has stated.
To Jan Smith, I think my grandmother (Margaret) was sent away in disgrace as it was a stigma in those days, and before this Denison was killed in WW1.
The more I think about it, John Wm Denison is more likely to be my grandfather, he lived fairly close to her, about the same age and killed in WW1 on 18th Sept 1918. It could tie up with my mother being adopted in 1919.
John Wm Denison was in the 6th battallion of the Territorials, he was in the Duke of Wellingtons West Riding Regt, memorial ref V1.C.13, and the cemetery he was buried in was Gouzeaucourt new british cemetery. Can anybody tell me where the above Regt was stationed.
Regards, Colin

http://www.dwr.org.uk/dwr.php?id=70&pa=207

The expansion of the army was achieved by doubling the Territorial Army (the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th battalions of the TA, formed in 1908 from the Volunteer battalions, each raised a second battalion and by the raising of 'service' battalions, which, in the Regiment's case were numbered the 8th, 9th and 10th. All these battalions fought on the Western Front during the long hard slog of trench warfare and in the process helped the Regiment to gain the Battle Honours of Somme - Arras - Cambrai and Lys.


There's an enquiry form here, re regimental archives - you could ask them where his battalion was stationed:
http://www.dwr.org.uk/dwr.php?id=59