Genealogy Chat

That might be it, Jink, come to think of it.
I was probably just looking for John Gobel records yesterday, before I realised he was sometimes known only as William.

The Ancestry record has more detail.
Hope Ancestry's back to normal soon!


He wasn't the only naturalised John Gobel in London.
For instance, there's a report in the Pall Mall Gazette, 19/10/1914, of the destruction of the shop (High Street, Deptford) of a naturalised John Gobel, baker and confectioner, by an anti-German mob during the Deptford riots.

Ancestry's back.

The man naturalised in 1906 was born c1861 in Engenhausen, Unterfranken, and was living in Deptford.
Married with 7 children by 1906. A confectioner.
In fact, that's the man whose shop was destroyed in 1914.
In 1911 he's at 181 High Street, with the children who are named in the naturalisation document.


The one I saw yesterday isn't for the right man either, unfortunately.
It's a 1916 naturalisation record for a William Goebel, a music salesman living in Bromley, Kent. Born in Hamburg c1877.

I don't see one for Janet's gr-grandfather.

If he was trusted to be a Postman - BEFORE 1911, as I said earlier - I would doubt that he would have been interned as a potential enemy.

It's very kind of you all to spend time helping me to get all this more clearly in my mind, I don't know whether he ever did become naturalised, but as you say perhaps having worked for the Post Office was sufficient to protect him from internment.

The Postal Museum in London has an archive for it's workers maybe worth a look

John Gobel
in the UK, Postal Service Appointment Books, 1737-1969
Name John Gobel
Appointment Date Jan 1893
Appointment Place London
Industry Postal Service

He was a sorter .

He seems to have been nominated in September 1892, but not actually confirmed as an employee until January 1893.

The man in question was a grocer in 1901

ADDED 22/7

1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census
79, Blackthorn Street, London, Bromley, Poplar, London & Middlesex, England
William Gobel Head Married Male 55 1846 Grocer Germany (British Subject)
Charlotte Gobel Wife Married Female 45 1856 - Stepney, Middlesex, England
George H Gobel Son Single Male 17 1884 - Stepney, Middlesex, England
Frederick Mitchell Step son Single Male 16 1885 Groom domestic Stepney, Middlesex, England
Charlotte Mitchell Step daughter Single Female 14 1887 Shirtmaker Stepney, Middlesex, England
Louisa Parker Boarder Single Female 19 1882 Shirtmaker Old Ford, Middlesex, England


23/7

..........................and a Postman in 1891, when his wife was a shopkeeper

1891 England, Wales & Scotland Census
79, Blackthorn Street, Bromley, Poplar, London & Middlesex, England

William Gobel Head Married Male 46 1845 Postman Germany
Margaretta Gobel Wife Married Female 50 1841 Shop keeper Germany
John Gobel Son Single Male 19 1872 Boot maker London, Middlesex, England
Bertha Gobel Daughter Single Female 17 1874 Machinist London, Middlesex, England
Eustina Gobel Daughter Single Female 15 1876 Scholar London, Middlesex, England
George Gobel Son - Male 7 1884 Scholar London, Middlesex, England



1881 England, Wales & Scotland Census
(Shop), 48, White Horse Lane, Mile End Old Town, London & Middlesex, England

William Gobel Head Married Male 36 1845 Greengrocer Germany
Margaret Gobel Wife Married Female 40 1841 - Germany
William Gobel Son Single Male 10 1871 Scholar Mile End Old Town, Middlesex, England
John Gobel Son Single Male 8 1873 Scholar Mile End Old Town, Middlesex, England
Bertha Gobel Daughter Single Female 7 1874 Scholar Mile End Old Town, Middlesex, England
Justine Gobel Daughter Single Female 5 1876 Scholar Mile End Old Town, Middlesex, England
Harry Webirkanyr Nephew Single Male 18 1863 Shoemaker Germany

Annotation 'BS' on image in 1881