Genealogy Chat

I am really stuck on this one - Percy Frederick Thomas EKE born 2nd June 1896.District- Forhoe, Norfolk. Father - Thomas EKE, Stoker on HMS Royal Adelaide. Mother - Sarah EKE formerly Smith, cannot find a marriage for Thomas and Sarah. Any help would be very welcome. Thanks Meryl,

was percy their first born child?

Do you have them in any censuses? Zoe

From the birth cert, do you have Thomas' occupation (LOL - must be going blind as he is a STOKER!!!! Silly me!) and also which village in Forehoe District Percy was born in? Merry

Percy was an only child, he was born in Hingham, Norfolk. He is on the 1901 census living with his Grandmother Edna Eke, he is down as Thomas on there. Thomas his father was supposed to have jumped ship in USA ! Sarah later married a Walter Chandler in 1903 Thanks everyone for your replies! Meryl

Ranked Search Results - 1901 England Census View Record Charles Eke abt 1887 Southburgh, Norfolk, England Son Hingham Norfolk View Record Edna Eke abt 1856 Southburgh, Norfolk, England Head Hingham Norfolk ***View Record Thomas Eke abt 1897 Southburgh, Norfolk, England Son Hingham Norfolk (Wrong age ) image reads age 23 and single View Record Thomas Eke abt 1897 Hingham, Norfolk, England Grandson Hingham Norfolk View Record Henry Labbell abt 1823 Southburgh, Norfolk, England Boarder Hingham Norfolk Is this his Father with him June x

Hi June Will check it out - have problem getting on 1901 at the moment. The family always thought Percy's (aka Thomas) Mother Sarah to be the daughter of Edna, Edna did have a daughter Sarah born in 1874. Edna had a brother Thomas Frederick born 1876. Its all abit confusing! Meryl

It seems unlikely to me that Percy could be the son of Edna's daughter Sarah if such a specific occupation is given for his father on the birth certificate. Surely if the father's name was made up then Sarah would have given a vague occupation like 'labourer' for him? Do you have the certificate for Sarah's marriage to Walter? And if so, what does it say for HER father's name and occupation? (If not, I should think it would be worth getting.) Kate.

Hi Kate I do have the marriage certificate of Sarah and Walter, she is down as Spinster on this! Her father is down as Henry Eke (deceased) farm lab. So how was she formerly Smith ? She was 26 when she married Walter, Meryl

If she lied when saying her maiden name was Smith and also invented the father's name and occupation for Percy.....maybe the real father WAS a stoker on HMS Royal Adelaide....so maybe that bit was the only part that was true??! Merry

Riiggghht... the plot thickens! Was Edna's husband called Henry? In which case I take it back, looks like Sarah was unmarried and made up a husband with a very specific occupation after all.... if he wasn't called Henry then I guess Sarah's father might have been Henry Smith and the vicar or registrar got muddled up. The fact that she is a spinster when she marries Walter suggests she was unmarried when the baby was born, doesn't it? Kate.

I suppose if you were going to make up a maiden name for yourself, 'Smith' is a likely one to choose! Kate.

Hi everyone Edna wasn't married she had several children and she had a lodger for many years! Now you can see why I've hit a brickwall! I have been stuck on this for about 2 years, its my husbands family tree and he would like to know what happened to his G. Grandfather, It seems this family are all good at changing their names. Percy ends up being called Thomas Norton, apparently his Grandmother (Edna ) told him to say that was his name at school,& on his marriage cert. he says his father is Thomas Norton a Policeman! Help! Meryl

I was typing this while you were typing yours, Meryl... Oh, I've just found out I didn't know the half of it. Been following Edna backwards through the censuses to see if her husband's name was Henry, but only when I got to 1881 did I think to look at the image and find out her marital status. Unmarried. So if Sarah Eke / Smith, the mother of Percy, is her daughter then her father's name seems to be made up too. Henry Lebbell is a 'lodger' with Edna in 1881 and his occupation? Ag. lab. Still there in 1901, so he is my guess for Sarah's father. (There is also another Henry there but he is too young at 17 to be the father of the children.) (I won't even mention the strange names Edna gave her sons!) Anyway, it is all starting to fit together now, don't you think? Now, if you can get a crew list for that ship, maybe you can work out who Percy's father may have been? Kate.

I wonder if there is a Thomas Norton on that crew list.... Kate.

Hi Kate HMS Royal Adelaide was a Barrack ship by that time, used just for accomodation purposes. Where do you go about getting a crew list? Meryl

I don't really know; perhaps somebody else does? You might be best to start a separate thread asking for help with that so that the right people will look at it. But why would it need a stoker if it didn't move?? Kate.

Thanks for your help Kate! Meryl