Genealogy Chat

Have you tried contacting the navy, in portsmouth.They may be of some help Helen

Nope not him Born 1892 last heard of in 1921 taken from his naval record, he demobed in 1921 and then there is no trace of him at all

I have found 2 on the cwgc, 1) Samual westwood, signalman,royal corps of signals, d.o.d 28/6/1943 aged 30 2) S westwood, private,royal welsh fusiliers, d.o.d 12/11/1920 aged 33 could either of these 2 be what you might be looking for Helen

Forget occupation, not a good one to try and match as the last occupation I have for him is in 1921 in the navy so I've given a really crap example Maybe it's time to close this laptop up and resign myself to the fact that however hard I try with Samuel he isn't going to be found, I should be glad with the other side of the family I have got, but if the truth be known Samuel has been my main aim all along

It would show his occupation, and so if it said he was a solicitor and you knew your guy was a labourer (only examples!) then you would know it probably wasn't him. But closer occupations would be harder to call............... Merry

Oh great!! so if I sent for the cert it won't show his place of birth or his occupation?? thought it would but after just checking the old family ones I have for the 196's and 1950's it seems it won't. Damn , back to square one again This man just ain't ready or prepared to be found, Wasn't killed in WW1- that was the family tale, got hsi naval record from national archives and he was still there up to the 9th June 1921 and that is where the trail goes cold

You say Samuel Westwood was killed during WW1... Have u checked the Commonwealth War Graves site? The deaths of soldiers and their burial places are on there.... Naturally there were'unknown soldiers' but it is definitely worth a look Good luck

The trouble is, if you get the cert and it IS his (assuming he didn't emigrate or change his name) how will you know it's him???? It won't have hiis date or place of birth on it........You won't know what work he might have been doing or where he lived or if he had a new ''wife'' or partner.....other children......... Maybe if there were only two men born in the right time frame you might be able to work out if you had the ''other'' guy's cert........, but 8 or so is a lot of people to eliminate! I have a death cert for someone who died in 1980 in England. Because it's that late, it has a date of birth on it, but no place of birth, presumably because the informant didn't know where this chap was born. My chap was born in India, so I was pleased that there was no Eng/Wales birth cert for the date of birth on this death cert, or even one within 20 years. Hooray, I thought....this is my rellie. BUT NOOOOOOO , The death cert I have is for a chap who was born in Ireland!! (took years to work that out!!) A b****r isn't it?? Merry

Don't think I'll ever have a YIPEEE at this rate!! Months and months to find one man and just as I finally think I'm there it's blown away again. Think the only hope is to carry on searching up to when he would have been 100 ( if he ever got there) and send for the death cert of the one I have found and anymore I may uncover, Knowing my luck he'll be the one thats missing from the indexes or one the index that is missing

Clever Judith thinking of checking births for the date range.. I wouldn't have. Poor Joanne save the YIPPEE dancing on the table for later... Sorry I'm too much of a beginner to offer advice.. Good luck though :-)) Sarah

Oh dear where do I go now?? I thought I had found him Born June 1892 birth registered in 3rd qtr - which is correct, that I do know, last heard of in 1921, naval record. Searched the deaths from 1921 up to 1966 ( so far ) and found one possible match in the 1st qtr 1953 age 61 Then decided best to double check births of Samuel Westwood from 1891 to 1893 to see how many born and came up with 8 possibly Samuel Westwoods who were born in those 3 years who could be the one that dies in 1953 Where do I go now?? HELP

Have not finished searching yet, will be searching back to 1926 which is where I got to on 1837 online and then will go up again and check past 1957 just to be on the safe side. Also going to check if another Samuel Westwood was born either side of 1892. If that doesn't bring up any possiblities I'll send for the cert and check if it says where he was born and his occupation, Fingers crossed

A note of caution - as you searched a limited period 'your' Samuel could have died during the period between leaving the Navy and 1933, or at some time after 1957. A search of the Birth indexes for a few years either side of 1892 might find another Samuel who could be the one whose death you found. If your Samuel is the only birth of that name in that period it makes it more likely that the death is of your relative.

That's great that you have found a real possible, but how will you know if it's him?? Merry

I daren't get too excited just incase I'm wrong but I really hope not, Will send for the cert to see if it is him and then if it is try and locate his grave. Can't wait to tell my Dad and his sister they will be over the moon but also sad that they missed meeting him after been told that he had been killed in the first world war

Well done, Joanne. Bet you're on a buzz! jay

I hope I'm right, just looked and if it is him I can trace where he is buried in Warrington if he was buried there through the council. Fingers crossed I did also find his Dad's DOD whilst I was searching so I may have got two for the price of one

I think you will have to send for the certificate to be sure. Sounds a good bet though! Well done. Ian

After months of searching I think I may have got him Samuel Westwood born 19th June 1892, entered the navy 1910 and then disappeared when his naval record ends 19th June 1921 when he demobed Just sat and searched ancestry for his death and after searching backwards from1957 to 1933 have only come up with one possiblity!! Quarter one 1953 Samuel Westwood in Warrington ( god only knows how he got there from Sheffield via Portsmouth ) age 60 years ( the age fits ) vol 10f page 857 Do u think I could have got him at last?? Joanne