Genealogy Chat

Kate Sorry just got in from long day at work. Thank you so much for trying to help me. All my certs are from the GRO. Agnes maud married 1st time in church 2nd in Reg office. Her mother was a witness at both weddings. In 1901 she lived at 46 Wastdale Rd and in 1916 mrd from 52 Wastdale Rd. Victor,s birth address is the same as the address for Jack and Agnes when they got mrd. I am beginning to think she had an affair with within the family of maybe with Jack and Victor is really his son. Gunner 52859 died 25-03-18 so this is too early by 3 months. I think this will take some time to unravell, if it ever does. I will look for a will, which is an avenue I had not thought of. Thankyou again Sandra

This might be the entry for Albert Harper's medal index card, from the National Archives Documents Online: Description Medal card of Harper, Albert Corps Regiment No Rank Royal Horse Artillery 52859 Driver Royal Horse Artillery 52859 Gunner Date 1914-1920 Catalogue reference WO 372/9 Dept Records created or inherited by the War Office, Armed Forces, Judge Advocate General, and related bodies Series War Office: Service Medal and Award Rolls Index, First World War Piece Hampton E - Holland D Image contains 1 medal card of many for this collection Number of image files: 1 Image Reference Format and Version Part Number Size (KB) Number of Pages Price (£) 27910 / 4543 PDF 1.2 1 336 1 3.50 Total Price (£) 3.50 But whether the medal index card would help at all, I don't really know. If you could use it to look up the actual medal roll at Kew it might give you more information. My other suggestion is to try to find a will or some wills for any of the Harpers involved, to see if there are clues in any of them. It seems to be a bit of a tangle and it may take you quite a while to get to the bottom of it! Kate.

Are you sure none of the certificates you have have been copied-out wrong? I have a marriage cert that my grandfather obtained from the GRO in the 1970's, which somebody copied out for him rather than photocopying, and it is riddled with errors! If the certs you have are from the GRO then even if they are photocopies / prints of what the GRO have in their books, then the names could still have been copied wrongly when the cert was written out into the GRO's book from the original register office book. Also for marriages, the original register office one is a copy of the church's one - if the marriage took place in a church - so there is the potential for errors there too. Or it could have been written down wrong in the first place. I can quite easily imagine Robert and Albert being confused for each other, though William Charles, perhaps not. How about this explanation, though when I have typed it all in, and seen your original message on the thread again, it will probably turn out to be impossible: Maud married Albert or Robert and then had an affair with a relative of his which produced Victor, but when she registered the birth he had to put her husband's name down as the father, but by the time Victor got married he had been told who his real father was, so he gave that person's name? Kate.

Alter Ego I think it is Jack at times myself

Christine the problem is these dates dont add up. Assuming Victor was a full term pregnancy then whoever is father is would have to be alive in June/July 1918. I can feek my headache coming on

Its Jack

Nor these: No Surname Rank Service Date Of Death Age Regiment Nationality Grave/Memorial Ref. Cemetery/Memorial Name 3 HARPER, A Gunner 940561 09/06/1917 0 Royal Field Artillery United Kingdom I. J. 14. ACHIET-LE-GRAND COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION 15 HARPER, ALFRED Gunner 97821 24/04/1918 30 Royal Garrison Artillery United Kingdom C. 12. BOVES WEST COMMUNAL CEMETERY 31 HARPER, ALBERT ERNEST Gunner 52859 25/03/1916 32 Royal Horse Artillery United Kingdom III. E. 3. YPRES RESERVOIR CEMETERY 32 HARPER, A E Gunner 120740 04/06/1917 18 Royal Garrison Artillery United Kingdom XII. C. 25A. LIJSSENTHOEK MILITARY CEMETERY 48 HARPER, A W Gunner 23057 22/09/1917 29 Royal Garrison Artillery United Kingdom I. D. 8. DIVISIONAL COLLECTING POST CEMETERY AND EXTENSION Christine

Paula I had thought of that about Jack James especially as Victor was born at Watlinton grove sydenham and that is where both Jack and agnes were living 4 months later when they got married.

mmmmm might have had had this been my family but it is my husbands and his seem to either be dead of dont even know of each others existance. Maybe he should stay as a man of mystery. Only started on hubbies branch when i got stuck on my own.

The dates don't work for this one of CWGC: No Surname Rank Service Date Of Death Age Regiment Nationality Grave/Memorial Ref. Cemetery/Memorial Name 1 HARPER, W C Serjeant 265438 11/04/1918 0 Hertfordshire Regiment United Kingdom P. IX. H. 12B. ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN Christine

If we are assuming Jack James definately wasn't his father, I think the most likely would be Robert as he is the only other who was married to Agnes. Or have i missed something.... Paula

I think that, had it been Scotland, you might have got that info from a death cert, but not in England! :-( Have you any old family address books? I found one of my mother's which has some tantalising indications in it. Sometimes it just confirms who was where when - but sometimes just the ''who'' is revealing. Christine

Kay Victor who married in 1947 birth certificate shows Albert Harper to be his father but he put William Charles on his marriage certificate. I do know that he never knew his father so was relying on what his mother told him Sandra

Christine that is my father in law's death. It is his father that I am trying to find. Sandra

Thanks Christine I have never done this before. I thought about the various names but the occupations vary too plus I cannot find the death of Victor's father under any of the given names. All I get is a headache Sandra

Don't know whether this will add anything to your researches... Name: Victor John A Harper Death Year: 1996 Age: 77 Birth Date: 22 Mar 1919 Death Registration Month/Year: Aug 1996 Registration District: Spilsby Inferred County: Lincolnshire Inferred Country: England Register Number: 11C Entry number: 100 Christine

Now I've done that, I'm not sure that I'm any the wiser. I'm not surprised you're having problems! Perhaps we're into the realms of people having several names and only using some at a time - and not always the same ones? Christine

Hi Sandra. A little confused by it, Which Victor are you trying ot get the father of???? Kay. If the one getting married in 1947,then Charles appears to be his father. kay.

Sorry, Sandra - I can't read GR's idea of a thread-header. Hope you don't mind me rearranging it in a reply... WHO IS HIS DAD I have Victor John Albert Harper mrd 1947. Father William charles Harper (deceased) Engineer Victor John Albert Harper brn 22/03/1919 Father Albert Harper Gunner RHA Mother Agnes Maud Gant. Agnes Maud Gant mrd 23/07/1916 to Robert Harper 43 Furnishing Manager Father George Harper Agnes Maud Harper remarries Jack James 30/07/1919. Who is Victor's Dad. William Charles, Albert or Robert. I have all the relavant documentation. Where do I turn to now.

I have Victor John Albert Harper mrd 1947. Father William charles Harper (deceased) Engineer Victor John Albert Harper brn 22/03/1919 Father Albert Harper Gunner RHA Mother Agnes Maud Gant. Agnes Maud Gant mrd 23/07/1916 to Robert Harper 43 Furnishing Manager Father George Harper Agnes Maud Harper remarries Jack James 30/07/1919. Who is Victor's Dad. William Charles, Albert or Robert. I have all the relavant documentation. Where do I turn to now. Sandra