Genealogy Chat

Have had this brickwall for nearly 2 years, I cannot find my GGF's birth - John William Slater. Believe he must have been born in Strood, Kent around 1880 so family say and on his marriage certificate says his dad was George who was deceased at time of marriage and he was in the merchant navy which doesn't help for census returns as probably George was at sea. Can't find John in either 1891 or 1901 census return. There is a John in Strood but his father is named as Richard in census return and is shown as labourer. Another problem I have is that after marrying my GGM he never made contact with his family again so no-one knows anything about them apart from he said he came from Strood which could be right or not. He died in 1926 in East London. I would like to find him soon as his last children who never knew about his family are now in their eighties and would like the mystery solved too. Any ideas or help would be grateful.

Dawn

Hey Dawn

When/Where did John marry?

What was his occupation on the marriage cert?

Mhairi

He married on 2nd June 1912, his age was 29 years but on his death certificate in 1926, it says he was 46 years old. He married at The Church of Our Lady and St Frederick Limehouse (catholic) I believe. I know the witnesses were the bride's sister and brother in law. He was a waterside labourer. It lists him on his children's birth certificates as working for the Regents Canal Company.

Thanks Dawn

This looks like his birth reg,,,Stroud is in this district

Births Jun 1879 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Slater John William N. Aylesford 2a 473
Joan

But it looks from the census as though his father was Richard so wrong one.
Joan

There is this one & if his father was in the merchant navy the area makes sense.

Births Sep 1884
Slater William John Greenwich 1d 1093

Hi Ozbird

How do you know his father was in the merchant navy, is he in a census??

Dawn

'Deceased' fathers are sometimes a convenient cover for illegitimacy.........

Ozibird wrote 'IF' the father was in the navy...................

Reg

Hi Reggie

Any idea if he was illegitimate, how do I find his mother? Do I just look for all John's and a mother in 1891 when he would have been a little boy. His name was John William so I suppose William John could make sense as well as could have been registered that??

Dawn

any more help

Dawn

You wrote in the first message that George (the father) was stated as being in the Merchant Navy on John's marriage cert. I think that is why Ozibird suggested that birth.

I've had a look but cant see John in the 1901 census.

I'm not sure where else you could try...maybe Electrol rolls?

Mhairi

thank you for your help, I'll keep going, perseverance gets you there in the end.

Dawn

G'day Dawn, sorry I had to pop out for a while.

Yes, Mhairi is right - you wrote that John's father was on the marriage cert as deceased & having been in the merchant navy. So I just extrapolated from there.

Ozi.

I had a family 'disappear' from the census. Found out that mum was widowed, then remarried. Her children were on census using their Stepfather's surname. But when they married they reverted to their original birth surname. I hope that makes sense. Could this be the case for John?

It would be interesting to see the birth cert of Greenwich 1884, connections with River workers etc.

Let us know how you get on.

Selena

Dear Dawn
On the census the 3 most mis interpreted letters are S, T and F. IN fancy writing they can all look very similar
Have you tried an alternative spelling, an F or T could look like an S try flater in the instance for Slater or various ways of spelling slater. Write Slater in fancy joined up writing and try and work out what it could have beeninterpreted as.
I found a George Slater living with his wife Rebecca (nee Bauckham) in Strood.NO John though
If George was away, his wife maybe had no visible means of support so she may have farmed John out to relatives while she went to work and on a census
he may have been mistakenly written down as a son...
Have you tried finding the address on the 1901 census that John got married from?to find out who was living there?
Also the names of his children usually reflect parents,grandparents names.
Does anyone know if he had any siblings? Sometimes a siblings birth is easier to find.
As for age, the death details are only as good as the person who is reporting it to the registration clerk.
He didnt get married until he was 29 maybe he was married before and not divorced?? If he was keeping quiet about his family maybe there was a good reason.

From 1837 BMD at sea on british ships had to be notified to the GRO. All certificates of Births and deaths on Merchant and passenger ships travelling from british ports had to be sent to the Register of General Shipping and seaman. From there they were sent to RO in London Edingburh and Dublin.
Have you researched the FRO.?
Ill keep looking for you and Ill let you know.
Carol

thank you Carol, I will send for the birth certificate for Greenwich and see what that says. My grandfather before he died told a story of being taken to Strood to a big pub/hotel by his father - I now think that he may have been returning to Strood as a death occurred perhaps. This would have been around 1920. We know nothing of siblings and his children were all named after my ggf's sisters or brothers apart from Lilian - so perhaps. It seems as if after marrying my ggf,all contact with his family ceased - there must have been a reason - am interested in reason but really want info just to go back further and find out where he came from and report to aged relatives - his last two daughters who never really knew him.

Hi,

I have been looking for your John - father George, and have found several possibilities.

Can you give any further details of any other family members which might help to pin him down?

Dea x

Hi Dea

Apart from the info at the top, I know he married Margaret Ellen Quinn and they have several children. George was dead when they married in 1912 or so the marriage certificate says. Family say John William came from Strood but no firm evidence. John William was called Jack by family.

Any help would be good

thanks Dawn

Apart from the info at the top, I know he married Margaret Ellen Quinn and they have several children. George was dead when they married in 1912 or so the marriage certificate says. Family say John William came from Strood but no firm evidence. John William was called Jack by family.

Any help would be good

thanks Dawn

like selena said have you tried using alternative spellings. i couldnt find so of my family on census because they had added an E on the end of the name wen non of the certs had this E. its a long shot and i cant think of any other way to spell slater but its worth a try.