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Researching my grandfather with very few details - need some help

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  • Researching my grandfather with very few details - need some help

    Hi everyone

    Complete newbie to genealogy here, and a new member to boot, looking for some help.

    A friend has researched my family history and has over 500 names and ten generations. On my mother's side of the family, the brick wall started at my grandfather.

    This is what I have to date:

    His name was Henry Henley Healy, born 1870 in Putney, London. Married Ellen Eliza Bonney at Holy Trinity Church in Bishop's Stortford in 1898. Died Rochford, Essex 1929. He was a life assurance salesman and then a captain in the 2nd btn. Essex Regt in WW1.

    His wife and her ancestors have been traced back to 1560. She died in 1907, and my grandfather remarried a few years later, taking his three children with him and fathering five or six more with his second wife.

    His father's name was Henry Folkner Healy, commercial traveller. I have no other details on him, nor can I find any. An old family rumour says his son Henry Henley was illegitimate, the son of an Irish actress.

    Today (29.1.13) I have applied to GRO for Henry Henley Healy's birth certificate and am waiting to see if their search reveals anything, though I had no Qtr, District, Vol or Page to offer them as I've had with other applications. I have also written to the Essex Regiment Museum in Chelmsford to see if they can help.

    If the GRO and Essex Regt can't help, can anyone direct me in the next step of my search please?

    I've had a brief look on Ancestry sites and Army records sites, but must admit found them rather confusing. One threw up over 800 names and birthplaces, even though I specifically typed correct date, birthplace and name. I gave up after that.

    Thanks

    Tim

  • #2
    He must have had a penchant for ladies named Ellen, as his second wife was Ellen Cannons, whom he married in Sept Qtr 1908 (reg dist orsett, Essex.)

    In 1911 they resided in Rosedale Rd, Little Thurrock - there were four children born Chelmsford 1899 - 1906, and two born Grays 1909 & 1911. HHH was recorded as a general labourer.

    Jay
    Janet in Yorkshire



    Genealogists never die - they just swap places in the family tree

    Comment


    • #3
      Welcome to the forum Tim

      Interestingly it looks as though he completed and signed the 1911 himself but for age has written "not known"
      Last edited by Night Owl; 29-01-13, 22:56.
      Jackie

      Comment


      • #4
        Not having any luck finding him in census 1871 - 1891 :(
        In 1901 he was in Chelmsford with wife Ellen & son Henry P.

        Did you get the details of his father from the marriage cert?

        Sorry, forgot to say "Welcome" to FTF !

        Jay
        Last edited by Janet in Yorkshire; 29-01-13, 23:00.
        Janet in Yorkshire



        Genealogists never die - they just swap places in the family tree

        Comment


        • #5
          I've had a brief look on Ancestry sites and Army records sites, but must admit found them rather confusing. One threw up over 800 names and birthplaces, even though I specifically typed correct date, birthplace and name. I gave up after that.
          Your probably still in the "New Improved" search - which generates millions of 'hits', few of which seem to be relevant. After you've searched once, you can usually find (with a magnifying glass, because they don't make it conspicuous!) a link to the old style search. that enables you to confine your 'hits' to a manageable number. Most of us find it much easier to use.

          Christine
          Researching: BENNETT (Leics/Birmingham-ish) - incl. Leonard BENNETT in Detroit & Florida ; WARR/WOR, STRATFORD & GARDNER/GARNAR (Oxon); CHRISTMAS, RUSSELL, PAFOOT/PAFFORD (Hants); BIGWOOD, HAYLER/HAILOR (Sussex); LANCASTER (Beds, Berks, Wilts) - plus - COCKS (Spitalfields, Liverpool, Plymouth); RUSE/ROWSE, TREMEER, WADLIN(G)/WADLETON (Devonport, E Cornwall); GOULD (S Devon); CHAPMAN, HALL/HOLE, HORN (N Devon); BARRON, SCANTLEBURY (Mevagissey)...

          Comment


          • #6
            Where did you get the information that he was in the Essex Regiment? The reason I ask is because there is a London Gazette entry for 21st September 1915 which shows Henry Henley Healy to be temporary Lieutenant in the Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex) Regiment



            There is also some sort of record at The National Archives for Captain Henry Hinley Healy for the same regiment



            I've no idea what the record contains or how much it would cost to view
            Jackie

            Comment


            • #7
              With regards to HHH's military records, I'm not sure that Officers' records are on Ancestry - you may need to look instead at the National Archives site. (You need someone more knowledgable than me on military history.)

              I'm getting nowhere with Henry Folkner Healy, sorry - I wonder if he was Irish??

              Jay
              Janet in Yorkshire



              Genealogists never die - they just swap places in the family tree

              Comment


              • #8
                Well done Jackie - I tried The National Archives for Henry Henley Healy, to no avail - should have gone for less is more!

                Jay
                Janet in Yorkshire



                Genealogists never die - they just swap places in the family tree

                Comment


                • #9
                  His father's name was Henry Folkner Healy, commercial traveller.
                  Have you tried the more usual spellings for the way that name sounds? There are quite a lot, and not all in the same place alphabetically...
                  FALCONER
                  FAULCONER
                  FALKNER

                  That's almost certainly not comprehensive!

                  Christine
                  Last edited by Christine in Herts; 29-01-13, 23:33.
                  Researching: BENNETT (Leics/Birmingham-ish) - incl. Leonard BENNETT in Detroit & Florida ; WARR/WOR, STRATFORD & GARDNER/GARNAR (Oxon); CHRISTMAS, RUSSELL, PAFOOT/PAFFORD (Hants); BIGWOOD, HAYLER/HAILOR (Sussex); LANCASTER (Beds, Berks, Wilts) - plus - COCKS (Spitalfields, Liverpool, Plymouth); RUSE/ROWSE, TREMEER, WADLIN(G)/WADLETON (Devonport, E Cornwall); GOULD (S Devon); CHAPMAN, HALL/HOLE, HORN (N Devon); BARRON, SCANTLEBURY (Mevagissey)...

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    There is a Medal Card on ancestry for Henry Henley Healy, which says he was a Captain in the Essex Regiment.


                    The image shows that he applied for the medals (Victory and British) on 7-10-23

                    and then a notation that I do not understand ...........

                    E F g rtd df: 5-6-25
                    Addresses given for him were ................

                    St Monica
                    50 Whitegate Road
                    Southend on Sea

                    and


                    North View
                    Kelvedon Hotel
                    Brentwood
                    My grandmother, on the beach, South Bay, Scarborough, undated photo (poss. 1929 or 1930)

                    Researching Cadd, Schofield, Cottrell in Lancashire, Buckinghamshire; Taylor, Park in Westmorland; Hayhurst in Yorkshire, Westmorland, Lancashire; Hughes, Roberts in Wales.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Thinking about this over dinner (OH is out so I was eating alone ) ............. I wondered the following things ...............


                      could his birth have been registered under the name Henley?

                      You say the old family story had him as the child of an Irish actress ............. could he have been born in Ireland?

                      Could he have been fostered?




                      I did look for Henry Henley .............. lots of them :(





                      sylvia
                      My grandmother, on the beach, South Bay, Scarborough, undated photo (poss. 1929 or 1930)

                      Researching Cadd, Schofield, Cottrell in Lancashire, Buckinghamshire; Taylor, Park in Westmorland; Hayhurst in Yorkshire, Westmorland, Lancashire; Hughes, Roberts in Wales.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        How did a General Labourer in 1911 become a Captain just a few years later?????
                        My grandmother, on the beach, South Bay, Scarborough, undated photo (poss. 1929 or 1930)

                        Researching Cadd, Schofield, Cottrell in Lancashire, Buckinghamshire; Taylor, Park in Westmorland; Hayhurst in Yorkshire, Westmorland, Lancashire; Hughes, Roberts in Wales.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          There is a Henry F Healy on the 1901 census, he was born Ireland and is an Army Captain. Could he be Henry Henley Healy's father??????????

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Well done, Susan.

                            Following on from Susan's post (which shows Henry F Healy having a wife named Rebecca)this COULD be the same lady in 1911 - boarder, widowed, 61 yrs & 4 months, born in Limerick.
                            However, the people she was boarding with were ex-RN (I think I've previously come across a Rebecca Healy c1850 with a naval connection - it would have been in a pre 1901 census search.)



                            In 1901 Henry & Rebecca Healy had a visitor - Edith Coles, born c1879 in Colchester (army base location?)

                            Jay

                            ETA - hmmmmmm Sep qtr 1907, Portsmouth , death registration of Henry FRANCIS Healy, 59 yrs.
                            I suspect this could have been the husband of the widowed Rebecca in Portsmouth in 1911.

                            The question is, is this the same couple as recorded in the 1901 census for Woking St John (Knaphill)?

                            Jay
                            Last edited by Janet in Yorkshire; 30-01-13, 09:38.
                            Janet in Yorkshire



                            Genealogists never die - they just swap places in the family tree

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              1901 & 1911 census show eldest son of HHH & first wife Ellen - another Henry P born Chelmsford 1899 (birth recorded Q1 1899 Chelmsford, Henry Phillips Healy)

                              I think this would be the same Henry Healy, porter, born Chelmsford, who attested Aug 1914 at Kingston on Thames - Royal Field Artillery.



                              Jay
                              Janet in Yorkshire



                              Genealogists never die - they just swap places in the family tree

                              Comment


                              • #16
                                Originally posted by Janet in Yorkshire View Post
                                Well done, Susan.
                                ETA - hmmmmmm Sep qtr 1907, Portsmouth , death registration of Henry FRANCIS Healy, 59 yrs.
                                I suspect this could have been the husband of the widowed Rebecca in Portsmouth in 1911.
                                Oh drat! I think you are right, Jay, as the TNA has Service records for a Henry Francis Healey born 1849.

                                Comment


                                • #17
                                  Wow! What a fantastic response, and overnight too, I can't believe it!

                                  Janet in Yorkshire:
                                  Thanks, I didn't have that address in Thurrock, nor the birthplaces of my step-aunties (is that the correct term for my mother's step-sisters?). The details of HHH's father were from my parents' marriage certificate. You ask if he was Irish, and though I have no proof, there was a mention of it in family talk a long while back. His first son was named Henry but he was always called Tim, and I believe the name Tim Healy has Irish connections.

                                  Night Owl: Thanks for your welcome. He was listed as Capt, 2nd Btn Essex Rgt on my parents' marriage certificate. That's interesting about the Middx Regt. He must have worked his way up the ranks somehow. How do I found out if Captain Henry Hinley Healy was the same man as my grandfather? Do you think it was a typo? If I could find his army number I guess it would help.

                                  Christine: Thanks, shows my incompetence at searching!

                                  Sylvia C: Thanks. My researcher friend had found that Medal Card, but I've no idea what the notations are either. In my email to the Essex Regt Museum, I quoted them for reference.

                                  Susan H: According to my researcher friend, Henry F Healy was Francis, not Folker. He had a very chequered army career, moving around the world. Maybe he fathered an illegitimate son, HHH, and the name Folkner was a smokescreen?

                                  Thanks for all your help, I'll keep you updated.

                                  Tim

                                  Comment


                                  • #18
                                    The Index to Officers Files at the National Archives give HH Healy's regiments as 19, 57 and 44, ie 19 foot = 1st Yorks (North Riding), 57 Foot =Middlesex and 44th Foot= Essex. I think it has to be your man!

                                    As he was an officer, he won't have a Regimental number.
                                    The National Archives, Kew – Research Service Offered
                                    Contact me via PM on Family Tree Forum or via my personal website - www.militaryandfamilyresearch.co.uk

                                    Comment


                                    • #19
                                      I was hoping you might come along and share your area of expertise with us, Ann, and sort us out!.

                                      Jay
                                      Janet in Yorkshire



                                      Genealogists never die - they just swap places in the family tree

                                      Comment


                                      • #20
                                        Thanks Jay!
                                        The National Archives, Kew – Research Service Offered
                                        Contact me via PM on Family Tree Forum or via my personal website - www.militaryandfamilyresearch.co.uk

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