I cannot find any trace of my maternal grandfather, William Ward, after 1919, and am hoping some of you detectives out there can shed some light on him! I'll give details of what I know, and have confirmed with documentary evidence.
William: Born: 21 Feb 1878 Liverpool
Baptized: 'William' 10 Mar 1878, St Sylvester's Liverpool
Parents: Thomas Ward (1850 - 1896) Margaret Downey (1856 - )
Lived at home up to 1901 Census
Occupation: Driller in Shipyard
Marriage: (as Francis Ward!) 22 July 1903 to widow Ellen, late Dennison, formerly Corcoran
Copy of Marriage Certificate in my possession. Witnesses: John C.E. Whale & Ellen Murphy
(Wife, Ellen, already had a daughter, Margaret Annie, from her first marriage to James Dennison, 1899.)
William's Children: James, William, Ellen (my mother), Mary.
So far so good - except I have no idea where the name Francis comes from! Now the real conundrum begins.
In September 1915 I have him signing on to join the Irish Guards, he's 'William' here, and his age is 36 yrs and 1 month. Ellen and all 5 children are back home in Everton, Liverpool, whilst he goes off to Caterham in Surrey!
On the Short Service Attestation, in answer to the question 'Have you ever served in in any branch of His Majesty's Forces?', he replies, 'yes, 4th K L R (V13) T E'. I have done a lot of searching on this, and I think the initials stand for 'King's Liverpool Regiment'. The 'V' probably relates to 'Volunteer', but beyond this I haven't a clue as I cannot find him anywhere.
I have in my possession a photocopy of a document certifying that 'according to the Register of Marriages kept at the Church of Our Lady Immaculate, Everton. William Francis Ward, son of Thomas Ward, and Helen Dennison(Corcoran) dau. of James Corcoran were Married at the said Church, by the said Rev. on 22 July 1903 in the presence of John Whale and Helen Murphy, and given this day 1st October 1915'
I wonder why he needed this - to get a quick discharge from the Army, perhaps, for he had only signed on in early September?
Sadly on 14 November 1919, my Grandmother Ellen (Helen) died from a post-operative gastric ulcer. William's name is on her Death Cert. and he is living back at their Everton address.
My mother and her sister were placed in Nazareth House, Crosby, nr. Liverpool, on 2 Feb. 1920. According to Mum, they were told some time later that their father had been killed from a fall into a dry dock - he was a shipyard driller and worked on ship construction. I have received some information from the Nazareth House Archivist in Hammersmith that in their Address Book of children's relatives, their parents were recorded as William Ward and Helen Murphy (a witness at his Marriage!) There is no Visitors Book, so they could not tell me if William ever visited his daughters. The two boys, had been sent to live with an Uncle. What happened to William really, I wonder?
My mother left Nazareth House in August 1925, and was placed into 'Service'. In 1928 she moved to another family where she looked after three children - I have photos of her with these children, which she always treasured. It was from this family's address that she set off to her Marriage in 1933. On her Marriage Cert. her father's occupation is given as Labourer, but 'Deceased' is not written under his name - yet Mum had been told years before that he had died. Was this omission of 'deceased' usual?
I have searched for his date of death to no avail - there are so many William Wards it's difficult to pin him down, but I'm hoping that now you've waded through his history as far as I know it, someone out there will point me in the right direction, as you've so kindly done before!
Thanks for your patience.
Angela
William: Born: 21 Feb 1878 Liverpool
Baptized: 'William' 10 Mar 1878, St Sylvester's Liverpool
Parents: Thomas Ward (1850 - 1896) Margaret Downey (1856 - )
Lived at home up to 1901 Census
Occupation: Driller in Shipyard
Marriage: (as Francis Ward!) 22 July 1903 to widow Ellen, late Dennison, formerly Corcoran
Copy of Marriage Certificate in my possession. Witnesses: John C.E. Whale & Ellen Murphy
(Wife, Ellen, already had a daughter, Margaret Annie, from her first marriage to James Dennison, 1899.)
William's Children: James, William, Ellen (my mother), Mary.
So far so good - except I have no idea where the name Francis comes from! Now the real conundrum begins.
In September 1915 I have him signing on to join the Irish Guards, he's 'William' here, and his age is 36 yrs and 1 month. Ellen and all 5 children are back home in Everton, Liverpool, whilst he goes off to Caterham in Surrey!
On the Short Service Attestation, in answer to the question 'Have you ever served in in any branch of His Majesty's Forces?', he replies, 'yes, 4th K L R (V13) T E'. I have done a lot of searching on this, and I think the initials stand for 'King's Liverpool Regiment'. The 'V' probably relates to 'Volunteer', but beyond this I haven't a clue as I cannot find him anywhere.
I have in my possession a photocopy of a document certifying that 'according to the Register of Marriages kept at the Church of Our Lady Immaculate, Everton. William Francis Ward, son of Thomas Ward, and Helen Dennison(Corcoran) dau. of James Corcoran were Married at the said Church, by the said Rev. on 22 July 1903 in the presence of John Whale and Helen Murphy, and given this day 1st October 1915'
I wonder why he needed this - to get a quick discharge from the Army, perhaps, for he had only signed on in early September?
Sadly on 14 November 1919, my Grandmother Ellen (Helen) died from a post-operative gastric ulcer. William's name is on her Death Cert. and he is living back at their Everton address.
My mother and her sister were placed in Nazareth House, Crosby, nr. Liverpool, on 2 Feb. 1920. According to Mum, they were told some time later that their father had been killed from a fall into a dry dock - he was a shipyard driller and worked on ship construction. I have received some information from the Nazareth House Archivist in Hammersmith that in their Address Book of children's relatives, their parents were recorded as William Ward and Helen Murphy (a witness at his Marriage!) There is no Visitors Book, so they could not tell me if William ever visited his daughters. The two boys, had been sent to live with an Uncle. What happened to William really, I wonder?
My mother left Nazareth House in August 1925, and was placed into 'Service'. In 1928 she moved to another family where she looked after three children - I have photos of her with these children, which she always treasured. It was from this family's address that she set off to her Marriage in 1933. On her Marriage Cert. her father's occupation is given as Labourer, but 'Deceased' is not written under his name - yet Mum had been told years before that he had died. Was this omission of 'deceased' usual?
I have searched for his date of death to no avail - there are so many William Wards it's difficult to pin him down, but I'm hoping that now you've waded through his history as far as I know it, someone out there will point me in the right direction, as you've so kindly done before!
Thanks for your patience.
Angela
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