Missing dependant child on WW1 records.

[Chris in Sussex]

My Grandmother, Alice Susan Worwood, was born 1908 and I have a copy certificate issued in 1965. Father John Stone Worwood, mother Eliza Norris and I have their marriage certificate for 1894. Alice married my Grandfather in 1930 and her father was a witness.

The WW1 records for John show that he was in the army between 1883 through to his final discharge in 1916, but not continously. All the background info stacks up, next of kin first his brother, then married sister, then wife (to Eliza Norris with marriage details). I have no doubts I have the right John Stone Worwood (there was only ever one of them anyway!)

What I do have a problem with is that the number of dependant children listed are six with precise dates of birth and baptism ranging from 1899 to 1914 (1899, 1901, 1903, 1906, 1912, 1914) but no Grandmother Alice!!!

So....

Did a soldier have to provide birth and/or baptism certificate to have a child entered as a dependant? If so I suppose it is possible he had lost Alice's and that would explain why Alice had to apply for her own copy in 1965.

If not, then can anyone guess why Alice was excluded from the dependants listing?

I will add that I have gone through the thought process of John discovering that Alice wasn't his child and therefore didn't mention her but this doesn't stack up as he was happy to be a witness and named as her father on her marriage. Also John lived next door to daughter Alice after her marriage until his death in 1940 and my Dad (Alice's son) remembers they were very close.

Any thoughts appreciated.

[KiteRunner]

Well, I've just been reading a piece in our local paper's "Bygones" special where a reader wonders why his mother's birth certificate (she was born in 1904) has a Recruiting Office stamp dated 1917 on it, so your theory could well be right.

[Chris in Sussex]

Kite

Thanks for that.

It just amazed me that he managed to have his full marriage details (all details as recorded on the cert and not just the sort of info you would remember), 6 correct birth dates and 6 full baptism details (including officiating minister) but managed to 'forget' my Grandmother.

So it must have had something to do with proof.

I can just see him shuffling through all the various documents for the children in front of the administrator and muttering "mmm...Where's Alice?" and they wouldn't record her without it. I hope he had intended to remedy that at a later date but forgot!

If I didn't have everything else tied up 'tight' I would be left wondering if I had the right line

Thanks again

[Guest]

I have a rellies war records and it states two childrens names dates of birth and where born ,it also says Verified by Certificates and is signed by an officer
Funny thing is I cannot find the two childrens registration for those dates anywhere

[annswabey]

I've seen many records where the dates given by the soldier for childrens births, are wrong. Also, on my own Grandfathers WW1 record, it is actually marked that certificates for the births of some of the children, not all, were seen.

[Caroline]

Were the ones he listed only boys? I have someone who listed all the boys but not the girls - he had named his parents, all his brothers and no sisters.

[Guest]

mine is one of each, I cannot understand why they bother to say certs seen if they have not, its made it very hard for me .

[Janet in Yorkshire]

I think the army did need certificated proof of marriage and births, if non-garrison recorded events.

In one of the army records I downloaded, there is a letter from a member of the regimental pay corps to the regimental records dept:

" Herewith marriage lines & birth certificate of above man's wife and child. Please return direct to Mrs C at (address). Separation allce in respect of child is being adjusted."

Jay