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Hot on Grandad's trail!

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  • Hot on Grandad's trail!

    I just wanted to share my excitement - and impatience...

    I have been trying to track down traces of my paternal grandfather who decided, when both his sons were very young, that he would prefer the single life in Canada rather than his married life (with risks of call-up to WW1) in England.

    I had identified the likely family in 1901 and worked my way backwards on this plausible foundation. I than managed to get more info when I realised that the rumour about him having gone to USA might mean he would show up on the SSDI (Social Security Death Index) - which he did. That index meant I was able to get both a copy of his (signed) application for a SS number and a copy of his death cert. The signature on the SS # application was a v close match to the signature on the registration of his marriage to my grandmother. The parents-info on the application matched my hypothetical pre-1901 family (which was encouraging) and his immigration info allowed me, on one of the occasions when Ancestry was letting people have access to the N America records as a treat (tempter), to track his immigration from Toronto. I had also got his appearance on the 1930 census - with a wife and stepson, and claiming to be on the way to being naturalised.

    I have been trying to follow up on the naturalisation papers for some time. I spent a lot of time and effort with USCIS in Washington with no result. My next attempt was to retain a professional researcher. I had thought that the naturalisation would have been 1930±2 - or ±5 at most. I should have guessed: it finally went through on 1 June 1939. I have applied to the National Archives and Records Administration in Chicago (Naturalization Records), using their online facility (https://eservices.archives.gov/orderonline), and I received an email yesterday to say the copy documents had just been shipped to me.

    The sample document on their site shows that the petition should show names and DoB and PoB of any family he might have had at the time. I might have American half-cousins somewhere! And it should have a photo on it, too. I'll get to know what he looked like! (I don't think that even my father knew that!) I want to know NOW!

    Christine

    see later for update post
    Last edited by Christine in Herts; 02-06-08, 19:21.
    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)...

  • #2
    ohh exciting! I can understand your frustration waiting for the post! if only they could scan and email a copy........

    Comment


    • #3
      i am so happy for you Christine,my grandfather was supposed to have died in Canada in the early 1920,s then my father was told he was in Australia,then i remembered someone tried to contact my brother from America looking for family here,but being the middle of the night he was half asleep so it didn,t register with him until the next morning
      to late he couldn,t trace them.Of course this was about thirty years ago.So you have done well. Molly

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      • #4
        wow that is great! make sure you tell us if it is him!
        Robyne


        Name interests: Alderton, Osborne, Danslow, Hanley, Bowkett, Lakin, Elliott, Banner, Walters, Reed, Deighton, Sleight, Dungar ;)

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Lensgirl View Post
          wow that is great! make sure you tell us if it is him!
          I'm as certain as poss that I've tracked down the right person.

          My grandparents' marriage was in 1911. I already had a transcribed copy of the cert and, when I explained that I wanted to be able to compare signatures, Sandwell RO was kind and helpful enough to send me a photocopy of that part of the register with the two signatures. Comparing the marriage signature in 1911 with the social security number application signature in 1936, I felt that the possibility of it being two different people was very remote: the letters still had the same shapes, slopes and joins. In fact the only significant difference was that he'd become "Leo K" instead of "Leonard". In 25 years I know my own signature changed far more than that.

          It's just so tantalising to think that I shall soon know what he looked like (subject to the limitations of passport-style photos) and whether there's likely to be any family in the USA.

          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)...

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          • #6
            Christine

            I am so pleased for you and hope that you will share whatever you find when you get the details!
            ~ with love from Little Nell~
            Chowns, Dunt, Emms, Mealing, Purvey & Smoothy

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Little Nell View Post
              Christine

              I am so pleased for you and hope that you will share whatever you find when you get the details!
              Try and stop me! :D :D

              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)...

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              • #8
                Originally posted by Christine in Herts View Post
                Try and stop me! :D :D

                Christine
                :DFantastic news Christine!!-- from all the work you have done a treasure is about to arrive!!-- I wish for a speedy mail delivery to your door.!!!!
                and look forward to hearing more!
                Pat
                Forever will be "digging" for ancestors -

                The new Gadd Family Tree--there are 6 highlighted family lines now! We are growing!!

                http://gaddfamily.tribalpages.com
                no password required.

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                • #9
                  How exciting!!!!
                  I’m no genealogist …
                  Until this year I spelled it “GeneOlogist!"
                  ;)

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                  • #10
                    What brilliant detective work Christine! And made all the better for such a great result. Did your grand parents get divorced or are your potential American cousins in for a bit of a shock?
                    Sue

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Sue from Southend View Post
                      What brilliant detective work Christine! And made all the better for such a great result. Did your grand parents get divorced or are your potential American cousins in for a bit of a shock?
                      Thank you for your kind words about my detecting skills!

                      My grandmother must have had my grandfather declared dead, I think, because she married a very respectable (and nice/good) man about seven years later, in Dec 1923. That's a bit of paperwork (if it still exists) I have yet to find. Sadly, she died in June 1927.

                      If he were telling the truth in 1930 (which would be mildly surprising, on previous evidence!) he married his lady-partner between 6 March and 1 April 1930, claiming to have been single. There's a different name as notifier of his death in 1967. If there is any more family in USA, I shall have to try to be tactful, because I seriously doubt that they would know about the English family.

                      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)...

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                      • #12
                        Oh wow, Christine - what a super success story AND a great example of exploring every avenue and NEVER giving up.

                        I am so pleased for you.

                        Jay
                        Janet in Yorkshire



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

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                        • #13
                          UPDATE Bulletin

                          The envelope arrived today - which I reckon is pretty fast for "standard" delivery! :D - but sadly the Petition for Naturalization in Michigan in June 1939 didn't call for a photo. FOILED! :(

                          But there's a little more info than we had before. He does mention a recent marriage and gives first names of his wife (better not give any details about her, because she could be alive and 92 - though possibly not still with the BENNETT surname), and a date and place for the marriage (25 Nov 1937, Sullivan County, Tenn)... if it happened. But then he called Ruth his wife in the 1930 census, and we haven't turned up anything there yet. At 1 June 1939 there were no children but, although he was "46" (a.k.a. 52!), his wife would still have been only 24, so they could easily have had children afterwards.

                          I must see if I can track down the paperwork for the marriage he admits to (or claims), and see if that gets me anywhere.

                          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)...

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                          • #14
                            Ahh sorry you did'nt get a photo Christine........but with the new info you recieved, i hope this gives you more to go on now - The best of luck !
                            Jacky

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                            • #15
                              So the "wife" in 1930 is different to the one in 1939 What a devil! It must be great to have someone so interesting to research and really get your teeth into (so to speak, lol)
                              Sue

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                              • #16
                                The notifier of his death, in 1967, was called May G Bennett. There appears to be a death record for someone of that name where the DoB is 1895 - so a possible third wife!

                                And yes, it is rather fun digging up the dirt. ;)

                                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)...

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