Unconfigured Ad Widget

Collapse

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Mickthesparks.

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Mickthesparks.

    I have spent 25 years trying to break down a wall without success,I am now 75 years old & desperate to know where my father came from & indeed where he went, my mother was Lily Bishop born 1894,she married a Thomas Froggatt in 1919 in Chalford,Nr Stroud Glos, they had 3 children,William born 1922,in Trowbridge,Wilts, Tamar born 1920,living Froggatt 1925 all born in Trowbridge,apparently then the marriage broke up & Thomas Froggatt moved out in late 1920's we think,then she later met my father a John Harrison,all we know about him is that he was a signwriter,born about 1902(dont know where)& he met our mother in Trowbridge,the marriage to Thomas Froggatt was NOT dissolved ,& John Harrison never married our mother,although they had 4 more children,living Harrison born 1931 at 9 Gt Porch,Devizes,John Harrison born 1933 also at Gt Porch and myself Michael Austin Harrison born 10/1/1935 at 13 Roseland Ave,Devizes as well as looking after the 3 Froggatt children,and lastly Richard born same place 1936,sadly after the birth of Richard,our Mother died leaving myself as a 18month old child as well as all the others,the Froggatt children were cared for by friends in Stroud,but the Harrison children were placed in Barnardos,who promptly split us all up & sent us to many different places including my sister going to Canada,after much searching we have fopund all of the children of both partnerships & the surviving ones are in touch with each other,however how on earth can I find where John Harrison came from & went too,HELP PLEASE.
    Last edited by Mickthesparks; 19-10-10, 12:13. Reason: Living persons changed except myself all others are deceased.

  • #2
    Welcome to Family Tree Forum.
    I have moved your thread over to our Research Qs and As forum where hopefully some of our members may be able to offer advice.
    We do not allow details of living people to be published on the forum. Could you confirm whether the people you have mentioned are all deceased. If not, could you edit your original post by clicking on EDIT POST and then making the necessary amendments.

    Elaine
    (Admin)
    Elaine







    Comment


    • #3
      Welcome to FTF. I do hope someone can find the key to unlock this problem.

      It's certainly a challenge. Many of the obvious routes for discovering more about him are closed to you:
      1] There's no marriage certificate, to give you an age, an address, a confirmation of his occupation, his father's name & occupation.
      2] His name is not uncommon.
      3] No middle name to narrow him down amongst the crowd.
      4] The dates are too late for using the 1901 and 1911 census very effectively, unless you can get more info.

      You certainly seem to have done well between you to achieve as much as you have already.

      I shall mull this over and come back if I can think of anything useful.

      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


      • #4
        Have you contacted Barnardos to see if they have your file? I don't know how much information about your father it would contain, though.

        Last edited by Mary from Italy; 19-10-10, 02:09.

        Comment


        • #5
          Do the friends in Stroud know what happened to John Harrison after your mother died? Did he continue to live in the same house? You could check the electoral rolls (which should be available in the Devizes library) to see who lived at that address, but unfortunately they weren't kept during the war years.

          Comment


          • #6
            Assuming the year of birth is roughly accurate, it doesn't look as though he was a local man. The only John Harrison born in Wiltshire between 1900 and 1905 was born in Salisbury, but he died in infancy.

            Comment


            • #7
              Hi - any luck in finding telephone books for that time frame..I wonder in what name it may have shown (if they had a phone) and also give you an idea as to when they were first at 9 Gt Porch, Devizes. I don't know the area, was Gt Porch to do with Great Porch House? I didn't find too much googling Gt Porch or Great Porch otherwise. Also, and not meaning to sound personal, if your mother was born in 1894, and 1902 is accurate, 8 years difference, although not a huge gap, is interesting. How did you hear that your father was born around 1902? Do you know if your brother John had a middle name? By the way, I think it's great that you've managed to find all the siblings.
              Last edited by naomiatt; 19-10-10, 08:08.

              Comment


              • #8
                Have amended as required.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Whilst you are correct in almost everything ,we do i9n fact have confirmation that John Harrison was a signwriter as it gives the occupation of father on all birth certificates which we have,also we have found him listed in Devizes Directory.Please try to help if you can.Thank you Michael

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Mickthesparks

                    Originally posted by Mary from Italy View Post
                    Have you contacted Barnardos to see if they have your file? I don't know how much information about your father it would contain, though.

                    http://www.barnardos.org.uk/fosterin...onnections.htm
                    I do have the files on the family from Barnardos Making Connections,they have been helpful but have given me all we have which is practically nothing on him.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Yes we have tried this already,he apparently had an accent which one said was London & another said was Midlands ,not much help really,the year of birth is from Barnardos records which said he was 34 when Mother died in 1936.Please keep thinking.Thanks Michael

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Hi thanks for your interest,yes we have tried telephone directories no luck,but remembering that John Harrison was keeping 7 children I doubt they had a phone.Yes Gt Porch was part of Gt Porch House,which is partly still there I have visited it has been restored beautifully,my parents house was no 9 Gt Porch which were a series of courtyard type small cottages 2 up/down with an outside scullery built at the rear of the main house,the cottages are demolished & under a roundabout now but one of the scullerys has survived. Barnardos informed us that John Harrison was 34 when Mother died in 1936,(they gave me all our files no further info in).no I know that John did not have a middle name as I have his birth certificate,& in fact after 40 years separation I traced him & we were great friends until sadly he died in 2003. Hope you can come up with some more ideas look forward to more replies,thanks Michael.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Unfortunately no they dont know more although they did provide us with photos of my father & mother,unfortunately most of them have now passed away.Love you to think of more ideas thanks Michael

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Mickthesparks View Post
                            I know that John did not have a middle name as I have his birth certificate,& in fact after 40 years separation I traced him & we were great friends until sadly he died in 2003.
                            Do you mean you have John Harrison's birth certificate? If so that will tell you where he was born and who his parents are and we might be able to find him on the 1911 census. Sorry if I have misunderstood.

                            Anne

                            Oooops! Sorry I have misunderstood!

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Anne in Carlisle View Post
                              Do you mean you have John Harrison's birth certificate? If so that will tell you where he was born and who his parents are and we might be able to find him on the 1911 census. Sorry if I have misunderstood.

                              Anne

                              Oooops! Sorry I have misunderstood!
                              Ann, I think this refers to the brother John Harrison born in 1933.
                              Margaret

                              Comment


                              • #16
                                Do you have your mother's death certificate? Just wondering if that might have something on it that could help.
                                Margaret

                                Comment


                                • #17
                                  Have you tried searching the 1901 and 1911 censuses for men with the surname Harrison whose occupation is signwriter or sign writer, just in case he inherited the trade from his father?

                                  Comment


                                  • #18
                                    I have tried the commonwealth wars graves commission website in case your father died in WW2 but there are a lot of John Harrisons born about 1902 so maybe you could check the site yourself and see if any middle names ring a bell even though he didnt use one?
                                    Angelina

                                    Comment


                                    • #19
                                      Another thought he may have been officially a 'John' but known as 'Jack' - hope this helps in your searches.
                                      Angelina

                                      Comment


                                      • #20
                                        Does it say anything in your files about him giving permission for you all to be sent abroad?

                                        What about a letter to the local paper, asking if anyone remembers him or the family. Someone will remember him as a signwriter, I'm sure.

                                        OC

                                        Comment

                                        Working...
                                        X