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My Great Grandfather, John James Forsyth was born on Gordon Street off Netherfield Road, Everton in Liverpool in March 1890. He worked as a carter on the Docks, married in 1911, had a family of four, served in the War and died of leukaemia in 1921 aged just 31. As such, I know very little about him or, indeed have any inkling of what sort of man he was. I also lack any photographs of him.
What I do know is that he had two sisters – Ann Jane born in early 1888, and Florence Jessie Forsyth born in the Summer of 1892. The family – including parents Thomas William (also a carter) and Sarah Ann Simon - lived in and around Everton from around 1890 (although I have not been able to find them on the 1911 census).
Upon reaching adulthood, Ann appears to have married (John) Henry Rowlands in the Spring of 1906, and Florence seems to have married Henry Williams (a flour miller and son of a man of the same name and a mother named Mary Ann) in early 1911.
In 1911, Florence and Henry are living on Torr Street in a terrace named ‘Rock View’. There were no children listed in the 1911 census, but several do appear over the following years born to ‘Williams’ and ‘Forsyth’. I have not yet been able to ascertain if these are ‘my’ Williams and Forsyth children or not: Henry (Mar 1912), Mary A (Dec 1912), Florence (Mar 1914), Ann J (Jun 1916, died young), John J (Sep 1919), Esther (Mar 1922), Thomas (Jun 1925), George (Sep 1927). The dates of the births might intimate that Henry Williams fought in WWI. As yet, I have found no record of this.
As for Ann, although she is living on Bostock Street in the 1911 census with husband Henry, there are again no children shown by this time. Likewise, none appear in the BMD indexes.
What I’m looking for is some sort of idea of what happened to Ann and Florence and Florence’s children. My hope is that by tracing some surviving descendants that I’ll be able to get some idea of what Ann/Florence or even John were like.
But I'm not really sure where to start when one goes past 1911. Can't really afford to buy up all of those birth certs to make sure they are Florence's kids and even if I did, there's still 80-odd years between those births and today...!
Help...!
What I do know is that he had two sisters – Ann Jane born in early 1888, and Florence Jessie Forsyth born in the Summer of 1892. The family – including parents Thomas William (also a carter) and Sarah Ann Simon - lived in and around Everton from around 1890 (although I have not been able to find them on the 1911 census).
Upon reaching adulthood, Ann appears to have married (John) Henry Rowlands in the Spring of 1906, and Florence seems to have married Henry Williams (a flour miller and son of a man of the same name and a mother named Mary Ann) in early 1911.
In 1911, Florence and Henry are living on Torr Street in a terrace named ‘Rock View’. There were no children listed in the 1911 census, but several do appear over the following years born to ‘Williams’ and ‘Forsyth’. I have not yet been able to ascertain if these are ‘my’ Williams and Forsyth children or not: Henry (Mar 1912), Mary A (Dec 1912), Florence (Mar 1914), Ann J (Jun 1916, died young), John J (Sep 1919), Esther (Mar 1922), Thomas (Jun 1925), George (Sep 1927). The dates of the births might intimate that Henry Williams fought in WWI. As yet, I have found no record of this.
As for Ann, although she is living on Bostock Street in the 1911 census with husband Henry, there are again no children shown by this time. Likewise, none appear in the BMD indexes.
What I’m looking for is some sort of idea of what happened to Ann and Florence and Florence’s children. My hope is that by tracing some surviving descendants that I’ll be able to get some idea of what Ann/Florence or even John were like.
But I'm not really sure where to start when one goes past 1911. Can't really afford to buy up all of those birth certs to make sure they are Florence's kids and even if I did, there's still 80-odd years between those births and today...!
Help...!
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