Some of you may remember my grandfathers story from 10+ years ago. But if not, here is the epic tale...
"The family story about my grandfather is a little vague, as he once said that he didn't want to talk about his early life.
He maintained that his mother was an Irish singer who had a fling with an army officer and was so keen to keep the name NOLAN that he named all his three children with it.
JOHN NOLAN was born in Manchester on 14th October 1906, and his birth was never registered (verified from statutory declaration), then he was left with Rachel Shore / nee Howarth / nee Holt at 8 Albert Royd Street as a baby, Rochdale. He was raised by Rachel until her death.
Surprisingly, in the 1911 census, John NOLAN, wasn't called Nolan at all, he was listed as John HOPKINS, adopted, born in Manchester - another mystery which is yet to be answered.
When Rachel died, John went to live with her son, Samuel, and daughter in law, Gertie, for a short time and they moved out of 8 Albert Royd Street, round the corner to Dover Street. At some stage between Rachel's death and 1918, John Nolan went to live with Rachel's daughter, Sarah Ellen and her husband Arthur Swain at Roch Street. This was the address given on the statuary declaration paper we have, signed by Arthur Swain in 1918.
At around the age of 12 (approx 1918) his birth mother came to collect him and took him back to Manchester so he could work and bring money in for her. She had another male child at this stage, so John had a half brother.
John had other ideas and returned to Rochdale to the family who had brought him up, and at this time we know that he was 'adopted' by Sarah Ellen and Arthur Henry Swain.
We assume that his mother, must have known the adoptive family, as she knew where John was living after 12 years, and are convinced there must have been a family link to the Howarths.. why else would John Nolan be taken in, then passed from Rachel, to Samuel and finally to Sarah Ellen.
My quest is to find my grandfather's true roots and his connection to Rachel, and to see how true the story about the singer and army officer really was?
c. 2004 - I did find (through the great people on this forum) descendent of Rachel in Rochdale and they remember my grandfather so we know that the 1911 census when he is listed as John HOPKINS, it was him!
c. 2006 - After finding some descendants of Rachel, we did a Y chromosome DNA test on a male Howarth descendent and one for my Uncle. On my uncles results, I have found a match with the Manchip family, coming from Somerset with a descendent from James O Manchip b.1846 Bridgwater, Somerset d.1915 Edinburgh and Alice Spencely b.1841 Bloomsbury, London d.c.1915. Am trying to find a Manchip that was in the army around Jan/Feb 06 either in Ireland or Manchester area.
c.2019 - I recently did my own DNA sample with Ancestry and found two 3rd cousins (or more likely, 2nd Cousin 1x removed) both through their NOLAN line. Both have a common ancestor, John Nolan b. 23 July 1875 Hong Kong, China d. 12 Jan 1935 Manhattan, NY, USA. They also both have his father as Thomas Nolan b. 1833 Ireland (although i cannot see any verification for the father), with two wives, the first Sarah Armstrong, mother to the younger Thomas, then a second Sarah, who is mother to Michael and Elizabeth (who I think may be my gt. grandmother).
Young John was in the armed forces (from the age of 14) and his number was 3485 in the Connaught Rangers, joining in Galway in 1889.
So after 30 years of searching for my lost Gt. Grandfather and Gt. Grandmother, I am now pretty sure the 'story' was true. I now have Manchip as John's father and Nolan as his mother. I now just have to zoom in and get the right ones!"
I am really looking for help to verify the link to father, his second wife and my gt. grandmother.
"The family story about my grandfather is a little vague, as he once said that he didn't want to talk about his early life.
He maintained that his mother was an Irish singer who had a fling with an army officer and was so keen to keep the name NOLAN that he named all his three children with it.
JOHN NOLAN was born in Manchester on 14th October 1906, and his birth was never registered (verified from statutory declaration), then he was left with Rachel Shore / nee Howarth / nee Holt at 8 Albert Royd Street as a baby, Rochdale. He was raised by Rachel until her death.
Surprisingly, in the 1911 census, John NOLAN, wasn't called Nolan at all, he was listed as John HOPKINS, adopted, born in Manchester - another mystery which is yet to be answered.
When Rachel died, John went to live with her son, Samuel, and daughter in law, Gertie, for a short time and they moved out of 8 Albert Royd Street, round the corner to Dover Street. At some stage between Rachel's death and 1918, John Nolan went to live with Rachel's daughter, Sarah Ellen and her husband Arthur Swain at Roch Street. This was the address given on the statuary declaration paper we have, signed by Arthur Swain in 1918.
At around the age of 12 (approx 1918) his birth mother came to collect him and took him back to Manchester so he could work and bring money in for her. She had another male child at this stage, so John had a half brother.
John had other ideas and returned to Rochdale to the family who had brought him up, and at this time we know that he was 'adopted' by Sarah Ellen and Arthur Henry Swain.
We assume that his mother, must have known the adoptive family, as she knew where John was living after 12 years, and are convinced there must have been a family link to the Howarths.. why else would John Nolan be taken in, then passed from Rachel, to Samuel and finally to Sarah Ellen.
My quest is to find my grandfather's true roots and his connection to Rachel, and to see how true the story about the singer and army officer really was?
c. 2004 - I did find (through the great people on this forum) descendent of Rachel in Rochdale and they remember my grandfather so we know that the 1911 census when he is listed as John HOPKINS, it was him!
c. 2006 - After finding some descendants of Rachel, we did a Y chromosome DNA test on a male Howarth descendent and one for my Uncle. On my uncles results, I have found a match with the Manchip family, coming from Somerset with a descendent from James O Manchip b.1846 Bridgwater, Somerset d.1915 Edinburgh and Alice Spencely b.1841 Bloomsbury, London d.c.1915. Am trying to find a Manchip that was in the army around Jan/Feb 06 either in Ireland or Manchester area.
c.2019 - I recently did my own DNA sample with Ancestry and found two 3rd cousins (or more likely, 2nd Cousin 1x removed) both through their NOLAN line. Both have a common ancestor, John Nolan b. 23 July 1875 Hong Kong, China d. 12 Jan 1935 Manhattan, NY, USA. They also both have his father as Thomas Nolan b. 1833 Ireland (although i cannot see any verification for the father), with two wives, the first Sarah Armstrong, mother to the younger Thomas, then a second Sarah, who is mother to Michael and Elizabeth (who I think may be my gt. grandmother).
Young John was in the armed forces (from the age of 14) and his number was 3485 in the Connaught Rangers, joining in Galway in 1889.
So after 30 years of searching for my lost Gt. Grandfather and Gt. Grandmother, I am now pretty sure the 'story' was true. I now have Manchip as John's father and Nolan as his mother. I now just have to zoom in and get the right ones!"
I am really looking for help to verify the link to father, his second wife and my gt. grandmother.
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