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I think Nellie went to SA when she found herself pregnant, because her brother Harry had already emigrated there with his wife Connie - perhaps some moral support at a time when naughty pregnancies were not the done thing! Dont know why she came back to England though and returned again so quickly - this was a long voyage by ship (about 3 weeks I think) so to do that 3 times within 12 months there must have been a pretty big reason

Hilary if you want to investigate getting JWJ's military records in England you can send me a private message and I can recommend a private researcher, as I say, that may be your best and maybe only course for finding information about JWJ's age, family, address etc.

Thanks for the info Chrissie this is going to be so helpful to me- when you said you had a rellie I thought you meant it was JWJ!

I live in the UK so the internet is my best bet for gathering info although I will perhaps try to get copies as you did.

It looks as if Nellie was a naughty girl doesn't it!!

Well, in all times and places there have been independent girls, and abused and exploited girls, too, we'll never know what was the case for most of our female ancestors who were in this situation, I fear! Was my great granny who was a housemaid in the 1800s in love with the young master or did she have to endure his unwanted attentions to keep her job? She kept her daughter and lost her job it seems.

If you find that the documents you want in SA are not held by an archive as obliging as the one I encountered then what they will do is recommend private researchers in SA who will get copies for you.

I really do recommend trying Kew for his early military records because it will tell you where he enrolled, who his next of kin was and their address, what his occupation was, what his birthdate was ............ at least the one record I got did say all that.

Thank you all so much for your wonderful help - this has really got me on the road to finding out so much more about my Pop!

Hilary

Just thinking...........have you asked for a search WW1 ancestry (I do not have access) It may be the case that having been a former serving soldier he would have passed into the reserves with the possibility of being re-called........worth a try.......though not sure how that would have worked with him being in SA.

Annx

A maybe for a medal card, same reg as the Boer War chappie.

This is from the National Archives which you can download for £2.00 It details medals awarded.

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Image details

Description Medal card of Newby, John William
Corps Regiment No Rank
York and Lancaster Regiment 14/854 Private

Date 1914-1920
Catalogue reference WO 372/14
Dept Records created or inherited by the War Office, Armed Forces, Judge Advocate General, and related bodies
Series War Office: Service Medal and Award Rolls Index, First World War
Piece Mill J - Nolan P
Image contains 1 medal card of many for this collection


Number of image files: 1


Image Reference Format and Version Part Number Size (KB) Number of Pages Price (£)

I am one who has Ancestry, if Hilary wants to send me an email address by personal message I can save the medal card image from Ancestry and send it to her by email.

I had a look ... it says he enlisted 10.3.15 and was discharged 5.6.17

it also says cause of discharge

0.0.265 off 1)
20.1

is I think what it says but I don't know how to interpret that

the medals are the standard ones

Victory
British

but look what else Ancestry has, his service record

No 854
Newby John Wm
3 Belmont Yard
Hoyland (Ancestry has transcribed it as Hayland)
35 years 342 days on 10th day of March 1915 at Barnsley
occupaton miner
married
never served in any branch of His Majesty's forces ??

wife's name Florence Annie Stacey
formerly Stacey? hard to read
married Sheffield 4th June 1900

six children

so it doesn't look like this is the same person as JWJ

this one matches the age at enlistment

Births Jun 1879
Newby John William Darlington 10a 26

Hello Chrissie & Hilary,

Just popped on to see any more developements, def not him is it, wonder if the Boer War "story" is correct, you would think so.......hard to believe he would have set out for SA.......as opposed to the usual Canada USA etc.

Annx