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Should I start a new thread?

This has been so helpful to me that I've decided to return to the well for more.

George's Army file contains a huge surprise - his marriage in 1898 to Jane Elizabeth Knight. (January 21, 1898, Alverstoke - thanks for this Gins)

When he was married in 1913 in Toronto, the form requires one's status - widower or bachelor - and his status is "bachelor".

My question is - what happened to Jane? And are there any Bennetts running around as a result of this union?

Priceless! That made my day!!

Maureen

:-D :-D :-D

I have only 3 mementos of GEB that I found in my parents house when we cleaned it out 4 years ago. One is a service medal from the Canadian Army. The second is an Orange Lodge sash from the Toronto Chapter. The third is a photo of his Canadian Army troop which I assume was taken shortly before being sent to Europe. There are 37 soldiers in the photo. Thirty-six are looking at the camera. One soldier has a hat on slightly crooked and is staring off to the side. Yup - that's him.

LOL!!!!

Maureen

A demotion to boot! Ouch. I've always been a nature guy in the nature/nurture debate. This is giving me an insight into what I went through in the early 1990's when my sons were teenagers. It is all George's fault.

Yes he was promoted to sergeant in May 1899 and then demoted (for leaving his post) in Jan 1901 to corporal

Then he was appointed sergeant in May 1903 and in April 1904 reduced to corporal for absence from parade

Seems he was a right little character ;-)

Hi Fred

Have another look through the service records because I think I remember reading that he was demoted for something or other...I may be getting confused with someone elses records?

Thrilled to get the discharge papers from MaureeninNY.

Looks like this guy was quite a character. His attestation papers in Canada claim he rose to Sgt in the British Army whereas his discharge papers in 1904 list him as a 2nd Corporal. His marriage affidavit says he was a bachelor and that he lived in Toronto since 1902. Neither of those seem to be true. Add to this his commanding officer's assessement that his conduct and character were only "fair" (what is the evaluation scale?), and we seem to have someone who was lucky that there were no computerized records to check.

Gins and MaureeninNY - you are great. It is a delight for me to learn about this man. He died before my father was 2 years old and so he had no first hand knowledge to pass along.

Fred

True,Gins. And she could have come from a military family as well which makes it tougher.

1901 census transcription details for: Shorncliffe Camp, Cheriton & Sandgate
RG number: RG13 Piece: 851 Folio: 71 Page: 2

Reg. District: Elham Sub District: Folkestone
BENNETT, Jane Wife Married F 25 1876
Kensington
London
BENNETT, George Head Married M 30 1871 Soldier
Aldershot
Hampshire


Wasn't sure if that had been posted.

Mo

Good grief, he seemed to have more records than HMV

Without the marrige certificate I doubt that we can pin down the first wife?

Hi Gins,

I sent the first 3 pages of his record from FMPast. They are from his discharge in 1904. I don't see them on Ancestry?

They show his new adult signature which is identical to the one on his Canadian attestation. He also grew 4 or 5 inches since age 15!

Just received a nice PM from Effross.

No idea about Irish citizenship but he was certainly born in Aldershot.

I wonder what happened to wife number one?

Best,
Maureen


:-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

Mo I sent the service records over a couple of days ago!

They say he is born Aldershot (first page at the top) and signs up in Dublin. Now I might be being thick here......

Im taking that he was born in England and assumed Irish citizenship due to him living there?

You need the birth certificate (detailed posted earlier)

Well,it would help if he were consistent about his age!!!

I'm sending you (via PM) the first 3 pages from Find my Past of this record:
British Army Service Records 1760-1915

First name(s): George

Last name: BENNETT

Calculated year of birth: ?

Parish of birth:

Town of birth:

County of birth:

Age at attestation: 34 years 1 months

Attestation date:

Attestation corps:

Attestation soldier number:

Discharge rank: 2nd Corporal

Discharge corps: Army Service Corps

Discharge soldier number: 6491

The National Archives reference: WO97 / 4345 / 102

There are 2 really good examples of his signature. They look identical to the one on his Canadian Attestation form.

Good luck!

Maureen

I'm a little confused (maybe even more than a little). Perhaps it is my inexperience in reading the census and other records.

My grandfather listed his birthplace as Dublin on his WWI attestation papers and his marriage affidavit but I don't see that in the above material.

Anecdotally, my father was told of him marching in the Orange parade in Dublin and of the risk that carried. My inference is that he was an adult in Dublin as well.

I have ordered his army file from the Canadian government - perhaps there may be some clues there about where he spent his early life.

Perhaps that file may also clear up his birth year. His attestation papers say 1871 but his marriage and death certificates confirm 1876 as does a letter I have from the Dept of Veterans Affairs.

Thank you for your patience - perhaps I should have done a little more on my own before coming here.

Well...because we dont know your name we call you 'OP', meaning 'opening poster'....the person that started the thread

Glad to elp (Help)

Thank you all for your assistance and the amazing amount of material that has been posted.

What is an OP? I must admit to a certain degree of befuddlement with many of the terms, short forms, acronyms and geographical references. Of course, that is why they invented Google. I should mention that I am no stranger to befuddlement - it is a constant companion.

Good oh.......nice suprise then for when OP finishes partying ;-)

Hi Gins,

I wouldn't be surprised if the Farnham one were him.

Yes,the cert can be ordered from the GRO with the ref I gave. I think you tick the box that says "overseas" or something. I'd look but my internet is working sooooo slowly today.

Mo

Well that seems to have solved that little problem then!

OP Pmd me to say he is in a hotel celebrating his anniversary and cant wait to get back to look at the info we've found

Mo would that GRO birth in Farnham be the same as you posted above and can you send for the birth certificates using the details you posted?