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No worries David- it's great to have a mystery to solve. I have a few things to catch up on, but if I get time I'll try and take another look at this.

On William's military record, Margaret's DOB is given as 1914- I suspect this is the same Margaret Fox born in 1912- I'll look later.

Austin

Once again, thank you so very much for your time and effort. You have helped several times before with my research and I am extremely grateful.

Cheers, David.

Oh very well done Austin.

I did search but I didn't find that Air Force record.

So we now have Barbara's death and son's William and Thomas death.

So what happened to Barbara's Husband William?

And Thomas was born 1918- which fits with the Thomas Fowler that died at sea!

First name(s) THOMAS
Last name FOWLER
Birth year 1918
Birth quarter 4
Mother's last name FOX
District CHESTER LE STREET
County Durham
Volume 10A Page 1072

I was a bit confused at first as Shirley put his birth in 1916 on page 1 on this thread

This is William's service record: Child's birth dates confirm above is correct!!

British Royal Air Force, Airmen's service records 1912-1939 Transcription

First name(s) William
Last name Fowler
Birth year 1891
Birth date ? ? 1891
Occupation Miner
Attestation year 1915
Attestation date 02 Jan 1915
Attestation age 23
Service number 139117
Marriage year 1914
Marriage date 08 Aug 1914
Spouse's first name(s) Barbara
Child's first name(s) Thomas
Child's birth date 15 Nov 1918
Child 2 first name(s) Margaret
Child 2 birth date 05 Mar 1914
Child 3 first name(s) William
Child 3 birth date 18 Sep 1915<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Archive reference AIR 79/1251
Next of kin first name(s) Barbara,Thomas,Margaret,William
Next of kin last name Fowler
Record set British Royal Air Force, Airmen's service records 1912-1939

Marriage is stated as 8th Aug 1914
Person to be informed of casualties: Barbara Fowler, 43 New Rows, Washington, Durham

I suspect the above is correct, despite the discrepancy in Barbara's age- however, I don't see a way of being certain without at least one of the birth certificates.

No Austin I haven't.

Wow, that's some leap in age for Barbara! I think the above is probably correct. David, do you have any birth certificates for Barbara or son William to confirm birth date?

Tree on Ancestry has Barbara Fowler dying in 1983 and William dying in 2000

?

1939 Register

Fowler Household (3 People)

4 East End Stainforth , Thorne R.D., Yorkshire (West Riding), England


Barbara Fowler 04 Jul 1886 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 5 1
William Fowler 18 Sep 1914 Male General Labourer Single 5 2
David J Owen 24 Jun 1903 Male Painter Building Trade Single 5 3



England & Wales, Death Index, 1916-2007

Name:William Fowler

Birth Date:18 Sep 1915

Date of Registration:Nov 2000

Age at Death:85

Registration district:Doncaster
Inferred County:Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire
Register Number:D60D
District and Subdistrict:0421D
Entry Number:161


England & Wales, Death Index, 1916-2007

Name:Barbara Fowler

Birth Date:4 Jul 1897

Date of Registration:Mar 1983

Age at Death:85

Registration district:Doncaster

Inferred County:South Yorkshire

Volume:3

Page:0453

Gosh how interesting and confusing!

Perhaps she moved right away?

I don't have access but wondered about this one?

Fowler Household Thorne R.D., Yorkshire (West Riding), England
Barbara Fowler 1886
William Fowler and 1 more person are on this record

So where did she go after Thomas' death??

I'm thinking that all the Barbara Fowlers listed in the articles at various addresses might be the same woman.

There is an article dated 1934 that confirms that the Mrs Barbara Fowler at Watson's Cottages had a William Fowler (the correct age to be her son) living at the same address:

Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette - Friday 19 January 1934

Jail For Coal Stealers
Sunderland Magistrates committed William Fowler (19) Watson's Cottages to jail for a month for coal stealing, this was his ninth appearance for theft.
---------------------------------

Looking at some of his other appearances it appears that the family moved around a lot. In 1932 William is listed at Margaret Street, Washington

1939 Register shows the following people living at 31 Ann Street, Sunderland

Joseph & Mary Viney, Thomas Viney
William & Jane Landers
Ralph H Thompson

Thomas death record (at sea) records his address as 31 Ann Street, Sunderland

Deaths at sea, 1781-1968 Transcription
First name(s) Thomas
Last name Fowler
Gender Male
Birth year 1919
Birth date 1919
Birth place British Sunderland
Death year 1939
Death date 2 Mar 1939
Age 20
Vessel name Royal Sceptre
Departure port -
County AT SEA
Series BT 334
Box 0093
Page 179

Interestingly the Barbara Fowler listed in the 1939 article for having no radio license, did have a son Thomas- according to another newspaper article he is a little younger than your Thomas- but still worth bearing in mind: EDIT- this is the correct Thomas (and is the correct age).

Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette - Friday 03 March 1939

Wearsider's fatal fall into Hold

Ship's Dash to Sanfrancisco
The Newcastle Steamer Royal Sceptre made a dash for San Francisco when a Sunderland member of the crew, Thomas Fowler (20) fell 25 feet in a hold and was seriously injured, but on the ship's arrival in port Fowler was dead. His body was landed for burial.

The Rev. Thomas Hardy, chaplain to Sunderland Missions to Seamen, broke the news to his mother, Mrs Fowler, at her home in Ann Street, Hendon today.

Mrs Fowler told the Sunderland Echo representative that she was expecting a letter this week from her son who left Cardiff 5 weeks ago for a voyage to Vancouver. He was 19 when he joined the Royal Sceptre at Sunderland in January last year. He was a native of Washington but came to Sunderland eight years ago and attended Hudson Road Council Schools

Thank you Gins.

Every little bit helps.

I don't have access to this record on Ancestry but I'm guessing someone else will

Name: Thom Barbara Fowler
Death: dd mm 1965 - location
Civil: date - location

Ooops, sorry it's a record already posted!

Ok, thank you Austin.

These are only suggestions that I'm throwing in- and moving to Scotland might explain why we can't find them- However, just browsing the newspapers there are references to a Mrs Barbara Fowler- nothing that confirms it's your Barbara.

Friday 13 January 1939 , Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette , Tyne and Wear, England
NO RADIO LICENCE Mrs Barbara Fowler, of Ann Street, Hendon, was fined 10s at Sunderland Police Court to-day for working radio set without licence. ..

Tuesday 27 October 1936 , Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette , Tyne and Wear, England
SUNDERLAND MAN WHO STOLE PURSE
to-day, in binding over Revill Feorcn (22), of Summerhill, for stealing a purse containing 15s 6d. the property of Mrs Barbara Fowler, of 10 Salem Street.

Wednesday 14 February 1934 , Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette , Tyne and Wear, England
DOCTOR CALLED IN
The woman had moved about to various places, and was in Easington Lane last November. Mrs Barbara Fowler, living in Watson's Cottages,
-------------------------------------

Despite these references to Mrs Barbara Fowler, I don't see any Barbara Fowler of any age living in Durham on the 1939 register?