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Hi, I’m stuck in trying to find my Dad’s father who is not registered on his birth certificate, he was born 1921. Before his passing in 1996 he told me the name of his father, my problem being I wasn’t researching family history then… and now can’t remember which he told me but I associated the name with my nephew Matthew and my Dad’s Aunt living in Roberts Road.
My Dad was born in Lincoln ( I’m guessing my grandma went there to have him as she was a widow and her sister lived there) but we are from Leicester.
The story went that my grandma wouldn’t marry him because he had lost a leg in the war… I also thought he had a factory in Leicester… My grandma worked in a cigar factory., not sure if any connection. Any suggestions as to where I can go to find out more information would be appreciated. Thank you for reading.

Helpers are going to want to know as much information as possible:
Dad's Date of Birth, Full Name, Siblings Names, Places of Birth for Siblings, Dates of Birth for Siblings, Known Addresses etc

-If Dad was born after after 19th June, 1921 Register may be useful
-1939 Register
-Other family trees
-Electoral Registers
-if you have an address, it can be specifically researched on FMP on Census years
-Military records- you Dads siblings, if he had any born prior to WW1, could be listed as child dependants on their father's Service record

This seems very familiar……………………

??????

John Henry Rowe, DoB 4 May 1921,,mother Susannah

Sorry, but if not named on birth cert, very little chance of identifying the father

Yes, familiar to me too - but the previous thread seems to have been deleted.

I agree - if father wasn't named on the birth cert, there's no way to find out who he was.
A "father" may be named on his marriage cert , for instance, but that's not proof.

In 1921 John Henry Rowe is in Lincoln with Eunice May Lambert 1908, Cyril Edward Lambert 1905, Eva Gladys Lambert 1879, George Edward Lambert 1880, Ida Emily Lambert 1906, Sarah Lambert 1877, Thomas Philip Lambert 1903, Susannah Rowe 1879, and 1 other person.

His birth is registered as Rowe, with mmn Rowe - so if his mother was a widow as you suggest, she must have registered him under her maiden name and not her married name - unless her husband was also named Rowe. [ ADDED: And apparently he was - marriage below. ]

ROWE, JOHN HENRY mmn ROWE
GRO Reference: 1921 J Quarter in LINCOLN Volume 07A Page 1003


??? - change of occupation by 1939??

Susannah Rowe
in the 1939 England and Wales Register
Name Susannah Rowe
Gender Female
Marital Status Widowed
Birth Date 7 Jun 1879
Residence Date 1939
Address 44 Cranbourne Street
Residence Place Leicester, Leicestershire, England
Occupation Hosiery Machinist
Line Number 34
Schedule Number 100
Sub Schedule Number 1
Enumeration District Rebz
Borough Leicester
Registration district 407-1
Household Members (Name) Gender Birth Year
Susannah Rowe Female 1879


???
Susannah Rowe
in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915
Name Susannah Rowe
Spouse Surname Rowe
Registration Year 1913 [1913]
Registration Quarter Jul-Aug-Sep
Registration district Leicester
Inferred County Leicestershire
Volume 7a
Page 525
Records on Page (Name)
Charles Rowe
Susannah Rowe

The mother was a cigar maker in 1901………..ONLY

By 1911, her occupation was completely different (Hosiery industry). And in 1921 she was on Home Duties, having only recently given birth

Susannah Rowe was single in 1901 and 1911, living with parents

What are the exact details on your father’s birth cert?

Now able to C&P

Rowe
John Henry
04/05/1921
1996
England & Wales Deaths 1837-2007
Leicester, Leicestershire, England

John Henry Rowe died 2 Feb. 1996 and Cremated 8.2.1996 aged 74 at Gilroes Crematorium, Leicester

Entry on Deceased online site. Basic search details but you can buy vouchers in multiples of £5 to look at the Cremation Register Scan. This will give you his Address at time of death and the name of the person applying for the cremation.

https://www.deceasedonline.com

That may well have been the OP………his daughter

Full transcription re info found and posted by AG

1921 Census Of England & Wales
11, Grafton Street, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England

George Edward Lambert Head Male 1880 40 Bicker, Lincolnshire, England Wheelwright Clayton & Shuttleworth Ltd, Engineers
Sarah Lambert Wife Female 1877 44 Aylestone, Leicestershire, England Home Duties -
Thomas Philip Lambert Son Male 1903 17 Aylestone Park, Leicestershire, England Tool Fitter Clayton & Shuttleworth Ltd, Engineers
Cyril Edward Lambert Son Male 1905 15 Aylestone Park, Leicestershire, England Teacmeal School -
Ida Emily Lambert Daughter Female 1906 14 Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England - -
Eunice May Lambert Daughter Female 1908 13 Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England - -
John Henry Lambert Son Male 1913 8 Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England - -
Eva Gladys Lambert Daughter Female 1879 42 Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England - -
Susanaah Rowe Visitor Female 1879 42 Leicester, Leicestershire, England Home Duties -
John Henry Rowe Visitor Male 1921 - Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England

Sarah Lambert was Susannah's sister (as Linda knows):

George Edward Lambert
in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915
Name George Edward Lambert
Registration Year 1903 [1903]
Registration Quarter Jan-Feb-Mar
Registration district Leicester
Inferred County Leicestershire
Volume 7a
Page 240
Records on Page (Name)
George Edward Lambert
Sarah Rowe

Thank you for all your replies.
Yes, I think I had asked previously a long time ago but hoped more information may have been available by now.
My grandmother married her second cousin so her name remained Rowe. And yes, her sister lived in Lincoln so guess she went there to have my Dad being widowed but a single woman. My Dad was an only child unless his biological father had children.
It was a long shot but I was hoping someone could throw some light on where I could go to research Matthew Roberts/Robert Matthews particularly if he had lost a leg during the war… I guess it’s not meant to be. :-(

The only slight chance would be to trawl WW1 military records on FMP, but 70% of them were destroyed, so the odds are very much against you.

I don't see any service records for a Matthew Roberts or Robert Matthews with an obvious connection to Leicestershire - but the majority of WW1 records have not survived.


In the 1921 census, there are:

Robert Matthews, 1882, living in Ratcliffe on the Wreak - married with children.
He's a farm labourer in 1911 and 1939.;

Robert Matthews, 1850, in Leicester; a coalman in 1911.

Robert Harry Matthews, 1889, son of the above, living in Leicester;
He married in 1923. In 1939 he was an "advertisement sign erector".
He's not with his parents and siblings in 1911.
I don't see any definite service record for him, but he would have been of the right age.

Matthew Audley Roberts, 1874, living in Leicester with wife and children.
(Interestingly he died in Argyll, about 25-ish miles from here.)
Hosier & outfitter in 1911.


ADDED:
IF (BIG IF) Robert Harry Matthews was John Rowe's father - that could account for John's middle name of Henry.

This link mentions previous articles about cigar factories.

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/history/mum-hand-rolled-cigars-now-1607843

May be a main library or archive in Leicester might have more information.

Have you considered the National Archives?

British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force disability and dependents’ pensions from the First World War
"These records cannot be viewed online and to see them or even to simply search for them you may need to visit The National Archives at Kew. However, in most cases you can at least make a start online by searching for document references in our catalogue. If you find references you can pay for copies of the records to be sent to you but you will not be able to view the records beforehand unless you visit us.

To find references, click on the record series links in this guide and follow the search instructions provided. In some instances the only way to search is to browse through the records one by one."

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/disability-dependents-pensions-first-world-war/

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/discovery-help/searching-for-records-using-discovery/

Records within the National Archives,which you must be registered and signed in to, to access their Discovery online catalogue.

MH 106- Ministry of Health. The records include admission and discharge Field
Ambulance units and Casualty Clearing Stations-

PIN26- The Ministry of Pensions files

Fold3
Post what I find

Found this chap with association to Leicestershire who had leg amputation

Full Name
Matthews, Robert Arthur

Address
Gilmorton, Lutterworth, Leics

Disability
GSW Right leg (amp)
GSW Left leg
GSW Left Elbow


Discharge Date
17 Nov 1920

Service Number
15999

Pte
Regiment 7 Leicesters

Service Branch
Military (Army)
Year Range
1914 - 1926
Reference Number
7 MM 42_498117
Document Number
7/MM/No4287
Archive Location
London, England
Archive Name
Western Front Association
Conflict Period
World War I
Served For
United Kingdom
Roll Name
47361_478^07MM^^4200

Another card records address as : Ashby Magna Lutterworth
Widow : ALICE 24/04/67

The above man was a Labourer when he enlisted
Married Mary Elizabeth in 1900 and had fathered four children with his wife by 1911

1921 Census Of England & Wales
Ashby Magna, Lutterworth, Ashby Magna, Leicestershire, England
Mary Elizabeth Matthews Head Female 1871 50 Ashby Magna, Leicestershire, England Home Duties -
Mary Elizabeth Matthews Daughter Female 1900 20 Flecknoe, Warwickshire, England Hosiery Mender Mr Hurst
Lionel Arthur Matthews Son Male 1901 19 Flecknoe, Warwickshire, England Under Gardener Mr Cott Ashby Magna, Kendall & Co
Violet Phoebe Matthews Daughter Female 1904 16 Flecknoe,
Warwickshire, England Umbarella Mender Umbrella Manufacturer
Matilda Helen Matthews Daughter Female 1911 9 Ashby Magna


Robert was in hospital in LEEDS in 1921.