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Good afternoon.

I am looking for the correct father for Jack Bell born 12th April 1921 in barracks in Wellington, Nadu India - his father, William, was in the Lancashire Fusiliers. MMN Rigg. (Family Search)

Based on that information, I found the marriage of his parents - William Bell/Annie Rigg in 1915 in Ravensthorpe.

William's address is given as : Whittington Heath, Lichfield and he is a Cpl in the 13th LF. His father is stated as John, a Grocer.

I found what I thought was William's correct family in Blackburn - John and Betsy (nee Ormisher) but now not so sure.

I would appreciate some clarification on this please. Thanks.

Sorry, but it isn’t entirely clear whose father you are trying to identify, as Jack’s father is named on his birth cert

You haven’t said how old William was when he married Annie

In 1891 John Bell, Tea Dealer, born Scotland and Betsy, were living in Blackburn

In 1901, they were still in Blackburn, with sons William and James

Ditto, 1911, plus a daughter. Both sons ‘assisting in business’

1921, daughter is ‘adopted’

Two earlier births for Bell/Rigg in Dewsbury district

……………the elder of these was awarded the B.E.M (military) in 1946

One also in Leigh district, which is the district where Elding Bell’s death was registered, although that is probably sheer coincidence

The younger of two born in Dewsbury district died in Leigh district in 1919

If you can find Williams birth reg ( try freebmd) you can then register on the GRO for free and get the mothers maiden name.

The one born in Leigh was Albert who died in WW2 (1944), son of Captain William Bell and Annie, of Leigh

He is buried in Leigh

The service record for William would probably be the most useful document

Sorry, I should have been a little more specific.

It is Jack's father, William, whom I would like clarified please.

These are the other children of William and Annie.

Elding Bell
1916-1999

William Loudon Bell
1918–1919

Albert Bell
1919–1944

Audrey Bell
1921–?

The Leigh connections are all correct.

There has been a suggestion that William was actually William Loudon Bell born August 1893 and who was a Major in the LF. If that is so, why wasn't the name Loudon on the marriage cert?

I eventually gave up on that and searched for a William who had a grocer as a father!

Freebmd and gro have been scoured several times.

Hope this helps. Cx

Please would you edit your last post to remove all the ‘white space’

:-) :-)

Find the birth reg on the GRO, to get MMN

Where did you get the name William Loudon Bell for the father? No birth reg in that name on freebmd

Not everyone gave a second name on marriage - I have several "proven" marriages where middle names were not included for bride/groom or both. Maybe it depended on how the question was asked.

INFO......for helpers

BELL, JOHN CORRY ORMISHER
GRO Reference: 1895 S Quarter in BLACKBURN Volume 08E Page 400
BELL, WILLIAM ORMISHER
GRO Reference: 1891 S Quarter in BLACKBURN Volume 08E Page 359
BELL, JAMES ORMESHER
GRO Reference: 1893 J Quarter in BLACKBURN Volume 08E Page 396

1911 Census For England & Wales
168 Shear Brow Blackburn, Blackburn, Lancashire, England

John Bell Head Married Male 49 1862 Tea dealer and general draper Maxwelltown Kirkcudbrightshire
Betsy Bell Wife Married Female 50 1861 Assisting in business Blackburn Lancs
William Bell Son Single Male 19 1892 Assisting in business Blackburn Lancs
James Bell - Single Male 17 1894 Assisting in business Blackburn Lancs
Gladys Bell Daughter - Female 9 1902 School Blackburn Lancs
Annie Haggerth Servant Single Female 25 1886 General domestic Crook Westmoreland

The father's birth

BELL
JOHN
CORRY (MMN)
M
1861
882 / 110
Troqueer


Marriages Sep 1890 (>99%)
Bell John Blackburn 8e 779
Ormisher Betsy Blackburn 8e 779

Deaths Mar 1896 (>99%)
Bell John Corry 0 Blackburn 8e 258

William gave his age as 22 when he married on 12th June 1915

Witnesses not named Bell

White space removed. Apologies.

The name William Loudon Bell and the date of birth was given to me by a family member.

There are several babies with the name William Bell born in the 3rd Q of 1893.

I checked the Bell/Ormisher William born 1891 on a military site and was told this:

Please note- this is NOT your William, he appears in 1939 war register in Blackburn with this dob., and has followed the career of that of his father and brother James.

I will plod on. Thanks for your help. Cx

Birth:

BELL, WILLIAM LODON mmn RIGG
GRO Reference: 1918 M Quarter in DEWSBURY Volume 09B Page 771


Death:

BELL, WILLIAM LOUDON 1
GRO Reference: 1919 M Quarter in LEIGH Volume 08C Page 443

ADDED:
Ah, I see - it's the father you want to know about, possibly of the same name .

Jack was born 1929 and Audrey in 1921. On her birth record William is R A M S, Lancs Fusiliers.


Is this another daughter?

First name(s) Iris Ann
Father's last name Bell
Last name Bell
Mother's first name(s) Annie
Birth year 1923
Archive reference N-1-468
Birth date 23 Apr 1923
Folio 261
Baptism year 1923
Catalogue description Parish register transcripts from the Presidency of Bengal
Baptism date 10 May 1923
Record set British India Office Births & Baptisms
Place Nowshera,Christ Church
Presidency Bengal
Country India
Father's first name(s) William, C Q M S, 2nd Battn, Lancs Fusiliers

Audrey's death. She died of enteritis. Father was B Q M Sergt Bell 2nd Battn Lancs Fusiliers

First name(s) Audrey
Country India
Last name Bell
Archive The British Library
Birth year 1922
Archive reference N-1-461
Age 7M
Page 217
Death year 1922
Catalogue description Parish register transcripts from the Presidency of Bengal, : 1713-1948
Death date 20 Apr 1922
Record set British India Office Deaths & Burials
Year 1922
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Burial date 20 Apr 1922
Subcategory Parish Burials
Place Nowshera
Collections from Great Britain, UK None
Presidency Bengal

The above Iris in 1939.

1939 Register
21 Grange Street, Leigh, Leigh M.B., Lancashire, England

Household members (7 people)
First name(s) Last name(s) Birth date Sex Occupation Marital status Schedule Schedule sub number
John Loudon 04 Feb 1886 Male Master Grocer Married 180 1
Bertha Loudon 17 Oct 1884 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 180 2
William Loudon 29 Mar 1911 Male Dental Mechanic Single 180 3
John Loudon 17 Oct 1917 Male Grocer's Assistant Single 180 4
Kathleen Haydock (Louden) 26 Sep 1915 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Single 180 5

The record for this person is officially closed.
>>Iris Bell 23 Apr 1923 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Single 180 7

John Loudon

1911 Census For England & Wales
12 Grange Street Leigh, Leigh, Lancashire, England

Household members (4 people)
First name(s) Last name Relationship to head Marital status Sex Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
John Loudon Head
Married Male 25 1886 Grocers assistant Lanc Liverpool
Bertha Loudon Wife
Married Female 26 1885 - Lanc Leigh
- Loudon Son
- Male 0 1911 - Lanc Leigh
Maggie Hilton Visitor
Single Female 29 1882 Monthly nurse Lanc Atherton