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Mary I've just got in and read your research, THANK YOU so much for taking the time to find my rellies, i know how long that must have taken you. (i was up until 6am this morning trying to find other rellies) Again, i really can't thank you enough. I will tomorrow look at all the research you have kindly done for me and let you know what i find out. Many many thanks Annie xx

Just looked at the service records again - in the militia record (1936), David Davison Crooks says he was born in Sunderland, England, but in the WW1 record (1915) he says he was born in Wallsend, Newcastle, NSW. His father's address is hard to read, but it looks like 27 First Street, Horden, Eng., and David says he was an apprentice at Horden colliery, so I guess he must have put down his current address by mistake instead of his place of birth.

Hm, the plot thickens. No David Crooks born in NSW between 1890 and 1900, but there are these entries in FreeBMD: Marriages Dec 1893 Crooks David Sunderland 10a 905 Davison Mary Sunderland 10a 905 Births Jun 1895 Crooks David Sunderland 10a 677

1901 England Census about David Crooks Name: David Crooks Age: 5 Estimated birth year: abt 1896 Relation: Son Father's name: David Mother's name: Mary Gender: Male Where born: Selkiworth, Durham, England Civil parish: Sunderland Ecclesiastical parish: St Columba Town: Sunderland County/Island: Durham Country: England Street address: Occupation: Condition as to marriage: Education: Employment status: View image Registration district: Sunderland Sub-registration district: Monkwearmouth ED, institution, or vessel: 15 Neighbors: View others on page Household schedule number: 69 Household Members: Name / Age / Relation to head of family David Crooks, 38, head Mary Crooks, 31, wife David Crooks 5, son Elizabeth Crooks 1, daughter Wilfrid Crooks 5 months, son Elizabeth A Joyce, 12, niece

Hi Annie, I suggest you have a read through the WW1 service record for David Davison Crooks, because on page 20 there's a certified extract of his marriage in 1918 to Jane Morris Nixon, daughter of Matthew Nixon. I haven't had a good look at the rest of it, because it runs to 46 pages. I'll leave that pleasure to you :-)

Hi Many thanks for taking the time to do the look ups for me, sorry i've not been online, we had another power cut (oh the joys of living in the mountains of Spain) Anyway, i don't think i have explained myself just reading through the replies i have had. Both Jane Morris Nixon and her husband David D Crooks were both born in Sunderland, Durham, England and both moved to Australia at some point in the early 1900's either with their children (if born in the UK) or moved out together and had their children in OZ. I hope this makes sense, i 've only read through the replies very quickly and i have to go out now, but will be back on line this evening. Again many thanks for taking the time to help me Kind Regards Annie

Haven't found a marriage for Joyce, but there's a Mona Joyce Crooks who died aged 52 in 1977 that might be her: http://www.rootsweb*com/~nswsdps/dpsindex.htm (replace asterisk with dot) Can't find a death for Jane, but I suppose she may have remarried after David died. The NSW index only shows marriages up to 1956.

I think I've found a marriage for his son: David Matthew Crooks married Sheila Mary Ryan in Hurstville, NSW in 1945. David Matthew Crooks also appears on the NAA site I linked to above: CROOKS DAVID MATTHEW : Service Number - S5150 : Date of birth - 27 Mar 1922 : Place of birth - CLOVELLY NSW : Place of enlistment - SYDNEY NSW : Next of Kin - CROOKS DAVID His service record's online. You won't find his birth online, because NSW births only go up to 1906. Can't see a death for him either, but they only go up to 1976.

He died in Hurtstville, NSW in 1960: http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/Index/IndexingOrder.cgi/search?event=births I've had a quick look for the others in NSW, but I can't see them. I originally thought it might not be the right person, because he was in Australia in 1915 and gives his father as next of kin, but I see that there's an update on the service record, showing Mrs J M Crooks of 137 Hastings St., Sunderland as his wife, so he must have got married at the end of the war before being sent back to Australia.

There are two service records online for David Davison Crooks, born Newcastle NSW in 1895 (probably the same person): http://www.naa.gov.au/The_Collection/recordsearch.html One's his WW1 service record, the other's a militia volunteer's record. There's also a reference to a court martial in 1918.

Hi, i wonder if anyone can help me. I have a family who moved to Australia in the early 1900's and wondered if you would be able to find their deaths? JANE MORRIS CROOKS (nee NIXON) b.1892 Sunderland, she married DAVID D CROOKS in Sunderland 1918. They had 2 children called MATTHEW (Mattie) CROOKS and JOYCE CROOKS but i dont know if the children were born in the UK or Australia. Many Thanks, Annie