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Is anyone going to the Family Records Centre in Richmond, London. I am trying to locate the whereabouts of my ggf Ernest Thomas Paterson and his wife Emma Paterson (nee McKewan) between 1903 & 1908. I know that at the time of his marriage in 1903 to Emma, he was serving with the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. I have been unable to locate Ernest on 1901 census for England or Scotland nor can I find Emma McKewan on any Census' either. Her parents were John and Annie McKewan (nee Laing) The marriage of Ernest to Emma took place 1903 at Stirling, Scotland and I know he served in WWI from 1914-1920, but where he was from time of marriage to joining the war effort, I have no idea. I have been advised by one of the Registry Offices, that the Family Records Centre may hold records of Service Personel when serving abroad. Don't know how true this is though. Here's hoping someone can help. Kind regards Jackie

WW1 service records are held at National Archives, Kew. You'd be lucky to find your mans records, as many don't survive. Have a look at the Documents online part of their site. Your Paterson seems to be listed under the medal cards, which you can downloadfor £3.50. This will just give you details of the medals he received, regiment, service number. I could have a look at Kew the next time I go, to see if his service records are there. Let me know if you'd like me to.

Further to my last message. Have looked on the Commonwealth War Graves site, and there is a Ernest Thomas Paterson, of the right regiment,son of John and Annie Darwin Paterson of London, and husband of Annie E Paterson, also living London. When he was killed in WW1, he was 37. Have a look at the site. Do you think this is him?

Hi Ann, thanks for your reply. Your 2nd message has me a little confused i.e although the parents names are correct, the marriage details I have for Ernest is that he married Emma McKewan. I suppose this could have been her middle name i.e her mother's name was Annie, but would she not have had to give her full name for the marriage? The other problem I have is that I had assumed Ernest had survived the war as, on my gm's marriage certs. (she was married twice), she had his occupation as Chartered Accountant i.e assumed he went into this occupation after he left his regiment. As per my original message, I can't find Ernest on 1901 either England or Scotland so wondered if he was abroad at this time. I have his medal card which I downloaded the other day. Could you have a look for me at Kew when you next go anyway, just to see if you can confirm anything. Something else I have just thought of is that, on my gm's marriage certs. 1933 & 1940, it does'nt show her father Ernest Thomas Paterson as being deceased. It may well be, that I have been barking up the wrong tree and that there is another Ernest Paterson somewhere on the planet that I need to be looking for. Looks like I may have to go back to the drawing board. What do you think? Kind regards Jackie

Yes, it does seem very confusing! Are the service records you downloaded, for Regimental Number 4/9330?, as, if so, this is the same person as on the Commonwealth War Graves site, who died in 1916, aged 37. Whether this is your Ernest, I don't know! Does the age of 37 tie in with what you know of him? Seems strange that parents have the same names. Also, could Annie have been his second wife? Or perhaps Emma was just known by the name Annie? Will look for him at Kew for you when I next go.

Hi again Ann. I have literally had to start from scratch with my ancestry as my mother grew up in an orphanage so I had only been able to gather information from her full birth cert. My original search started with my grandmother Ena Darwin Paterson who, according to her death cert. was born Feb 1908, but I have been unable to find her birth record anywhere. It was only by chance that a gr member, Maureen, had a look at her middle name as being a clue to her parentage etc. On my gm's 1st marriage cert. it gave her father's name as Ernest (a chartered accountant), but on her 2nd marriage cert., it gave his name as Ernest Thomas Paterson. Maureen found a connection with the Darwin name i.e found an Ernest Thomas Paterson whose mother's name was Annie Darwin Paterson, married to John Paterson. The age for Ernest Thomas Paterson that you found on the Commonwealth site would tie in with his year of birth i.e 1879, but as I mentioned in my previous reply, I am now thinking I've been barking up the wrong tree with this particular Ernest as there is no detail on either of my gm's marriage certs. to suggest that her father was deceased. Regards Jackie

The name Darwin as a middle name seems so distinctive that it seems likely that Ena was connected to this family,so perhaps the fact that him being deceased was not mentioned on her marriage cert was just down to either her not mentioning it, or perhaps she didn't know that he was dead. Could he have left his wife and children before1916, and they didn't know of his whereabouts? Where have you looked for her birth record? Did you look a few years either side of 1908? Of course, if service records are available at Kew, that should answer the questions. Let's hope they are!

Just one tip Dont assume that because it didnt say on the marriage cert that the father was deseased, that he was still alive. I have found that it can say deseased when if fact they were very much alive and the reverse, it may look as though they were alive, when they died many years peviously. Its all down to what the people marrying told the person filling out the details. In fact on one cert I have there is no name against the brides fathers name, suggesting she was illegitimate. I know for a fact she wasnt. He had died when she was 11. I can only assume that when asked for her fathers name, she said that she didnt have one. Margaret

Hi again Ann, yes I have search 1837 Online from 1917 when I thought my gm may have been born as this would have been the earliest date she could possibly have given birth to my mother i.e my mother was born in 1931, right back to 1881. No Ena Darwin Paterson anywhere. So I have no idea where she was born only where she was living at time of my mother's birth i.e Penzance, Cornwall althought she went to Essex to give birth to my mother, so I wondered if she had family living in this area or whether she was sent as far away as possible from her residence as she was unmarried. I do know that she gave birth to my mother at a private maternity hospital known as The Hall, Great Bentley, Essex. I have checked these indexes a dozen times over to be sure I didn't miss her anywhere. I can find no Ernest Thomas Paterson listed on any census record in the Cornwall county. I am going to make a trip to Penzance during the half term hols to check their local census records etc., but would still be grateful if would have a look at Kew for me when you go. Kind regards Jackie

Had another thought. Perhaps Ena could have been born abroad, if her father was in the Army? There's a Regimental Index of births at Kew covering the right years, so will have a look on that.

Hi Margaret, thanks for the tip. As on one of my previous messages to Ann, I thought Ena's father was still alive as she gave his occupation on both marriage certs. as Chartered Accountant. If the Ernest Thomas Paterson who died in battle in 1916, was her father, I can't see how he could have had another occupation other than a military one as he was married in 1903 aged 24. This would definitely been his 1st marriage and when he died, he was still in his regiment i.e Arygll and Sutherland Highlanders. Although I don't know where he was at the time of the 1901 census (I have checked both England & Scotland for this) I can only assume he was serving/stationed abroad at the time of the census' being done. In a way, I am hoping he is the right Ernest as I have just spent a whole load of money ordering Birth and Marriage certs. for him and his next of kin. Regards Jackie

Hi again Ann, I did check all available indexes abroad that are available on 1837 for Ena, but please do check for me anyway. Kind regards Jackie

Will check the index for you. Have you ever looked for the births of any siblings for Ena? Perhaps after 1912, when mothers maiden name would be in the index, so you would know it was the right one? If in fact it is the right one!

Hi again Ann, no, I haven't done that yet. I would take it I would have to look up all names alphabetically with the surname of Paterson??? Regards Jackie

Yes, you'd have to go through the index for all Patersons. After 1912 (not sure which quarter), mothers maiden name is given alongside the entry.

Hi
Has the records office in Clerkenwell closed?
Are all BMD now accessable from Kew?

do you mean the record centre at middleton strreet

Its not closed but no longer has the big GRO ledgers

They are stored at Kew but not on open view. They are in storage and not accessible

Many sites now have the gro records so big ledgers have been mothballed