Genealogy Chat

I am having trouble finding a birth for my g grandfather, John W Sparrow Preston, Sparrow being a middle name. I have found his Death in 1955, and he was 75 when he died, so that would make his year of birth approx 1880, I am not too sure where in the country he was born. All i know is that he served as a staff sergeant in the army in ww1 and was living in Brighton when he died. This one is driving me mad as i thought i had found him and his parents as susannah sergeant and Abraham Sparrow Preston, However to my dismay after ordering their Birth and Marriage certs, i have found that the years do not match.So now i am back to square one. Any help will be thankfully recieved. Julie

I think your best bet is to try first to find his marriage....the cert will give you his father's name and occupation, thus making the search for him on censuses less 'hit and miss'.......... Reg

Hi reggie, thats the problem... he did not marry my g grandmother, They lived togeather and it was only when my g grandmother died, that this bit of info came to light, I think they knew a nosy little great grandaughter was going to try and trace the family tree, and decided to make it as difficult as possible....

Oh dear................. Any chance that he was awarded any sort of medal during his wartime service? Reg

Hi Reg, I really do not know, i do know that he lost a leg during the service, but that is about all. I have looked on the national archives, but thre are so many Prestons, i have no idea where to start....

These two must be related somehow.... Births Dec 1847 PRESTON Edward Sparrowe Lambeth 4 233 Births Sep 1867 PRESTON Abraham Sparrow Wolverhampton 6b 502

Hi Tracy, I am not too sure, as i have Abraham's birth cert and he was illigitimate, his mothers maiden name was Preston and from the wolverhampton area... But i will check out edward as there may be a possible link to my John... fingers crossed!!!! Julie

nudge...I'm still searching but still no luck... i feel like i am losing the plot.. :(((((((((

Where were his children born? Do you know what the W stood for? Rose

Hi P Rose, I assume that W might stand for William, but not 100% sure. He was living with Sarah Meeds nee Sawyers in Luther street Brighton from approx 1916. His Children were John S Preston, Catherine S Preston, Guy S Preston, Arthur S Preston, and Beatrice S Preston. Some of the children were registered in Meeds. Sarah also had two other children from her previous marriage, I think Edward and Leslie also a possible Valentine.. Julie

Hi Julie, Found Sarah Catherine's marriage to Edwin John Meeds in 1907 in Steyning. Rose

I did a search for John Prestons born in Sussex and this came up: Name: William John G Preston Year of Registration: 1879 Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec DISTRICT: Steyning County: Sussex Volume: 2b Page: 293 Also in Steyning. Apart from the G it almost fits. Looks like he married Sarah Lower: Marriages Jun 1909 LOWER Sarah E. Preston 2b 761 PRESTON William John G E. Preston 2b 761 Rose

Hi P rose, thanks for your help, Sarah was married to Edwin meeds, he was a Private in ww1 and killed in action, However She was never married to my Great Grandfather John Sparrow Preston.So that is why i am having such difficulty in finding any info for him. My Mum says that he was from Leicester and my Aunt says he was from Northampton, so i have no idea where to start as there are so many Prestons. The only clue is the Sparrow Preston, I found his Death, But Just can't find a birth, His Death is registered in Brighton as John W S Preston 1955 Dec Quarter. Also sorry it has taken so long for my reply, my bb is playing up and having to use dial up and it is sooooooo slow..... Julie x