Genealogy Chat

Another thought: Marjorie could be Margery. Rose

Worth a bash for sure. Thanks again Glen

If you're lucky there might have been an autopsy. I'm sure the results of that would reveal cirrhosis of the liver etc. Rose

I couldn't honestly say one way or the other. The Marjorie mentioned did keep tabs on him,and she knows he fathered at least twelve children,(but didn't know about me),and i have never spoken to her or had any contact. I do know the circumstances around his death (basically drink related,((he was an alcoholic and had been for many years)) he died where he fell,blind drunk).I doubt the cert would say as much though. Glen

Glen, Does the death in the Worksop area fit in with what you know? Rose

Thankyou and good thinking! I was going to apply for his army record,but i didn't have a birth or death date so couldn't do it.I only got the birth cert on Saturday and didn't look for a death entry.(Death cert required to prove death needed for army records anyway.) I'm just a bit bothered that the birth cert i have might be for the wrong James,but a lack of alternative births makes it look possible,based on the information i have. Glen

Have you thought about buying this death cert? Perhaps the informant's name will be of use? England & Wales, Death Index: 1984-2004 Record about James Townsend Name: James Townsend Birth Date: 12 May 1923 Death Registration Month/Year: Jun 1984 Age at death (estimated): 61 Registration District: Worksop Inferred County: Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire Volume: 8 Page: 1387 Rose

Re the paying membership I did try via GR some time ago with no luck,eventually i managed to trace the tree owner via the electoral roles and 'Friends Reunited'. I did speak to her on the phone but she has moved since and doesn't have the same e-mail addy from her GR days,or phone number. Based on what she said at the time she hasn't done the family tree thing,just wanted to find half siblings. Sadly i do not have current contact details for her Glen

Dismissing the abt 1924 as a 'guesstimate' year,and taking the fact that the 2 certs i have both quote John as father of James i believe the dob is 12/05/1923. I know his marriage cert is the correct one (15/12/1945) and quotes age as 22,still residing in Lincoln,although the marriage was in Middlesborough. If you name search James Townsend b1924 there is only one,(in this other tree) Glen

Glen, Even though Sheila is no longer a paying member she can still receive and respond to emails. Rose

Glen, Do you have a dob for James? Rose

Pippa I have pm'd you with some more details and names,(known reliies of James) which i don't wish to post on here. Hopefully you can see method in my search. Yeah i know what you mean about the Annie part of the equation,not really a great help at all is it. Glen

2 things Annie could be a form of anything and I had a birth cert specifying that a mother's maiden name was Daft but she married under her illegitimate maiden name of Screaton so that was a pain to sort out.

I have the marriage cert for James (1945) and a birth cert for a James born 1923,Lincoln.The name of the father matches on both certs,as does the occupation,so that looks hopeful. I haven't been able to locate a marriage cert for John Townsend to Annie Turner (the parents named on the birth cert). I have various Ann/Annie Turners and varied John Townsend marrige refs but none of them are for John to Ann/Annie. The nearest possible is John Townsend to Isabel A Turner in Greenwich Q3 1920,but i have gone back to 1912 (although Q2 on Ancestry is missing) No certs for Marjorie Townsend have been obtained. Glen

But we don't know if Marjorie is a legitimate birth do we? Also do you have the marriage cert of your father's parents?

In 1923 the districts came under 7a for Lincoln,7a for Gainsborough (noted as Gainsborough) and Newark came under 7b. Lincolnshire generally came under the 7a number,but had numerous districts,Lincoln district is relatively small,about a 8-10 mile radius The 1923 birth for James(i have the cert) indicates a legitimate birth,and is for Lincoln City itself. Glen

All depends where in Lincoln. At the moment the major hospitals are Boston, Skegness, Lincoln and Grantham or Nottingham. Newark also had a maternity wing. Although my mum lived in Newark I was born in Nottingham as I was a complicated birth. My dad's wife lived Ilkeston and had her baby in Nottingham. Not sure about 1924 though but what other refs could match except for the place and was it a legitimate birth?

None of the female births i have found have the middle initial of 'M',so if Marjorie is a real name then i don't know who it belongs too,and there are no Margaret births in the area. The only other James births are from much further afield,the nearest to Lincoln being Mansfield and Sheffield,after that it's the North East and South East. Glen

John (father to James from 1923 birth cert) is a general labourer,and still recorded as a labourer on the 1945 wedding cert (although he by then was deceased) I don't really fancy trawling the death index,but maybe there might be something in the district for the death that might be handy to know. I certainly can't place a John Townsend-Annie Turner marriage at the moment,(save for the Isabel A Turner mentoned in my other thread which was Greenwich in 1920) Glen

People were certainly very mobile in those days, even buying cars. Is there anything work related which may indicate a possible reason to move?