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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: Jane0601 on Tuesday 10 June 08 21:02 BST (UK)

Title: Can you identify this cap badge?
Post by: Jane0601 on Tuesday 10 June 08 21:02 BST (UK)
Not sure if this is the correct area for this, feel free to move if it should be somewhere else....


We're trying to identify the uniform on a family photo and wondered if anyone could help.

This is what we know (admittedly not a huge amount!)

The woman in the photo, we think, is my nan's aunt (family 'legend' is that its the aunt she was named after).  She was born in 1886 in Poplar.  There is a photographers name on the embossed at the bottom of the postcard, Geo. A Laver, Thornton Heath.  I have located a George A Laver in Croydon/Thornton Heath on the 1901 census who is age 13.  Assuming this is the same person I would imagine this puts this picture at around WW1 time.  The picture is we assume taken at the christening of the baby - it appears this photo was taken in a church as it looks like they are sitting on pews and there is what looks like a stained glass window in a stone wall behind them.

We can't work out whether the man is wearing a military uniform or whether its for a job.  I have a close up of the cap badge and looking on a website of WW1 military cap badges, it doesn't look like any of them.  It appears to have a crown on the top and some kind of multi-pointed star (like an asterisk) in the middle, with something along the bottom.  Unfortunately its quite dark and hard to tell.  He also has some kind of badge on his arm and on his pocket.

Can anyone shed any light on what uniform this might be? 

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/jane_clem/Picture009-1.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v260/jane_clem/Picture013-1.jpg)

I can email the picture to anyone who wants to see it closer up.


Many thanks.


Jane
Title: Re: Can you identify this cap badge?
Post by: liverpool annie on Tuesday 10 June 08 21:09 BST (UK)


I think this may be your soldier ! Artillery badge ... but I couldn't find him under G A !!!! also on A* .................. but there is a medal card for a George H also Artillery !! ... are you sure it's an "A" Jane ??

Medal card of Laver, George

Royal Field Artillery 2101 Gunner
Royal Garrison Artillery 166489 Gunner

Date
1914-1920

http://www.rootschat.com/links/03mh/
Title: Re: Can you identify this cap badge?
Post by: Jane0601 on Tuesday 10 June 08 21:23 BST (UK)
Aaah, so it is an Artillery badge?  We (me and mum) just found a badge that looked like it might be that, so was hoping someone would confirm!


Think you misunderstood the 'Laver' bit - thats the name of the photographer not (I assume, anyway) the name of the person in the picture. 


Just need to work out how I can work out who the people are!

We've always been led to believe that the woman is Ellen Hancock, b. 1886 in Poplar.  I've found a marriage in 1911 in Poplar of an Ellen Hancock, to either a Claud S Cadel or a John W Pett.  I can't find any births of Pett/Hancock children, but there are some Cadel/Hancock ones (2 of which are in Croydon, which is near Thornton Heath).  However, I can't find any military records on Ancestry of a Claud Cadel. 

Actually, another question on the photo.  I know we probably can't say for the baby in the christening dress, but any ideas if the other child is a boy or a girl?  I think facially it looks like a boy but my mum thinks its girls clothes, but I'm not sure for that era.  The two Cadel children in Croydon are boys.

Title: Re: Can you identify this cap badge?
Post by: charles w on Tuesday 10 June 08 21:34 BST (UK)
A wee clean up.
Title: Re: Can you identify this cap badge?
Post by: Jane0601 on Tuesday 10 June 08 22:07 BST (UK)
Oooh, thank you :)