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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Lancashire => Topic started by: Torwoodlee on Sunday 19 July 15 16:34 BST (UK)

Title: Mystery of the missing Hornby Brothers
Post by: Torwoodlee on Sunday 19 July 15 16:34 BST (UK)
I am trying to find out what happened to George and James Hornby.  James was born in 1881 in Prescot and his brother George was born in 1883 in Prescot
I have found all of their siblings and know what has happened to them.  All of the family ended up in St Helens.
 I found some war records for their other brothers, Richard, Arthur, William and John, the latter two dying in the war and who are listed in the CWGC.  They did not all enlist with the local Lancashire regiment. 
The last I saw of James and George was in the 1911 census in Bolton.  William went to Bolton as well but he returned to St Helens after marrying in Warrington.  They were the only family members who moved to Bolton, the rest remained in St Helens.  I can not find any war records for James and George and I can't find any death records for them, not even after the war.

I have been looking for thirteen years and haven't been able to find anything!

Can anyone help?

Thank you
Borderslass   :)
Title: Re: Mystery of the missing Hornby Brothers
Post by: Marmalady on Sunday 19 July 15 17:11 BST (UK)
Could they have emigrated?

Name:   James Hornby
Gender:   Male
Age:   30
Birth Date:   abt 1883
Departure Date:   13 Aug 1913
Port of Departure:   Liverpool, England
Destination Port:   Montreal, Canada
Ship Name:   Victorian


or

Name:   J A Hornby
Gender:   Male
Age:   32
Birth Date:   abt 1882
Departure Date:   16 Aug 1914
Port of Departure:   Liverpool, England
Destination Port:   Quebec, Canada
Ship Name:   Grampian
Title: Re: Mystery of the missing Hornby Brothers
Post by: Torwoodlee on Sunday 19 July 15 17:21 BST (UK)
It's a possibility Marmalady.  It would not be your second post, J A Hornby, as he did not have a middle name.
Does it list an occupation on the immigration record?  James was a glassblower in 1911 at the local bottle works in Bolton.   :)
Title: Re: Mystery of the missing Hornby Brothers
Post by: Marmalady on Sunday 19 July 15 17:30 BST (UK)
The first James was listed as a Farmer

seems an unlikely change from glassblower, so probably not the right James
Title: Re: Mystery of the missing Hornby Brothers
Post by: Torwoodlee on Sunday 19 July 15 18:23 BST (UK)
It is frustrating as there must be a record of what happened to them somewhere.  It's as if they disappeared into thin air!
Title: Re: Mystery of the missing Hornby Brothers
Post by: StanleysChesterton on Sunday 19 July 15 18:37 BST (UK)
Random/unsubstatiated find:

INQUEST AND VERDICT.
Inquest was held by Birks at Withernsea this morning the body of Private James Hornby, a soldier in the (2nd or 3rd?) Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers, who was drowned while bathing at Withernsea Sunday afternoon.
June 1915

That one was married with 2 children and had been a spinner before the war for Wilton Spinning Company.  He lived in Manchester.
Title: Re: Mystery of the missing Hornby Brothers
Post by: Torwoodlee on Sunday 19 July 15 18:54 BST (UK)
I don't think that was the James I'm looking for.  He was not married in 1911 and he did not have any children at that time.  He was living with a 41 year old single woman named Ellen Burke in Bolton.  I can not trace her either!  Apparently, she was born in Haconby, Lincolnshire.  He was a glassblower and all males in his family worked in the glass industry.  His siblings who remained in St Helens worked for Pilkington Glass.

Thanks for helping StanleysChesterton!   :)
Title: Re: Mystery of the missing Hornby Brothers
Post by: jvy20 on Wednesday 29 July 15 20:17 BST (UK)
A service record has a James Hornby aged 35 years 1 month attesting to the Dublin Fusiliers 30 Dec 1914 at St Helens - address given as 32 Columbia Road, Prescot
Title: Re: Mystery of the missing Hornby Brothers
Post by: Torwoodlee on Wednesday 29 July 15 20:30 BST (UK)
Thanks jvy,

I'm sorry to say that's not him.  Your find lists James as married to a Florence Taylor with his eldest being ten years old.  He was not married in the last census leading up to the war; he was living with a single woman named Ellen Burke in Bolton; neither of them had ever been married.   :-[
Title: Re: Mystery of the missing Hornby Brothers
Post by: lancsann on Wednesday 29 July 15 21:57 BST (UK)
there is a James Hornby who died in the reg district of Prescot in 1961 age recorded as 82
Title: Re: Mystery of the missing Hornby Brothers
Post by: Torwoodlee on Wednesday 29 July 15 22:12 BST (UK)
That is a new find Lancsann, thank you!  I think I'm going to have to order the death certificate for definitive proof!  I really hope this is the one!
Thank you for your help   :)
Title: Re: Mystery of the missing Hornby Brothers
Post by: Stephen Nulty on Thursday 30 July 15 14:01 BST (UK)
There are 5 Hornby entries on my Prescot Roll of Honour (http://www.prescot-rollofhonour.info)

Any of them of interest?