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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: Debzkitkat on Wednesday 14 September 16 13:28 BST (UK)
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My grandad walked out on my gran, my dad and his brother in 1956 when my Dad was 16. There was no sight nor sound of him until 1992, until I met a bus driver at Camelot theme park who knew him in Crewe in 1989 and we finally tracked him down and he and my Dad were reunited 36 years later. It was only short-lived as his dad passed away the following year, but my dad's mind was finally at peace that he saw him again. Because he had been gone so long, a divorce was granted to my gran for desertion and he was presumed dead. I would like to know where he went and if he married anyone else or had more children. If anyone could help I would be most grateful. Thanks Deb x
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Hi Deb,
How good to hear that your Dad was reunited with his father.
On FreeBMD there are three marriages for Leigh R Bellis - 1940, 1969 and 1975. I will not post details as some of these people could still be alive. RootsChat has a policy whereby living person's details are not to be posted.
www.freebmd.org.uk
JJ
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Death record -
Leigh Robert Bellis
Birth Date - 31 Oct 1917
Date of Registration - Dec 1992
Age at Death - 75
Registration district - South Cheshire
Inferred County - Cheshire
Vol 35 Page 403
You could purchase Leigh's death certificate to see who registered the death which could answer your questions.
Cannot see a record for a will or probate.
JJ
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Hi JJ. Thank you. My grandparents married just before dad was born in July 1940, but I don't know about 69 or 75. Perhaps he married twice more? My dad, his dad and my brother, born in 78 are all Leigh Robert Bellis. It's so confusing ha ha.
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The 69 marriage may well be your father's marriage? Would that make sense with when you and your brother were born?
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Yes girl guide 69 was the year my parents married, for some reason I though it was in 68. I've spoken to my mum today but she hasn't a clue about the 75 one.
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Hi, Debzkitkat, I am going to send you a Private message about the 1975 marriage.
Regards
KathB
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There is a death recorded for your grandfather, Leigh One should we say!, in the December quarter of 1992. His date of birth is given as 31 October 1917 and is was registered in the district of South Cheshire.
But perhaps you know this anyway?
The 1975 marriage has me scratching my head a bit. Have a look for yourself and see what you think.
Added: Ah Kath I was going to let Deb look for herself.
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The lady in the 1975 marriage appears to have been married ten years earlier in 1965 under the same name.
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Hi, Girl Guide, you are correct, it does look like the same lady married earlier. I have suggested to Debzkitkat that she needs to get the death certificate of her grandfather and the marriage certificate for 1975 marriage. Documentary evidence is the best way forward. I am being cautious here that we don't step onto reference to living persons.
Regards
KathB
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Thank you for that advice Kath. That's my next step x
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This fascinates me. Good to know that Deb is sending for that marriage certificate. Bellis is such a rare name that the odds against two people of that name marrying must be huge - unless the parties concerned knew each other as cousins, for instance.
But brief investigation finds this is unlikely. Leigh Robert Bellis I was born in Prescot district and his father Robert L Bellis was almost certainly Robert Leigh born 1889 Chester (if not Robert Llewelyn b 1885 Wrexham) . However the lady he seems to have married was born Dewsbury district and her father Cornelius was born Islington, (his father a Henry Bellis, there are plenty of those) and she also married in the London area. I also fail to see why a woman who had married 1965 would marry again in 1975 without at least giving her married name as an alternative.
My guess is that the lady in the 1975 marriage is giving her surname as Bellis because she has been using that name for many years as a common law wife (I have a couple of examples of this in my tree). If the marriage certificate shows that both parties were of the same address that's a big clue, but hopefully it should also show who her father was, which would be the most useful data.
Chris
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Hi Chris and thank you. You are correct that my great grandfather was Robert leigh Bellis, my grandad Leigh robert, my Dad was meant to be Robert leigh, but my gram Emily Branwood morris didn't like it. My eldest brother is also Leigh Robert and his son was meant to be the same,but my sister broke the chain and called her son Leigh David, much to my brothers and dad's annoyance.
My dad and I met Marie at my grandad funeral ( that was awkward) and apparently she was the one my grandad left my gran for. I think it's likely she used Bellis before they married. I can't wait to see the marriage certificate. Deb x
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Interesting that you met this lady, Deb. The one who we can't name because she may be alive, who married in 1965 in London, would be 27 years younger than your granddad. If the lady you met didn't fit that description (about 47 in 1992) then she must have been someone else.
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The lady was in her late 60's at least so, it's not the same lady. They were living in Crewe at the time of my grandad passing. He worked on the railways for many years too.