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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Yorkshire (West Riding) => Topic started by: Puzzle on Friday 22 March 19 15:52 GMT (UK)
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I am trying to trace the family of Farewell Harrison who was born in the Rotherham area about 1922 and died in the crash of a Lancaster bomber on D-Day, 1944 in France.
He was one of the 7 young crew, the memorial is near where we live and for many years there is a ceremony to mark the event, we are in touch with some of the families but not that of Farewell, this being the 75th anniversary it is a somewhat special event and we are trying to get in touch with as many relatives as possible.
I do know he was the only son of another Farewell Harrison so my only links would be through his aunts and uncles. I have found one family tree but the instigator of the tree was doing it for a friend of a friend and says they cannot help.
Dear Rootschat members have you any ideas please?
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Here is his birth
Apr/May/Jun 1921
Rotherham
Farewell Harrison
mmn Styling
Next you need to see what siblings he had .....
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…… and I am not immediately seeing any other Harrison births with mmn Styling.
Sorry, just realsied you said he was an only child!!
We need to go back another generation ......
Father likely to be -
Birth
Oct/Nov/Dec 1896
Rotherham
Farewell Harrison
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Possible -
1911
8 Oxford Str, Wath Rd,Mexboro
Wilfred Harrison 48 coal miner hewer bn Sheffield
Martha Ann 45 wife married 29 year, 15 children, 8 living, 7 died bn Sheffield
Edgar 24 married coal miner trammer
Rebekah 12 dtr
Farewell 14 son
Walter 8 son
Thomas Beignton son 6 children all bn Swinton
Yo need to see from Farewells marriage to Styling who his father was - if it was Wilfred then this is likely the right family, and there are plenty of siblings to follow the lines down from!
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Thank you, I have done that and found 2 brothers and a sister but drawn blanks with them all!
I have 2 brothers for Farewell the elder, Edgar and Thomas Beighton Harrison, and 1 sister, Rebekah, but as yet I have drawn blanks on them. It is such an unusual name you would think it would be easy!
Thank you so much for your help.
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MArriage
Ap/May/Jun 1920
Rotherham
9c 1968
Farewell Harrison and Agnes Styling
Farewell dies 1966 (age agreeing with the 1911 census) and probate index entry gives the same address as 1911 too , and Administation woth Will is granted to widow Agnes … so it looks as if all these records are the same person - and given that your Farewell (bn 1922) had mother maiden name of Styling, I think I have found the right family!
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So, you agree this is the family.
Well - they had 15 children, albeit 7 had died by 1911 (but we don't yet know whether that was as children or adults) - so there is plenty of scope!!
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Interestingly, here is Farewells birth -
Oct/Nov/Dec 1896
Rotherham
Farewell Harrison mmn Harrison
Looks like Martha was nee Harrison
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Other Harrison/Harrison births in Rotherham:
Oct/Nov/Dec 1867 Clement
Jul/Aug/Sep 1872 Kate
Jan/Feb/Mar 1876 Fred
Apr/May/Jun 1879 Emily
Jul/Aug/Sep 1884 John Wilfred
Oct/Nov/Dec 1886 Edgar
Jan/Feb/Mar 1889 Mary Elizabeth
Oct/Nov/Dec 1890 Florence Harrison
Apr/May/Jun 1893 unamed girl (2 entries on same page ref, maybe dupicate or maybe twin babies)
Jan/Feb/MAr 1892 Florence
Jul/Aug/Sep 1894 Florence
Jan/Feb/Mar 1899 Rebekah
Apr/May/Jun 1901 William Mason
Jan/Feb/Mar 1903 Walter
Jul/Aug/Sep 1904 Thomas Beighton
Oct/Nov/Dec 1906 Annis Ann
These migt not all be Wifred and Martha's - but gives you a start. Next can weed out thos ewho died in infancy !
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Thank you for all this - I would so like to trace a living relative so they know he was not forgotten.
We, and the relatives of the others we know about, are preparing a synopsis of each of their lives for the ceremony. Sadly the person who, with the commune has organised the event for many, many years has recently died leaving no records that can be found so we are trying to pick up the pieces.
My husband is masterminding it and we might, just might even have a flypast, it would be wonderful to trace the last 3 families of which Farewell is one.
Thank you so much for your help
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normandythenandnow.com/not-forgotten-the-seven-airmen-of-cerisy-la-salle
Is the link to the memorial - not that it helps much, but just for interest
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Just so that you know that Farewell is properly commemorated in France where he lost his life, according to the CWGC website, he lies in the British Cemetery in Bayeux.
I have visited this CWGC cemetery and it is, like all the war grave sites, beautifully kept. A place of great peace and respect. Well worth a visit, as indeed is the American cemetery at Omaha beach.
Such a terrible sacrifice, made so willingly by all those lads.
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Thank you for that, yes we know his grave in Bayeux, as you say, a very peaceful place. The villagers heard the crash and came and took the bodies to the church so the germans couldn’t lump them in a pit somewhere, they were buried locally then after the war were interred in Bayeux cemetery. It is quite a story, I heard it from an elderly man who was a little boy at the time and was there. We live very nearby.
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I don't know if you wanted help tracing the children of Wilfred and Martha forward (as far as we can, when it gets to living people we will not be able to post details), or if you were happy to follow it up yourselves.
Here are some steps - just ignore if you have already done this yourselves.
Looking at the list I gave of "possibles" for the 15 children of Wilfred and Martha
1) Clement. He can ruled out as can be seen on censuses with parents George and Sarah
2) Kate, Fred and Emily -- likewise. They are all children of Geroge and Sarah and can be seen with them on 1881 census
3)So, John Wilfred bn 1884 seems to be the first child of Wilfred and MArtha. He was christened7th Sept 1884 in Mexborough. He can be seen on 1891 and 1901 census with Wilfred and Martha in Swinton, giving place of birth as Swinton. By 1911 he has a wife Ada and some children.
Marriage Jul/Aug/Sep 1906 Rotherham
John Wilfred Harrison and Ada Petty.
Looks like he died in WW1, and Ada remarried:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/107095054
Harrison children with mmn Petty, in Rotherham Reg District:
Oct/Nov/Dec 1906 - unamed male, mmn Petty
Oct/Nov/Dec 1907 - Mary Mason Harrison mmn Petty
Apr/May/Jun 1909 - Wilfred
Jan/Feb/Mar 1911 - Rose Ellen
Ap/May/Jun 1913 - Florence
Jan/Feb/Mar 1915 - Harriet Ann
They are listed on John Wilfred's WW1 record too.
That gives a few more to follow up, if you havent already.
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Hello, I am new to this site having come across it today. I have been doing research into my family and I am related to Farewell harrison. My father passed away in 2015 but he knew very little about his family. I live in dinnington south yorkshire, I have also found a cousin on ancestry that is living out in spain.
regards
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Wayne, I have sent you a pm
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Wayne will have to make at least one more post before he can use the PM system.
Just reply to this thread.
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I ok I have the message, I will reply
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Sorry, I was hoping to send Wayne some photos and other things and I am not too good at doing it on rootschat! Bit of a IT duffer.......
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Could you email me ?
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Use the PM system to exchange e-mail addresses. We are not allowed to divulge them here on the thread. :)
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From my own enquiries I can say that there are three surviving first cousins and three second cousins still alive. They range from 74 years to 90 years old. They live in the Rotherham, Mexborough and Manchester area. I myself am a distant relative of Farewell Harrison andreside in Normandy France. I visit his grave on a regular basis in Bayeux. I am also aware of the memorial service that takes place at Cerisy La Salle