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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Cheshire => England => Cheshire Lookup Requests => Topic started by: amberly on Thursday 19 September 19 01:15 BST (UK)

Title: seeking info on Francis Reese Roberts b 1923 Wallasey
Post by: amberly on Thursday 19 September 19 01:15 BST (UK)
I believe the gentleman above is the son of Francis & Harriet Roberts & was born to them in 1923 in Wallasey.    I've been trying to find a marriage for him, however he may not have married?  He died in 2003 & I thought if I could find his grave it would probably indicate his possible wife & even children, however I can't find his or his parents' grave.  They are possibly all buried together if I could just find them??  His father Francis died in Wallasey in 1959 & his mother Harriet died in 1961 also in Wallasey.

Also on his parents' marriage cert for 1916 it says his father was a driver in the 57th West Lancs Royal Field Artillery.  Could anyone tell me please how to look up for his applicable papers?

Thanks to anyone who can help find any of the above info.

I live in Canada & will be coming over to the area in mid to late Oct & would love to be able to go & find & take photos of the grave or graves.
Amberly.
Title: Re: seeking info on Francis Reese Roberts b 1923 Wallasey
Post by: CaroleW on Thursday 19 September 19 01:59 BST (UK)
If he died in 2003 he may have been cremated rather than buried
Title: Re: seeking info on Francis Reese Roberts b 1923 Wallasey
Post by: amberly on Thursday 19 September 19 02:02 BST (UK)
Good point!   Bit early for cremation for his parents I think though??!!

Thanks for replying,
Amberly.
Title: Re: seeking info on Francis Reese Roberts b 1923 Wallasey
Post by: CaroleW on Thursday 19 September 19 02:05 BST (UK)
Buying a copy of his death cert will show who reported his death and their relationship to him.  However - there is no guarantee it was a family member.  There is no probate entry for him so he did not leave a will and there was no grant of administration
Title: Re: seeking info on Francis Reese Roberts b 1923 Wallasey
Post by: garstonite on Thursday 19 September 19 11:32 BST (UK)
OK - so his mums maiden name was Reese - hence Francis Reese Roberts
on www.cheshirebmd.org.uk 1923 - BUT - it doesn't show any more births for Roberts mmn Reese

was he an only child ?   have you found the family on 1939 Register?
any family members we can research that may be buried in a family grave ??
Title: Re: seeking info on Francis Reese Roberts b 1923 Wallasey
Post by: CaroleW on Thursday 19 September 19 12:15 BST (UK)
Francis Roberts & Harriett Reese married September qtr 1916 in Birkenhead.  He is shown as Francies on freebmd and CheshireBMD

EDIT

Sorry - just realised you already have that info
Title: Re: seeking info on Francis Reese Roberts b 1923 Wallasey
Post by: avm228 on Thursday 19 September 19 12:24 BST (UK)
Good point!   Bit early for cremation for his parents I think though??!!

Thanks for replying,
Amberly.

Not too early for cremation. My great-grandmother was cremated in 1941, as was my grandfather in the 1960s.
Title: Re: seeking info on Francis Reese Roberts b 1923 Wallasey
Post by: CaroleW on Thursday 19 September 19 12:43 BST (UK)
There is a Harriet Reese birth on freebmd March qtr 1888 in Llanfyllin and the  death in Wallasey 1961 for Harriett Roberts shows b c 1888

The death for Francis Roberts in Wallasey 1959 shows born c 1887 and there is a birth reg March qtr 1887 Llanfyllin

Births in the latter part of December were usually only registered after Christmas so are found in the March qtr of the following year

With that info you should be able to find Francis & Harriet (note  spelling - one T) on the 1939 register in Cheshire with one redacted entry

I think the only way of getting more info about Francis jnr is via the 2003  death cert.  Knowing  his actual death date and exactly where he died would be useful in any approach to any cemetery

These are the areas within the Birkenhead RD but my guess would be Landican for either cremation or burial

https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/birkenhead.html

Title: Re: seeking info on Francis Reese Roberts b 1923 Wallasey
Post by: amberly on Friday 20 September 19 01:08 BST (UK)
Carole W, thanks for your replies.   He was my grandfather's bro so I know all about him until he moved to Wallasey.  Yes I did find them on the 1939 register & assume the redacted entry was Francis Reese their only son, as I cannot find anymore children.  Also Harriet his mother was 29 when she married & Francis wasn't born until 1923 so she was about 36 when he was born, so they probably didn't have any more children.   Thank you also for sending me the Birkenhead Registration district info I shall look into that.
I'm a little loathe at sending for his death cert as it may or may not give me more info & they're not so cheap anymore!

Thanks to AVM for her comment too.

Garstonite, thanks for replying.  No other family members lived near him they all were in Wales or had emigrated so nothing to go on from there.

So thanks to all for replying.

Can anyone tell me now how to find his father's papers for joining up please??     See my original message.

Cheers, Amberly
Title: Re: seeking info on Francis Reese Roberts b 1923 Wallasey
Post by: CaroleW on Friday 20 September 19 11:23 BST (UK)
Over 60% of WW1 service records were burnt during the WW2 blitz.  Any that survived are on Ancestry/FindMyPast etc

The Medal Roll index is also available on those sites.  Unfortunately there are a number of Francis Roberts entries and none seem to specifically mention the 57th although a number do show RFA
Title: Re: seeking info on Francis Reese Roberts b 1923 Wallasey
Post by: amberly on Friday 20 September 19 12:23 BST (UK)
Thanks Carole, I didn't know that.
I looked at Landican, Wallasey & Birkenhead cemeteries for all 3 names but to no avail unfortunately, but thanks again for the address.
Another brickwall, so what's new??
Something may turn up at some point, I'm always optimistic!
Amberly
Title: Re: seeking info on Francis Reese Roberts b 1923 Wallasey
Post by: amberly on Friday 20 September 19 19:21 BST (UK)
For anyone interested I found a site this morning called British Army Ancestors.   I put in Francis Roberts & scrolled through many but did not find my guy.    Shame but I think It's a site worth looking at for anyone else who's looking for army ancestors.
Still don't really know how to go about finding where Francis Reese R & his parents were buried or cremated though.
Amberly.
Title: Re: seeking info on Francis Reese Roberts b 1923 Wallasey
Post by: Jool on Friday 20 September 19 19:54 BST (UK)
Hi Amberly

If you have access to FindMyPast, there is an Electoral Register entry for a Francis R Roberts for 2002 in Wallasey, also at the same address is an Elsie Roberts.  I won't post the address here in case it is a different person and they are still alive.

Here's a link to the entry (if you can't access FindMyPast PM me and I will send you the details)

https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=192%2FROBERTS%2FFRANCIS%2FCH44%2F2568758158
Title: Re: seeking info on Francis Reese Roberts b 1923 Wallasey
Post by: amberly on Friday 20 September 19 20:22 BST (UK)
Thanks so much Jool.  I was able to access it & the address is the same as he was living at with his parents on the 1939 census.   So it looks as if he married an Elsie.   The only one I could find that seemed reasonable was an Elsie Fletcher b 1924 in Chorlton, Cheshire.  Then I found 3 sons all b with mother Fletcher, 2 in Stockport & the last one in Wallasey. Don't want to name them as they're probably still alive??    Will investigate a bit further later, but thanks again for that.
Amberly
Title: Re: seeking info on Francis Reese Roberts b 1923 Wallasey
Post by: amberly on Saturday 21 September 19 14:49 BST (UK)
Now found Elsie [nee Fletcher] Roberts m to Francis Reese Roberts in Manchester in 1943 which would fit with 1st son b 1948 in Stockport.    Also found an Elsie Fletcher d Sept 2005 & buried in Southern Cemetery, Manchester.   So maybe after her husband died in 2003 she went back to Manchester where she was born??  No other Roberts buried with her before 2005 so where were her husband & in-laws buried I wonder???
I'm making slow but steady progress now.  Thanks again Jool.
Amberly.
Title: Re: seeking info on Francis Reese Roberts b 1923 Wallasey
Post by: Certacito on Thursday 02 January 20 15:33 GMT (UK)
Realise this is a relatively old posting but did you try Frankby cemetery? Once Rake lane became full, the County Borough of Wallasey bought land at Frankby for another cemetery.  Still being used to this day.
Title: Re: seeking info on Francis Reese Roberts b 1923 Wallasey
Post by: amberly on Friday 03 January 20 00:39 GMT (UK)
Thank you so much for this info.     I appreciate you taking time to email me.   I looked at the Find a Grave site for Frankby cemetery & unfortunately there was only one Roberts & he was not who I was looking for.
Thanks again, Amberly