RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Hampshire & Isle of Wight => Topic started by: jayaygee on Sunday 16 May 21 16:33 BST (UK)
-
Sorry, my first message was sent before completion!
Hello everyone
I am trying to help a correspondent here in France to return the intriguing unopened letter below to the addressee or a descendant of his. I have been unable to find a John PEEBLES or a family of that name in the residential directories for Southampton on line at the Local and Maritime Digital Archive (I looked at those for 1954, 1960 and 1964) or anywhere else I have searched (the main commercial sites for UK records). I did find a birth to a John Peebles in Southampton Registration district in 1964, but I obviously can't put any details on here as the lady in question is probably still alive.
If anyone can help or give me suggestions for other lines of research, I'd be most grateful.
Best regards
Judith
-
There is a registered death for John A L Peebles in June qtr 1943, Isle of wight?
-
I'm afraid I have absolutely no other information (nor does my correspondent who doesn't want to open the letter). i realise this is all very much a long shot but I'm always amazed by what Rootschatters manage to find!
-
As per the previous post, plus birth.
PEEBLES, JOHN ALLAN LAING 26
GRO Reference: 1943 J Quarter in ISLE OF WIGHT Volume 02B Page 797
PEEBLES, JOHN ALLAN LAING DAVIES
GRO Reference: 1916 D Quarter in WREXHAM Volume 11B Page 398
Colin
-
I'm not sure there was a Trafalgar Square in Southampton (happy to be corrected).
There is a Trafalgar Road.
The trouble with street directories is that they only list the head of the house. He may have just been staying at the address.
Perhaps Electoral Registers would help.
-
Marriages Dec 1910
Peebles Herbert W to Davies Gwendoline B Wrexham
Colin
-
The crematorium may have further information within their records ... would be worth a try.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/125430575/john-alan_lang-peebles
Added:
Have you seen this ...
http://www.commandoveterans.org/Peebles5Commando
Further added:
Newspaper obituary on FindMyPast plus a photograph of him.
-
Obituary on famiily search.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q26M-174V
Colin
-
I'm not sure there was a Trafalgar Square in Southampton (happy to be corrected).
There is a Trafalgar Road.
The trouble with street directories is that they only list the head of the house. He may have just been staying at the address.
Perhaps Electoral Registers would help.
There is a Trafalgar Square in Gosport? PO12 3UU
-
There is ;D
Is this letter franked 1960 ???
-
I read the franking date as 1950
John
-
Trafalgar Road, Southampton, Hampshire, SO15
Colin
-
I read the franking date as 1950
John
The frank on the back looks like 1950 but the front ones 1960 - odd.
-
Marriages Dec 1910
Peebles Herbert W to Davies Gwendoline B Wrexham
Colin
John Allan Lang Peebles
Baptism 31 Aug 1916 Wrexham, Denbighshire, Wales
Father: Herbert Walter Peebles, Major A.S.C
Mother: Gwendoline Bertha
Mrs Gwendoline Pebbles age 43, Proposed UK address, 7 Portland Terr, Southsea Hants
John Allen Peebles Age: 8
Port of Departure: Calcutta, India
Arrival Date: 1 Aug 1925
Port of Arrival: London, England
Ports of Voyage: Demerara; Trinidad; St Lucia; Barbados; St Vincent
Ship Name: Intaba
Added
Gwendoline Bertha Peebles, widow died 18 Sept 1958, probate London
Address 14 Queens Gate Gardens London
-
Thank you so much for all your replies and suggestions. Yes, the letter is franked 30/09/1960. The photos I was sent weren't very good - I did try to improve them a bit. I too found there wasn't a Trafalgar Square in Southampton but I presume it should be Trafalgar Road. The problem is that I have no means of knowing if any of the people you have suggested are connected to the John Peebles I'm looking for.
I have tried the electoral registers on line on three sites I'm subscribed to (not sure if I'm allowed to mention them by name on here) to no avail, though I might have missed something. I also wondered about Capt John Allain Laing Peebles but what I found seemed to show he was more connected to another part of England though I can't remember where. Also from looking at the 1939 register, I wondered if it was the sort of area he would live in.
As someone mentioned, John Peebles may have just been staying in Southampton though the letter comes from some kind of judicial authority who should have a permanent address, though it might well be an old one.
It is odd that there is no indication on the envelope that the letter wasn't delivered, yet it hasn't been opened and was found in a house in France.
I seem to remember reading recently about a technique for reading letters without opening them but that would certainly only available for scientific or historical research more's the pity!
I will give more thought to all your suggestions and see where I can go, if anywhere, from here.
Again many thanks and I will keep you posted if I make any progress.
Judith
-
I did find a birth to a John Peebles in Southampton Registration district in 1964, but I obviously can't put any details on here as the lady in question is probably still alive.
The parents of that childs marriage was in Buckinghamshire in 1960, he could have been living elsewhere at the time. They did appear on electoral registers until a few years ago so maybe not at the same address. We can opt out of appearing in the online registers.
-
Thank you for your reply, Rosie 99. I didn't look for the parents on the electoral roll other than in Southampton though I had found their marriage in Buckinghamshire. I assumed they had moved to the Southampton area by 1964. In other words I broke one of the basic rules of family history research: never assume anything! Just shows how useful another pair of eyes is.
Regards
Judith