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Hi Willsy,

The Military record that you found for James Welsh at a later date, whom had been married for 10 years and from Portsmouth---do you have more details please?
I have ordered the death cert; for Louisa Welsh to see if she died of anything similar to Sister Florence.
Thanks.

Hi,

Ooh, well done Willsy for the Kilbride details. It could well be that the Joseph in the newspaper was the one we have been searching for as he was a scene-painter and that may well have taken him into the fairgrounds & circuses. He may be found in the Showman Guild archives, I will have a look later to see what I can find.

Ellen Welsh/McCarthy. When Robert registered Ellen at two schools in 1889 he gave her previous school as St. Francis of Assisi RC, Notting Hill. September 1889 he gives his address as 23, Griffin Street, Lewisham. This information could be a lead to Obinia as she gives her place of birth (approx. 1888) as Notting Hill, London on the 1911 census.

Back again. I`m with you on that one LL. Does anyone know what the actual registration district for Notting Hill, London was? Was it specifically Kensington & Chelsea? I also think that Obinia might have been born in the Notting Hill, London area about 1886-1888, but there is a possibility that she may have been born in Leicestershire.
Brother John was born Jan 1886 so Betsy could have had another child from that same year up to about Jun 1888, after that James would have been conceived, estimate, then born in the first quarter of 1889 and baptised April 1889 in Kensington.

In trying to pin down where Obinia was born by tracking Robert & Betsy`s movements to see if that gives us any insight;

Florence C Murphy
Admission into the St Clement Road School was 16 June 1884.  Address; St Clements Road.
Age 11, I don`t know what age a child would have left the school back then and having left was that their schooling over for a pupil?
Her previous school was St Francis RC which fell in to the same district as where she was living in St Clements Rd and the next school that she attended. The point being, I think we all agree, that Betsy & Robert moved here to be near her family and the schools were recommended by Ellen & Martin perhaps?

Robert & Betsy---1884 in Leicester, Daughter Louisa Welsh was born 12 Oct and died Oct qtr. Up to 1886 Robert was under Military training according to his service records based at this time in Leicester but where his training took him I don`t know.

John Welsh was born 2 Jan 1886 and then baptised 13 Jan 1886 at St Barnabus, Islington after this Robert & Betsy return to Leicester and lived in lodgings in Abbey Street; 24 Jul 1886 as reported in the newspaper under suspicion of deserting the Army. Abbey Street is where Louisa died so they may well have just been visiting family or friends for a short time, Christmas, when John was born and not actually living in London.

Between July 1886-25 Feb 1889 we do not know where they were living until Ellen goes to school at St Clements.

Daughter Ellen went to St Clements from 25 Feb 1889 onwards, address St Katherine's Road, the same road Betsy`s Mother was at. And in 1889 James was born in Kensington.
Then they moved to Lewisham where Ellen goes to school at Frankham Street School 23 Sep 1889.
Some time after this Robert & Betsy move to Chatham, Kent minus the children and Daughter Florence was born 13 Sep 1890, address 155 The Brook.

If Robert was the man that had deserted the Army then he was based in Yorkshire but my hunch, as with yours, is that Obinia was born somewhere in London but the 1901 census does say that Obinia was born in Millwall--could they have lived there for a time, if so what was the registration district name for this area?

Another possible clue to Obinia`s real identity may be the fact that her Mother named all of the Welsh/Welch children after family members, although we do not have all of the extended family details, was Obinia named after family?

Robert----after his Father.
John------after Betsy`s Father & Brother & Uncle. Robert`s relation John (baptism record)
Louisa----after Betsy`s Sister Louisa Dixon Barnes/Merchant.
Florence--after Betsy`s half-sister Florence Columbius Murphy.
James----after her Uncle & cousins.
Ellen------after her Mother & Grandmother.

Other known female family members; Susannah Matlock; Betsy/Elizabeth; Mary Dixon; Maria Barnes; Sarah Glover Brewin; Jane Welsh (baptism record)
That is all for now but I will catch up with you all soon.

Bit intrigued by this one who is a Hawker

British Army WWI Pension Records 1914-1920
Name:    Robert Welch
Gender:    Male
Birth Date:    abt 1885
Birth Place:    Greenwich, Kent, England
Age:    18
Document Year:    1903
Regimental Number:    7256
Regiment Name:    Queen's Own (Royal West Kent) Regiment
Form Title:    Short Service Attestation
Number of Images:    39

Family
Robert Welch    Father
Jane Welch    Mother
William Welch    Brother
James Welch    Brother who is serving
   
Army reserve 1906, back in and termination 1916

There are records for a later date and I think James may be older but thought I would run the details by you as I know you have some???

Hi Willsy,

Thank you for taking the time to find and post the details of the WW1 record for a Robert Welch, unfortunately it is not the right family. Robert Welsh jnr was sent to live in Canada in 1892.
Robert jnr did serve in WW1 in the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force. Enlisting on the 28 June 1915. And the record posted would not be for his Father whom was 20 years older than this man. All the same thanks for your results & efforts put into this family.