RootsChat.Com

Fantastic news!

Thankyou so much englandphil for your help!

I have just received an email from Mr. Kilshaw's daughter, and will be sending the original photograph to her shortly. Mr. Kilshaw was just 16 or 17 when he joined up, having added a few years to his age. Until now they did not have any pictures of him during the War.

I mentioned RootsChat in my response to her as I thought she should know how fantastic this site is! Myself and my family are so happy that the photograph will now be reunited with his family.

Alice

Hi Redroger,

Thankyou for letting me know about similar changes of addresses, it's reassuring to know that this is the same family. I was also wondering if the house numbers may have been listed incorrectly.

haliared - I had found Percy Junior , but thankyou for posting the details In 1911 Eunice Martha said she had 6 children born alive, but only 3 had survived (Eunice Elizabeth, Ellen Violet and Thomas William) . I'm trying to find the other 3 as these would have been my Great Grandmother's siblings. It's so sad to think they died so young, and I would like to be able to add them to the tree so they are remembered.

Thankyou for taking the time to read such a long post, I'm much more confident now and will start trying to fill in the blanks!

Alice

Hello everyone,

I have been struggling with the Smith's for a while as we know very little about this side of the family pre 1920, but I *think* I have found Thomas Smith b c1879. I would really appreciate a second opinion, as I am concerned that I may be relying on coincidences and trying to make the pieces 'fit'!

I am going to list all of the information I have, so this will be a long post...

Thomas Smith, Born c1879.

This is definitely the family in the 1911 Census:

Living in Little Europa Place, Battersea
Head of the Household
Others in Household: Eunice Martha Duffield, Eunice Elizabeth Duffied (b1901) Ellen Violet Duffield, (b1904) Thomas William Duffield  (b1907) (all listed as visitors).

Thomas Smith married Eunice Martha Duffield, Widower (nee Banks) in 1912.
Their daughter, Ellen Violet Duffield/Smith, was my Great Grandmother. I have her birth certificate; she was registered under Duffield – presumably as her mother and father had not yet married - and no father was entered. I have no baptism for her. She married Thomas Henry Dickeson under the name Smith.

Eunice Elizabeth Duffield was her half sister (I also have her birth cert, and her baptism); mother Eunice Martha, father Percy Duffield (died 1902). I have not yet found a definite birth or baptism for Thomas Duffield/Smith. I am ordering his military records, as on the documentation we have he has blacked out his father and mothers names, nationality, and his own place of birth with a thick black marker. His next of kin is his sister, and on one booklet he put his D.O.B. as 1907, the next 1903.

I know nothing of Eunice Martha after 1926 when she is listed as living with Thomas at their shop, 55 Bridge Road West, in the Kelly's directory. My Great Aunt, who was born on 26th December 1930, remembers being told her Grandmother had died on her birthday - before, same day, or after we do not know. We have no death certificate or funeral card for her which is very strange as her daughter Eunice kept lots of documents and records.

I have Eunice Martha’s baptism, first marriage, and I have found her in all censuses. These are the ‘potential’ records for Thomas Smith:

Possible 1901 Census

18 Little Europa Place, Battersea
William Smith, 40, Coach Porter, Head
Mary Smith, 26, Wife, b Chelsea
Thomas Smith, 22, Son, b Chelsea
Aggie Smith, 19, Dau
Mary Smith, 16, Dau
Others all born in Battersea

Household Schedule Number: 221, Piece: 449, Folio: 24, Page: 40.

1891 Census

21 Little Europa Place, Battersea
Thomas Smith, 29, Coach Porter, Head.
Mary Smith, 26, Wife
Thomas Smith, 12, Son,
Aggie Smith (incorrectly transcribed as Hazzy on some sites), 8, Dau
Mary Smith, 5, Dau
Harry Smith, 6 months, Son.
All listed as being born in Battersea

Piece: 429, Folio: 23, Page: 34.

I have found a potential listing for the family in 1881, however Thomas, 20, Porter is listed as being born in Lambeth. Mary, 17, Manchester, Edward Thomas, 3 weeks, Lambeth. This family is at 20 Warwick Street, Lambeth (Piece: 598, Folio: 51, Page: 15. I'm not convinced this is the same family.

I have found marriages for Aggie and Mary:

Sarah Agnes Smith, 18, Father William Smith (Coal Porter), 18 Little Europa Place
Matthew John Moffatt, 20, Father Richard Moffatt, 33 Little Europa Place
25th December 1901, (St Mary?) Parish Church, Battersea.

Mary Josephine Smith, 26, Father William Smith (Coal Porter), 15 Little Europa Place
Michael Graney, 26, Father Thomas Graney, 47 Henry Street
25th December 1912, St Mary’s, Battersea.
One of the witnesses was Matthew John Moffatt.

I have found the Moffatt family in previous censuses, and have also found baptism and BMD Birth entries for Moffatt and Graney children (the Moffatt’s were still in Little Europa when their first child was baptised).

So, consistently Little Europa, although different housenumbers. I have checked neighbours, and there are no other ‘Thomas Smiths’ of the ‘right’ age. We know that:

* Thomas had a sister named Mary.
* My family have mentioned the surname Moffatt, although were not sure where this fitted in.
* Agnes used her middle name - perhaps the Edward Thomas in 1881 is correct, and he used his middle name too?
* My family lived in Battersea until the start of the War, were married/baptised mainly in St. Mary’s (occasionally St Peter’s).
* My Great Grandmother was married on Christmas Day, as were lots of relatives on the Dickeson side (I know this is a coincidence, but it does seem to be a trend!)

Lastly, my great Aunt remembers a cousin Mary marrying in to the Duffield family – as they were already 'related' by marriage, this caused problems. This would have been between 1930 and 1940. I have not found a Moffatt/Duffield marriage; however I did find a Mary Greaney/Frederick Duffield, 2Q, 1938 in Battersea. Potential misspelling - or grasping at straws?

Is this coincidence – or is this ‘most likely’ to be my Thomas Smith?

I am in a catch twenty-two as I know a marriage cert. for Thomas Smith and Eunice Martha Duffield (1912) would list his father and the occupation, 'proving' whether this is the right family, but I really can't afford to get this at the moment.

Thankyou for reading, I would really value any opinions (even if you think I have got it wrong, I'd prefer to know now before I start doing more research!)

Alice

Hello

Was Jane's father listed as Thomas on her Marriage certificate? Long shot but we may be looking for the same family I am looking in to a George Dickinson (Dickeson) b c1803; he eventually moved to Stockport and married. On his second marriage cert. he lists his father as Thomas. I have found a few other Dickinson's who list their father as Thomas on the marriage cert, but like you I am struggling to go back further....

Alice