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Messages - Narnster

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The Common Room / Re: Mossband, Gretna, 1941
« on: Monday 08 August 16 10:00 BST (UK)  »
Thank you Cell and ScouseBoy, both comments food for thought.  I'm hoping that all these ideas combined may eventually get us somewhere near the truth.  I don't have the photo in my possession but I will ask what the backdrop of the photo is.  Maybe that will give us some clues.

..claire..  I have emailed the Devil's Porridge twice but they don't reply!! (What I do know is that they've just appointed a new archivist so they might have some useful records... if only they would respond!!)

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The Common Room / Re: Mossband, Gretna, 1941
« on: Sunday 07 August 16 21:02 BST (UK)  »
I now know that the photo that I originally mentioned was dated 27th October 1939 and that the young man dressed in a naval uniform had just turned 18.  It just says "HMS Victory 27th October 1939" on the back.  I'm wondering why he would be wearing the uniform if he hadn't joined up, yet his son says his father was never in the forces as far as he knew (and he knew him well).  The next record available is his son's birth certificate in 1941 which puts him at Mossband as a storeman.  Any ideas what might have happened?

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The Common Room / Re: Mossband, Gretna, 1941
« on: Saturday 23 July 16 20:56 BST (UK)  »
I've just remembered that his occupation on his son's birth certificate is "Storeman".  Also, his son says he was never in the forces as far as he knew so has no idea why he would be in a naval uniform in a photo.  We thought it might have been no more than a studio portrait but that's surely unlikely when it says "HMS Victory" on the reverse of the photo.

Is it possible that he joined up but didn't make the grade somehow?

Re Devil's Porridge - I shall give that a go.

Thanks to you both.

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The Common Room / Re: Mossband, Gretna, 1941
« on: Saturday 23 July 16 20:24 BST (UK)  »
Thank you everyone.  I've concluded that he must have been living on the site and probably in Scotland.  The link to the archives guidance is also extremely helpful.  Thanks again.

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The Common Room / Re: Mossband, Gretna, 1941
« on: Thursday 21 July 16 22:21 BST (UK)  »
Many thanks for your replies.

This person was born in 1921.  He was born and raised in Carlisle.  He was known to be working at Mossband in 1941 because his son's birth certificate stated that.  (His wife is from Carlisle and his son was born in Carlisle.)  The real problem is that he cannot be located on the 1939 Register.  His wife is on the register living with her mother but they weren't married at that point.   

"HMS Victory" was written on the back of the photo but I don't think it was dated.  (I'll double check on that because I don't have the actual photo.)  He looks 18-20 ish in the photo.


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The Common Room / Mossband, Gretna, 1941
« on: Wednesday 20 July 16 23:32 BST (UK)  »
Can anyone tell me if people lived on site at Mossband in WW2?  I'm looking for someone who worked there in 1941 (information from son's birth certificate) but whose family lived in Carlisle.  This person is not on the 1939 Register.  Another odd thing is that there is a photo of him dressed in a sailor's uniform with "HMS Victory" written on the back yet he was never in the navy!  Do records exists for civilians at munitions depots?

Any information would be appreciated!

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Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / Re: Deciphering on 1851 Census
« on: Monday 18 July 16 20:44 BST (UK)  »
I agree Geoff-E and she probably didn't.  I'm assuming there was a family/friend connection which I may never work out but thank you everyone for your contributions.  Very much appreciated.  The SSO or whatever it is will probably remain a mystery!

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Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / Re: Deciphering on 1851 Census
« on: Monday 18 July 16 18:11 BST (UK)  »
I also thought it was SS, maybe SSO.  It's a good suggestion but as far as I can tell she was a farmer's daughter in 1841 and again on the farm in 1861 then an annuitant in 1871.  To be working in a Swankey Shop would be a bit odd, but hey, who knows!

William was living in Carlisle with a son in 1841 but then appears in Newcastle in 1851 where his other son was.  Margaret is from Cumberland so there must be a connection somehow!  ???

Bit stuck for ideas now, though I'm really looking for William's death record which is proving elusive!

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Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition / Re: Deciphering on 1851 Census
« on: Saturday 16 July 16 23:45 BST (UK)  »
Thank you to everyone who responded - really very helpful and appreciated!  The exert from the Newcastle Courant is a good fit with what I've been told (that William drank the family small holding away!) though I'm left confused by the conflicting information about his occupation.  Is he a tea dealer?  (He was a shopkeeper on the 1841 census.)  But a tea dealer in a 'boozer'?!  A swanky house isn't an occupation!  Hmmm...

Still struggling re Margaret's 'occupation' though.

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