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Messages - Shrimper19

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1
Family History Beginners Board / Re: Acrobats
« on: Thursday 04 August 22 11:12 BST (UK)  »
A quick update:

I had a chat with the guy (Charlie) who runs the Facebook page, and I am related to the Craggs which is exciting.  I discovered that my great grandfather, James Henry, died of tabes dorsalis (late stage neurosyphilis) in 1930. 

I still have no idea what happened to Matilda.  She disappeared between the 1911 and 1921 censuses and I've not been able to find a death certificate under Cragg or Williams, but it's just this minute occurred to me that she might have taken the name Craig too, so I'll look for her with that name.  I feel really sorry for her; James either had syphilis when they married (in which case he hid it from her), or he caught it after they were married so obviously had at least one affair.  I'm assuming that it was him, not her, that brought it into the family, but Charlie seemed to think that was the case.

It also makes it even more likely that grandpa changed his name to dissociate himself from the family - he probably felt that both Williams and Cragg were somewhat tarnished.

James lived with his brother John Albert in 1921 and was probably already showing symptoms of TD.  John's wife was also Matilda's sister and Charlie thinks that another brother married another Martin sister. 

2
Family History Beginners Board / Re: Name Changes 1800's
« on: Wednesday 03 August 22 17:21 BST (UK)  »
I had a lot of problems trying to find my grandfather's relatives as there was a lot of name changes.

One of my forebears went by the name of Maximillian Hammond, but was encouraged to change it to Maximillian Dudley Digges Dalison.  The Digges family owned property in Kent and a daughter married a Hammond, but I'm not sure where the Dalison part comes from.

3
Family History Beginners Board / Re: Acrobats
« on: Tuesday 02 August 22 11:53 BST (UK)  »
Yes, that would be him.

But he also served in WWI, in the Ox and Bucks Light Infantry (2nd lieutenant on his marriage certificate) and again in the logistics core in WWII (acting lieutenant colonel). 

4
Family History Beginners Board / Re: Acrobats
« on: Tuesday 02 August 22 09:02 BST (UK)  »
He married Kathleen Lavender in 1916 in Kingston, Surrey.

The marriage certificate says "John Henry Williams (otherwise Craig)", so he was going under both names at the time.  I can well imagine my gran saying that she wasn't going to marry a Cragg!  She was a bit like that, from what I remember.

Certainly, she and their daughters were always Craig and his death certificate has Craig as his surname - I'd be surprised if mum knew about the Williams/Cragg thing.

I also don't know which name he'd have used to enlist in the army - presumably Williams as that came first on the marriage certificate.  I've requested his military record, but the lead time is very long (a year or so) so I won't get it for a while.  I don't know how complete that will be as I don't know how much linkage there is between his three stints and whether he informed them of his change of name.

5
Family History Beginners Board / Re: Acrobats
« on: Monday 01 August 22 21:32 BST (UK)  »
Busy bloke!!

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Family History Beginners Board / Re: Acrobats
« on: Monday 01 August 22 17:18 BST (UK)  »
Oh, my gosh, everyone.  Thank you so much for all your links, help and interest.  I'm in awe :)!

It's absolutely fascinating and I'm thrilled to find that there might finally be answer to a bit of a family mystery. 

I found James Henry Cragg listed in the 1921 census as being an out-of-work theatrical entertainer living with a brother (Alfred), Alfred's wife, Florence and their daughter Lalla who is also listed as being an out-of-work theatrical entertainer.  No mention of Matilda (though JHC is listed as still being married).  My grandfather, John Craig, we know, was in the British Indian Army from 1920 onwards so was out of the country for this census.

I had spent a lot of time wondering about why GP had changed his name but now it seems that he was known as Cragg from at least the age of 6 and it's not much of a step from there to Craig.  He always struck me (although he was very old at the time so maybe not surprising) as a bit straight-laced and not a lot of fun.  He was pretty much a career soldier going from WWI service into the Indian Army and then volunteering again (despite being in his 50's by then) for WWII working in logistics.

7
Family History Beginners Board / Re: Acrobats
« on: Sunday 31 July 22 21:49 BST (UK)  »
I've also found James Henry Cragg (minus the Williams altogether now) in the 1911 census.

8
Family History Beginners Board / Re: Acrobats
« on: Sunday 31 July 22 21:35 BST (UK)  »
Thank you both for the welcome :).

James married Matilda Martin, but I couldn't find any info in censuses.

James Henry William Cragg is very definitely a possibility; my grandfather changed his name to Craig at some point (he's down on his marriage certificate as Williams, otherwise Craig) and that's not a huge step from Cragg. 

9
Family History Beginners Board / Acrobats
« on: Sunday 31 July 22 19:37 BST (UK)  »
Hi All
I've discovered that both my great-grandfather and my great-great-grandfather were acrobats.  GGF was married at the age of 22 in 1893 so I imagine they were operating from ~1860 onwards and possibly before. 

GGGF was called John Williams and his son was James Henry Williams. 

I'm really struggling to find out more about the family and I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts about where to go next.  They seemed to have settled in the Kennington area of London but that's as much as I've been able to glean.

I've ordered JHW's birth certificate which will tell me where he was born which might help.

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