RootsChat.Com

Hi Jo many thanks for your kind message yes on the ne hand i love all the mystery but on the other it does my head it as i feel like a dog chasing its tail and getting nowhere, i have to tread a bit carefully as one of my late fathers sisters is still alive and she refuse's to believe thats she's a dawkins and swear's blind that they all lived together with ella as did my dad  but like you i do wonder is my late dad a child of
livingstone and shepperd or robertson and shepperd
are his brother and 2 sisters
dawkings and robertson or shepperd and robertson

in the total worst care they wouldnt be related at all but thats something i could/would never say below are a couple of pics of them as children with ella so what ever happened did happen very early on,i know ella shepperd was hidding from her husband (livingstone)he too was a soldier and they had been living on the isle of mull(scotland) she had a terrible time there and finally ran away back to kent leaving behind two boys   where she must have met up with herbert at some stage ,ive never know so many twists and half truths lies ect oh that i could ask them but most were gone well before i was born i have done a tree to the best of my knowledge on Genes Reunited if your a member your welcome to visit it,i also have one on ancestry but its not as well done.
Hettie is yet another odd one both her and herbert 

my aunt has tried the museums in the past but your right it might be worth trying again next year when i visit her as they have just reopened ive got a long list of names to check boer war ww1 plus ive got a trunk full of printouts and papers notes and clues but as ever finding time is the problem sadly with the passing of my father the drive and will to succeed is not as strong but i'll get there and with time hopfully more and more records will come on line.


two photos one shows ella shepperd in centre with the 4 children (dad) cecil alec robertson with dog (roger) which was herberts gamekeeping dog ,2nd shows (dad on left)  sunday best? in water land near kingswood ulcombe

i know its a mystery
all i know is he joined up under age fought boer war dad said he served in buffs and royal west kents then serving in india and middle east my late father said he saw the medals and they included a french/belgium one? at some stage was a colour sergent was offered promotion to officer rank but turned it down as officers had to pay for their own equipment  colour sergents didnt!
married 4 times with 4 names!!!! can only think he did the same with army

also found a serive record for henry robinson serving royal sussex reg 1901-2 cant prove its him but he's born in kent and parents are the same

Hi Jomcd967 this is pt 2  better than eastenders! 

1917  3rd marriage  Herbert Henry Robertson married Hettie Dawkinsin December 1917
Henry falsely stated his name again, and changed it from his previous married name. Falsely stated he was a bachelor.
Falsely stated his age as 34 when it was fact 33. He stated he was a
Corporal in the R.D.C.  The marriage was registered in Southampton. Registry Office marriage
witnesses edith elgar and e phillips, fathers alexander robinson and william dawkins decesed???         

Why did Henry change his name yet again?
(Note: Hettie Dawkins appears to have been a non-divorced married woman.Probability: she was born Henrietta Banks & married James Dawkins in 1909 at Southampton. Possible child: Henrietta Dawkins  born 1910. On hersecond marriage to Henry she stated her name as Hettie Dawkins and that she was a spinster.Check 1921 census for confirmation that Henrietta Banks & James separated. Check electoral rolls when they become available on line.
Child:Joyce Beryl RobertsonBorn 1920 4Q Birling,Malling  died 1920 4Q
1920 – Henry was an army pensioner (per birth cert)
1925 Henry was living with Ella Kathleen Livingstone (nee Shepherd)
 Address: Harveys Bungalows,Winchelsea, Icklesham
(Note: Ella Kathleen Shepherd married Colin C Livingstone on 26 January 1918 and had two children colin and rodney within that marriage)
Child:   Cecil Alec Robertson born 9 November 1925 my late father. Birth reg 4Q 1925 Rye under name of Robertson/Shepherd also Birth reg 1Q 1926 Mother: Ella K Livingstone formerly Shepherd
1926 – Henry was a gamekeeper (per Cecil’s birth cert)     
1927 – Henry was a gamekeeper & army pensioner. Address Rose Cottage, Water Lane
Ulcomb, Kent (per Herbert’s birth cert)
1927 Child:   Herbert Henry Robertson   Born 2 March 1927  (nickname Harry)
Mother- stated as Hettie Robertson formerly Dawkins.
Born at Rose Cottage, Water Lane Ulcomb.Birth regHollingbourne.
1928 Child:   Peggy E Robertson   Birth reg 1928 Hollingbourne, Kent
Mother -  stated as Hettie Robertson formerly Dawkins.
1931 Child:   Honor D Robertson  Birthreg 1931 Hollingbourne, Kent
Mother -  stated as Hettie Robertson formerly Dawkins.
1936  -Henry was an Army Pensioner (per marriage cert)
we can not understand why the children are called dawkins as they were all living with elle sheppard from day one? did she use hetties name as they were living in sin and she was running away from her own first husband! 
1936 4th marriage  Herbert Henry Robinson married Ella Kathleen Shepherd
Their address was stated as 9 Upcerne Road Chelsea???for marriage only for they actually lived in ulcombe kent we believe they came up to london to get married as they didnt want any one local who knew them to know they werent actually married
witnesses phillip charles heath (my dad said this was a cousin of his died ww2 shot down in halifax bomber) ethel (cert is below hope it helps)Henry falsely stated his name. He used the same false name as he used for his third marriage. He falsely stated he was a bachelor. He correctly stated his age. Stated he was an army pensioner. Ella falsely stated that she was a spinster. Why did Henry not change his name again for this marriage? Probably couldn’t because of the children. A definite pattern of bigamy surrounded Henry Thomas Robertson.

Thats everything i have so far and as you can see confusing isnt the half of it  i hope it makes some sense? but does it ring true?   Any thoughts ideas welcome 

Hi thanks for replies Casalguidi

Casalguidi my late father remembers his dad( herbert) wearing the medals including the Dcm he picked it out when i showed him a book of medals he also remembers it having a pip/stud in ribbon  a boer war medal an ww1 medal france?belgium? he wasnt sure and something to do with india and yet like you say the only Herbert Henry Roberton medal card won none of these? and yet they are stated in the newspaper obitury and were seen by my father,id just love to know the true did he earn these medals did they ever exist? he changed his name so often only thing i can think of trying is to draw of soldiers who won a boer was dcm then went on to win a bar to it in ww1 then try nd track each of their lives and if i can find one that doesnt exist outside of the army that might be him? (massive long shot and i think id need to retire first to find the time to do it right).
We always knew him as herbert henry robertson born 6/6/1884 died 8/9/1953 he lived in ulcombe and kingswood kent but no trace of his birth no family names known apart from father being alexander,we think he was born Henry Thomas Robinson     born 6 June 1884 Calehill, Egerton kent father alexander its just a few miles away from ulcombe then their are the marriages at least 3 maybe 4 changing name slightly on each but enough clues to be able to follow him below is all i know see how  the name has changed im certain he did the same in army joining under age we cant find his census for 1911 either i guess he's in army under false name.

Hi stumbled on to this page ,my late gran farther henry herbert robertson born 1884 was a game keeper at leeds castle sometime after ww1 ,his father was Alexander Robinson

but he is a nightmare to find records on as married 4 times and changed his name each time first wife unknown 2nd  wife was minnie Randalla 3rd hettie dawkins and finally 4th my late granmother Ella kathleen Shepherd

he was also a war hero joined up under age fought boer war won dcm then india ww1 turkey and a bar to the dcm but again because he was under age he used another name!  fought in buffs and royal west kents and finished as a colour sergent this photo is off the colour sergents at his funeral