Warner - a travelling name?

[Welsh Chris]

My grandfather remains a complete mystery. I have his marriage certificate - William James Warner age 40 father William James Warner , occupation horse dealer. He married in 1913 near Swansea South Wales , his wife and 2 children died young, leaving son William James and my mother Sophia Edith. As soon as they reached 14 he found them jobs and lodgings and disappeared though I believe my mother saw him once more. He had a strange way of speaking apparently - " come ane eat thy vittles" when calling them for a meal. He was illiterate. From the one single photo I saw of him he looked much older than his given age. My mother never met any of his family. I have often wondered whether he was a gypsy. Thanks.

[Lindsey G]

My grandfather remains a complete mystery. I have his marriage certificate - William James Warner age 40 father William James Warner , occupation horse dealer. He married in 1913 near Swansea South Wales , his wife and 2 children died young, leaving son William James and my mother Sophia Edith. As soon as they reached 14 he found them jobs and lodgings and disappeared though I believe my mother saw him once more. He had a strange way of speaking apparently - " come ane eat thy vittles" when calling them for a meal. He was illiterate. From the one single photo I saw of him he looked much older than his given age. My mother never met any of his family. I have often wondered whether he was a gypsy. Thanks.

Hi,

I have Warner connections and they were Romani family mainly in the Builth area but travelled to South Wales and also across to the west coast. My gt-grandmother was Mary Warner b.1881. Her father was Henry Warner. Mary Warner married Llewellyn Jones, son of John and Harriet Jones (nee Price or ?Florence)

Might not be the exact same branch but if you are interested i can give you what info i have on the Builth Warners.

Lindsey

[Welsh Chris]

Hello Lindsey , I was so pleased to receive your message and a possible link to the Romany Warners . My mum thought her dad was from Banbury Oxfordshire and my Cousin said his dad mentioned Witney in Oxfordshire but of course I have never found any connections with either. My grandfather's father's occupation on the wedding certificate was given as horse dealer and an elderly man we knew suggested that he moved around horse fairs selling his horses - and probably never registered his children or added his information to a census. I think I found him lodging in the village of Pontardduais near Swansea in 1911. his age doesn't tally with the marriage certificate but it states he worked on the railways as a labourer which tallies with what my mum said and it is the place where he married my gran in 1913. It says he was born in Oxfordshire. If you ever find any William james Warners in your family tree that disappear from the records I'll be really pleased to hear from you. Will was a lot older than his wife so may have had a previous family. He apparently was a cook in the Boer war. Please keep in touch. Chris ( Christine)

[Lindsey G]

Hello Lindsey , I was so pleased to receive your message and a possible link to the Romany Warners . My mum thought her dad was from Banbury Oxfordshire and my Cousin said his dad mentioned Witney in Oxfordshire but of course I have never found any connections with either. My grandfather's father's occupation on the wedding certificate was given as horse dealer and an elderly man we knew suggested that he moved around horse fairs selling his horses - and probably never registered his children or added his information to a census. I think I found him lodging in the village of Pontardduais near Swansea in 1911. his age doesn't tally with the marriage certificate but it states he worked on the railways as a labourer which tallies with what my mum said and it is the place where he married my gran in 1913. It says he was born in Oxfordshire. If you ever find any William james Warners in your family tree that disappear from the records I'll be really pleased to hear from you. Will was a lot older than his wife so may have had a previous family. He apparently was a cook in the Boer war. Please keep in touch. Chris ( Christine)

Hi Chris,

I dont think there's any known link (so far) with the Builth Warner branch that i can see and so i cant help in confirming his potential Romani or traveller heritage.

But a quick search on Ancestry showed an interesting link with a tree owner in Nova Scotia, Canada. You may have this lead already but if you want a link to the tree owner then let me know and i will email it to you (i havent contacted them for permission and so will keep it private).

Anyway, this is what turned up:

William James Warner
    Birth Mar 1873 in Huntingdonshire, Northamptonshire, England

Elizabeth Williams
    Birth 25 May 1888 in Beerferris, Devon, England
    Death 1 May 1920 in 1651447, Wales

Children:
    Sophia Edith Warner
        1916 – 1984
    Walter Charles Warner
        1917 – 1918
    Edward Francis Warner
        1920 – 1920

Williams father is given as William James Warner, b. c1845.

Unfortunately no sources or other facts have been added to the tree page and i have no clues as to how they have gathered the information given. Also notice no mention of another William James as sibling to Sophia Edith. It may not even be the family you are looking for but it appears to be a good enough match to maybe investigate further.

Lindsey

[Welsh Chris]

Hi Lindsey , this is definitely my family though William's place of birth/ date is questionable. I can't think of any link with Canada. Unfortunately my Ancestry membership ended on 6th January as I had found nothing new this year! Now you've set me puzzling! Thanks chris

[Lindsey G]

Hi Lindsey , this is definitely my family though William's place of birth/ date is questionable. I can't think of any link with Canada. Unfortunately my Ancestry membership ended on 6th January as I had found nothing new this year! Now you've set me puzzling! Thanks chris

Hi again,

I wouldnt renew Ancestry subs just on the basis of the Nova Scotia tree link because there are no sources to validate where the info has come from. It's strange though that the place of William's birth is noted as Huntingdonshire (now in Cambridgeshire) AND Northamptonshire.

I can ask them for their email address if you like and pass it on to you by PM?

Lindsey

[NettieS]

Hi Chris,

This is the birth of William James Warner that Lindsey said the tree on Ancestry has. It can be found on the FreeBMD site.


Births Mar 1873 

Warner William James   Thrapston 3b 210

The district Thrapston spans the boundaries of the counties of Huntingdonshire and Northamptonshire

[Lindsey G]

That has solved the two county question quite nicely 

Lindsey

[Welsh Chris]

Hi , I researched the Thrapston birth and unfortunately that William died quite young. I will be grateful if you are happy to contact the Canadian researchers on my behalf. I feel my lst year's subs to Ancestry were wasted but I have found loads of info before that. And I now help out with childcare for 2 grandchildren and have a large dog to walk!