Philip Launder Bligh

[cariandcammy]

Hello

I would greatly appreciate any information on Philip Launder Bligh, born about 1877 in Kent.

He married Ellen Wybrow Maude Gainsford on 29 Mar 1898 in Tonbridge, Kent.

They went on to have four sons; Reginald (my great grandfather), Jack, Eric and Percy.

Philip served in WW1 and he was a butcher.

I would be very keen to trace his family history further back. I cannot trace him on the census as I do not know his parents names.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks in advance,

Cari

[charlotteCH]

Hi Cari

You say he married in 1898... so if you bought his marriage cert. it would give his father's name and occupation.  This would help you trace him from childhood in the census.

The cert costsc 7GBP.
Go to freebmd site and search there forhis marriage- you'll then have the reference number that will enable you to buy the cert.  This can be done online.

Another way to get the names of both parents would be to buy Philip's birth cert. Search for the number the same way on freebmd.  YOu may find more than one Philip Bligh born about 1877.  Give that a go and see what tyou find.

Let us knoww what results you get and maybe we can suggest how to move on from that.

charlotte

[cariandcammy]

Hi Charlotte

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I already have his marriage certificate and there is no name for his father. I am therefore assuming that he was illegitimate. I think my next port of call will indeed have to be buying his birth certificate. Just thought I'd try here first to see if anyone had any other suggestions!

Cari

[charlotteCH]

If he married in 1898 he'd be identifiable of 1901 and 1911 census and this would give you his place of birth.

From that maybe as you know his mother's name you can work back thru earlier census and see what household have both him and her in them- then if a father's name turns up as head of household... bingo. From the place name for his birth you should be able to sort out if you're looking at the correct census image.

When the father's name doesn't appear we tend to conclude- usually correctly- that the person is illegitimate.

It's all detective work really

charlotte

[cariandcammy]

I should have said, he does not appear on the 1901 census, although his wife Ellen and son Reginald do. I found them on 1911 as a family. According to this census he was born in Ashford, Kent, but I don't even know his mother's name and no Philip Bligh's appear on the census for Kent (I've tried various spellings).

I enjoy a bit of detective work, that's what makes family research so interesting, but I've been at a dead end with Philip now for ages! Will have to give in and pay the £7!  I was so sure with him having an unusual middle name, he'd be relatively easy to find!

[bearkat]

His unusual middle name name may be a clue as to his father's surname. 

[cariandcammy]

I had that thought too! But I haven't got anywhere with it! 

[Tati]

Hi all 

I had a look at Philip's Army Papers and strangely, there are papers for Philip and Percy La(u)nder Bligh mixed up in the same file*. I'm starting to wonder whether he's the same boy, after finding this:

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=uki1881&indiv=try&h=8147388
RG11/908 50 13

(*added: Or was it in Percy's papers that I found Philip's name? )

[cariandcammy]

Hey!

What a find!
I had noticed in his army papers that there was some reference to Percy and assumed this was a nickname for Philip, but hadn't actually thought to look it up!

This census record certainly looks promising!

Thank you!