One more try...

[Tuscany]

Thankyou will give it a try.

[dee-jay]

Is there any likelihood that he died a lingering death as a result of injuries sustained in the Blitz of Southampton?  That might explain a much older appearance and a guess as to age. 

[Tuscany]

I have his birth certificate so I know that in 1943 he would have been 55.  His marriage certificate for Ellen shows his age as 28 in 1916.  This all ties in, and I have never found a certificate for what was supposedly his second marriage.  I imagine he may not have married Jessie.  I wondered whether his daughter may have registered his death and possibly not known his age.

If he did leave his first wife and not marry the second 'wife' this would most likely explain why he was never mentioned in the family.

[avm228]

Perhaps this is Jessie's death?

Death, Dec qtr 1961

Jessie L. OLIVER aged 87

Southampton 6b 688


If so she'd have been born abt 1874...

[dee-jay]

Sorry, looks like you've pursued the wrong Harry.

FamilySearch pilot has Harry OLIVER, born 1871, son of James, marrying Jessie Louise YEATES aged 23 on 25 Sep 1897 at East Cowes, Whippingham.  There is a confirmatory baptism 19 March 1871 at East Cowes for Harry.

Update:
I took a look at your previous thread and, since that was started, it appears there may have been an earlier child:
FreeBMD 4Q 1917 OLIVER Betty R - ref. Southampton 2c 79 - Mother's Maiden name Mackenzie.

[Tuscany]

Grrrrr.........  Many thanks (I think) but it does seem you're right that somehow I've got on to a totally different Harry Oliver, and there are quite a few about.  Harry, born Cowes IOW son of James is nothing to do with my Harry whose father was Herbert, mother Jane and this is absolute certainty.  How you found another child baffles me because I've never come across her before, but she fits.  Thank you so much for that.  I'll now have another go at finding the real Harrys' death.

[dee-jay]

Perhaps this is as good a time as any to research into the origins of Harry's wife:  Ellen MacKENZIE.  In your earlier thread you mentioned a birth year 1889 for her, daughter of Thomas MacKENZIE.  Was her birth year deduced from age given on the 1916 marriage certificate?

Harry's former employer, Herbert Henry WALFORD was at 6 Cornwall Gardens, Kensington in 1911 but there was no sign of Harry in that census.  HHW's death was registered 1928 - aged 93.

From your postcard collection, are you able to draw up a timeline with places from the postmarks?  Some of my own memorabilia has enabled me to locate the whereabouts of individuals pre- and post-WW1.

[Tuscany]

I did go into Harrys wifes' family but I shall have to reaquaint myself with her history.  I did know about Harrys' employer who was a solicitor and had a house in Alresford, near Winchester.  I did manage to follow Harry round by the postcards but he seems to disappear.   

[lookingforold]

Did your Harry have a son also called Harry?