Any ideas/info about this photo please?

[chinakay]

Where was he from? There are 8 William Wilkinsons in the IGI who were born in 1887, whichh would be his year of birth if he was 26 in 1913. Most of them in Lancashire.

But the photo has 1880 written on it.

In 1880 there were also 8 WIlliam Wilkinsons, from all over.

The International Genealogical Index is put out by the Mormons, whose hobby is genealogy, and it's the very first thing you need to know about when doing genealogy.

http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=igi/search_IGI.asp&clear_form=true

Then there are the censuses....have you found him there? If we was born in 1887 you'd only have the 1891 and the 1901 to work with, and maybe the 1911 depending on which pay website you go to.

I agree with Prue that the photo has been worked over. It's a very odd format and I don't think a professional one...any pro who put that sort of thing out would be run out of town in a hurry It is certainly not typical of a vintage photo of any era.

Cheers,
China

[ogohogoh]

Hello Pru - Many thanks for your input - it does rather look like an Eton School uniform...but it could just be a photographer's studio outfit.

Hi Nick and China,

My interest in my grandfather was aroused as I sifted through old family albums with a view to creating a family photo history/biography...unfortunately most of the photos are undated.  I hadn't thought seriously about getting to grips with the broader genealogy, just sort out the chronological order, but as I looked at all the vintage photographs I realized how little I knew about some key members of the family. 

My initial request was for a reading of the photograph...but it's now clear that if I want to know more about my grandfather (and I do) I need to do some serious research.  All this is very new to me and  I have yet to begin checking censuses.  I am particularly interest in him because no-one ever spoke of him. 

All I have to date is this photo (wrongly dated) and a copy of his Hackney marriage certificate as follows:  5th August 1913, William Wilkinson, age 26, Stock Brokers Clerk, of 70 Hallidon Street Lower Clapton. Father: Harry Richard Wilkinson (deceased) Licenced Vitualler.  His bride was Lilian Maud Tabor, 25 years, from Stoke Newington. Her father was Frank Horace Tabor, Fish Salesman (from Brightlingsea).

I do believe that the original photo was the work of a professional - it's a half-decent image and the boy has been carefully posed, but I agree it's also been the subject of some serious tampering.  Many thanks for your helpful comments and suggestions.

Best wishes, Fred

[chinakay]

Well...let's see what we can find.

Here's another site you will need:
www.fbmd.org.uk

If William was born in London, there are 3 likely candidates born in 1887, just plain William with no middle names. One in Lambeth and 2 in Poplar. I'm not English so I may have missed a registration district in the London area, not being that familiar with them, but I don't think so.

I can't find WIlliam in the IGI.

But....there is a Harry Richard Wilkinson. Born 1863 in Farnham, which would make him 24 when he had William. If he's the right person. Unfortunately Harry's baptism is not taken from parish or civil registers, but the information has been submitted by a member of the Mormon church. That doesn't make Harry a Mormon, however....as I mentioned their hobby is genealogy

I'm going to keep looking, but I suggest you move this query to the Common Room, as it's not just about a photo anymore, and you'll get much wider exposure there. There are some brilliant minds on Rootschat.

Give as much information as you have.

Cheers,
China

[chinakay]

Doesn't seem to be the right Harry Richard...this one is still living in Farnham in 1901, and doesn't have a son WIlliam.

[nickgc]

Good find on Harry Richard, China.  He does show up as born Sept Qtr 1863 in Farnham on FreeBMD.  So a birth reg will be available.  Also a marriage in June Qtr 1887 in Farnham.

Nick

[chinakay]

Hi Nick....doesn't seem to be him

I feel for this Harry, though....in the 1901 he's a gravel digger, and according to the IGI he died in British Columbia. I hope he had a better life there than the life of a gravel digger in Farnham.

Although they do have plenty of raw material for gravel in BC

Cheers,
China

[chinakay]

Oh, I think I've found him.

From the 1891 census:

In St Mary Paddington,

Henry R Wilkinson, age 30, manager of off-licensed house
Clara J, wife, age 30
William H. E. age 4 (birth year would be 1887)

Henry was born in Pimlico, Clara in West London, and William in Kennington.

Back to the 1901, where I wasn't having any luck

Cheers,
China

[chinakay]

Found Henry right away, in Kensington, but he's now working as a labourer G.L. (what would that be? General Labourer is my guess)...he is still married to Clara, and has 4 children with him, but William isn't one of them...

From FBMD, there is a Henry Richard Wilkinson born in the registration district of St George Hanover Square, in the Sept quarter of 1861. That's in the city of Westminster, and so is Pimlico. I lived in Pimlico for a short time

[chinakay]

So, still looking for William, and I'm trying to find his grandparents because he could be living with them.

Back in time, then, to the 1881 census.

We find a Henry R Wilkinson living in Battersea, a boarder aged 23, a Free Methodist minister from Paddington. Paddington isn't far from Pimlico, it's in the same registration district, and it begins with the letter P. Don't laugh....information is only as good as the person giving it, and if the person giving census information can only remember that a family member is from a London place beginning with P, that may be what you get

That's all I can find in 1881.

FBMD gives us a marriage between a Henry Richard Wilkinson and a Clara Jane Mostran in the Sept quarter of 1883. Children coming along fairly quickly in an era before birth control, William being born in 1887 makes me wonder if they might have had children previous to William..