Percy West, Shillington

[lillibet dripping]

I am trying to trace my great-uncle, Percy West, born 1889 in Shillington, Beds.
His father was William West, mother Zilpah West and he had a younger brother Hubert and a younger sister Eva (my grandmother)

I can follow him through to the 1911 census when he was still living at home with his family (age 22).

After that, he disappears.  His brother Hubert was a conscientious objector, posted to Denton Camp, Newhaven in 1916.  I have searched deaths, marriages, immigration, military records - the lot, but can find no trace of him.

Father believes he 'died young, in a motorcycle accident', but that may be a 'cover-up' for him going underground rather than join the army?

Where should I look next?

[lizdb]

Never would have thought Percy West was such a common name, till I just looked at the death index to see when ones born around 1889 died - there are loads!

When did his Dad William die? Did he leave a Will? Did it mention Percy?
Is he a witness at either of his siblings marriages?

just a couple of ideas.

[lillibet dripping]

Hi Liz
Thanks for the reply.
Father, William West, actually died in a tragic accident when a mound on earth fell in upon him whilst excavating a building site in Luton.  Luton News reported the fatality on 19th June 1919. Younger son, Hubert, identified the body. No mention of elder son Percy.  Not sure if William left a will - must investigate this.
My grandmonther was only 9 at the time and never spoke of her father at all.
As far as I am aware, Percy was not a witness at Hubert's wedding, although I don't have the marriage certificate to back this up.  'spect this is the next stage?

The more I think about it, the more he must have gone underground or under a false name.  I have to wonder where Hubert got his conchie beliefs from.   I know the family were staunch Salvation Army followers, so their archives may also be worth a look.
Liz

[lizdb]

It could be, notthathe disappears or goes under a falsename, or anything dramatic. But rather that he didnt do anything particular with his life that warrants any sort of record that we can look at now.
If he didnt serve in the war for whatever reason (objector, or health issue) or if he is one of the many whose records have not survived, if he didnt marry, or did so in a different part of the country so it is hard to pinpoint, if his death is one of the dozens possible in the indexes ...   well, with the absence of censuses after 1911 there really isnt anywhere TO find him!
If the brothers went their separate ways (not unusual) and didnt keep in touch, then Percy could have happily lived out a normal life somewhere, and then died, but left nothing in particular for you to find now - other than his death being one of the many.
MAybe that is more likely than his going underground under a false name? !!!

[lillibet dripping]

I expect you are probably right! (I do like a bit of drama in a family though!)

How infuriating is it to have to wait for the next census to be released! Hope I'm still around to see it.
Liz

[lizdb]

I expect you are probably right! (I do like a bit of drama in a family though!)

  

If the 'died young in motorbike accident' rumour is correct, then you could look through all the Percy West deaths (of those born around 1889), after 1911 (as you know he was alive then) and narrow it down to those who died 'young' as worth pursuing. 'Young' being a fairly elastic description of course!

If he was still living at home when he died, then do you know where his parents were in 1911 and then when they died?
Have you got their death certs? Who was the informant?  Or - hang on, you have already said Hubert was around when Dad died in 1919.  Maybe Percy was either a) away on active service. b) already dead from his motorbike accident c) around, but Hubert was the one who did the formalities, maybe he just coped with it all better d) living a long way away, so by the time he got the news, made arrangements to have time off and got to the family, Hubert was dealing with it all.

Do you know what happened to Zilpah? Did she re marry, do you have her death?

[bedfordshire boy]

I can follow him through to the 1911 census when he was still living at home with his family (age 22).

That to me implies that you have found both his birth and the family in 1891/1901/1911, so I wondered why I was struggling to find his birth registration and to find them in 1891. Then I found his mother's marriage to William West -  in the Dec quarter 1891. And then I found him as Percy W Peck age 3 living with his grandfather and mother Zilpah Peck in Shillington in 1891.

So might he have reverted to his birth name of Percy PECK, or was it just in the censuses that he was shown as WEST?

There's a Percy George W Peck birth in Ampthill registration district in the June quarter 1888, and a Percy G W Peck age 33 death in the Dec quarter 1921 also in Ampthill RD.

Was his third name West, pointing to William being his father, or something mundane like William when any William might have sired him. You need his birth cert to see if a father was named, but three years after his birth was a long time for Zilpah to have waited for Mr West to have made an honest woman of her. The fact that his death was registered as Peck implies to me that he wasn't a West.


Is that enough drama?

David

[lizdb]

Is that enough drama?

Well done!

[lillibet dripping]

A thousand thank-you's!
Do you know what is so silly?  I knew all this info, but couldn't see the wood for the trees.  Sometimes it takes an outsider to see what is right in front of you!!!!

I have ordered the birth and death certificate this morning so will keep you posted.
Thanks again