My grandfather, Robert Redman (b 9 Jun 1890 in Brighton d 9 Jun 1945 in Northern Ireland) is something of a mystery to us. He is reported to have run away from home to join the army, but as he was underage he couldn't get into the Sussex Regiment, so he lied about his age and joined the 2nd Battalion Hampshire Regiment. The dob may not therefore be accurate!
He is in 1911 census, age 21 as a Private in 'Mauritius and South Africa'. We cannot find him in 1891 or 1901 census, neither can we find his birth. His marriage to my grandmother is on ancestry as is his Medal Rolls Card - he won the Military Medal in WW1 and fought at Gallipolli ad the Somme. We can't find anything else. We know he was the Sergeant in the Officers' Mess after the war and we also know he was stationed in Bingen on the Rhine in the Army of Occupation, as my Dad (born 1921 d 1994) clearly remembered skating on the Rhine in winter as a boy.
He was supposed to have a sister called Dora or Dolly Redman, who may have been on the stage - born around 1889 and died about 1974.
Family seem to think his father may have been called Ernest, but there is no evidence for this.
My Mum (now 89) remembers visiting Brighton with my Dad (Robert Leslie Redman, b 18 Aug 1921 in Bangor, N Ireland) in 1946, after my grandfather's death, and meeting a lady whom she was told was 'Aunt' Bessie - Robert Redman's cousin. We know that Bessie was Elizabeth Marie Hall (b Jan 1876 in Newington, Surrey), daughter of Christopher Hall and Maria Ann Penfold (b Mar 1845 in Brighton) and that Bessie married on 26 Sep 1898 Alfred Denniss Penfold (b Sep 1869 in Brighton), who is purported to be her cousin. He is said to be the illegitimate son of Eliza Caroline Penfold, Maria Ann Penfold's sister. His father was said to be unknown, but on his marriage certificate to Bessie, he put as his father someone with the same name as himself, deceased and occupation 'carpenter'. He and Bessie were apparently living at the same house at the time of their marriage (10 Old Shoreham Road, Brighton) which was their grandparents' house (Peter and Maria Penfold). Both Peter and Maria had died by then and I'm not sure who else was living in the house at that time. Perhaps it had been left to Alfred Denniss.
Eliza Caroline Penfold had another illegitimate child called Kate Beatrice Penfold (b 27 Mar 1875 in 47 Baker Street, Brighton) before marrying George Potter.
If anyone can help to shed some light on my grandfather's background and family, and or the connection between him and the Penfold family, through Aunt Bessie, I would be most grateful.
Thanks! Joy
