Thank you CaroleW. You found it quicker than I could look up my details! Yes, we know from the family that Lydia and Margaret were both Johns children. One other was born but died. We can only assume that as John worked on ships, he was away a lot......He deserted his family by leaving a ship at New York in 1904 and they went into workhouse. He did return, but we find the family in thenworkhousenagain 1911 and the mother is still shown as married, but no sign of John anywhere. This is why we believe he deserted family again. I have had help on this site to try to trace john, but to no avail. I am therefore now trying to trace his parents. John is shown in 1871 census Aged 12, living with William White who married Sarah Ann Bradshaw. Other Bradshaw children also shown, so we assume both parents already died? We have birth for John in Richmond, Sheffield. There were 2 sheffields at that time, one near Richmond, therefore his birth place shown as Sheffield. We do have other census showing john as a child living with William White and Sarah. Sorry if this is confused.
