Photo: G L Drew

[YourAncestors]

Another photo in my collection which I hope to be able to pass to a proven descendant.

I have a Cabinet Portrait of man by Slater, Llandudno, North Wales,  An inscription on the reverse reads Pte G L Drew 2nd VB Manchr.  A second pencilled inscription reads Bro G L Drew.

I conclude from the first inscription that Private Drew was in the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, Manchester Regiment.  The second inscription suggests that he was a Freemason.  This seems to be borne out by the fact that his watch fob bears the Freemasons Compasses and Square.

I am posting on this board since I'm not sure in which Private Drew lived.  There is a good chance that he was in Llandudno on holiday!

I'd be very pleased to hear from anybody who can prove their descent from Private Drew.  Thanks

[jorose]

Do you know what year approx. this photo would have been taken?

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk shows a "Private G. L. Drew" in the Manchester Revolver Club in 1900,  as well as various other hits in the early 1900s for him in shooting competitions and in relationship to Freemasonry.  Perhaps he was in the Llandudno area for a competition?

Not descended, but I'm going to offer up a possibility in the hopes of drawing relatives to this thread:
George Lea Drew, b. Ireland around 1865, m. 1890 to Ann Eliza Mills in Preston district, possibly d. 1930 aged 65, in Runcorn district, wife died aged 85 in Stockport district in 1950.   They seem to have mostly resided in the Heaton Norris area (which is within Stockport district).

Annie Constance, 1891, b. Brentford district (may have married 1926 Manchester, to a Mr Hawkins - one possible daughter b. in Manchester)
Dorothy, b. 1898 Stockport district (d. 1945 unmarried Stockport district?)
Lilian May, b. 1901 Stockport district ()

[YourAncestors]

Thank you very much for pointing me towards the BNA.  The G L Drew in the newspaper reports certainly sounds like the same person as in my photo.  You many well be right about a competition in the Llandudno area.  It's all too easy to assume that people just go there for a holiday.

Thank you also for the information for the information about George Lea Drew.  He could be the sitter in my photograph.  As is often the case, there is no date on the photograph but the design on the back would be right for the mid-late 1880s.  That would make George Lea Drew a candidate as the man in the photo appears to be in his 20s.

I think what I need to do now is to see if I can find out whether a George Lea Drew, born in Ireland, actually served in the Manchester Regiment.

Thanks very much for pointing me in the right direction.  Very much appreciated.

[ShaunJ]

There's a photo of George Lea Drew attached to a tree on Ancestry http://tinyurl.com/oyot5ru

[YourAncestors]

Thank you very much, ShaunJ.

At first, I did not think that George Lea Drew in the Ancestry picture was the G L Drew in my photograph.  In the Ancestry photo, the nose seemed to me to be quite large even allowing for ageing.  However, there was something about the hairline which caught my attention - it seemed to match my photograph, particularly on the sitter's left side.

I have just spent the best part of an hour going through British Newspaper Archive images (mentioned by jorose) which mention G L Drew in his various shooting competitions.  One, in particular, caught my mind as it had the name Dorothy Drew in brackets.  It seems from one of the  Ancestry trees I looked at that George Lea Drew had a daughter called Dorothy.  I've not read the article thoroughly yet, but it seems to me that Dorothy may have been his shooting partner that day.

So, it seems quite likely that my G L Drew was George Lea Drew.  I think there's certainly enough there for me to contact the tree owner.  Fingers crossed.

Sincere thanks to jorose and you for putting me on the right track.

[YourAncestors]

jorose and ShaunJ

Thank you both very much for your help.  Following an exchange with the tree owner, I am convinced that my photographs are, indeed, of George Lea Drew.  The photos are now winging their way to George's Great Granddaughter!

Couldn't have done it without your help so, thanks again!