Joseph Ralph WATSON

[shellyesq]

Also I think I am correct in stating that in USA the BMD indexes are not transcribed and one has to search manually through the relevant district / county etc., in some states there is a 100 year law of confidentiality. I could be wrong but I know it is something along these lines, hopefully someone knows the answer to this.

Every state has its own rules.  Some have certificates or indexes online, and others don't. 

A helpful site with a pretty comprehensive, but not overwhelming, list of what's online is http://www.deathindexes.com/sites.html

Minnesota has a birth index here - http://people.mnhs.org/bci/ 

[bendywendy]

shellyesq, many thanks for the information
b.

[scotiagirl]

shellyesq,

Thanks so much for this information.  Nothing is popping up yet for the woman I'm looking for but I still have a few other spelling variations to try.  Thanks again.

On another note, I did find a sort of record for the death of Ralph Watson.  Library and Archives Canada has a microform digitized index of "Veterans Death Cards: First World War".  Ralph Watson shows up there but, as luck would have it, there is no information filled in for "died at", "next of kin", "address", "remains buried in" or "grave location".  The date of death is given as "17-11-57".   These cards were supposed to included those deaths that were reported to Veterans Affairs up until the 1960s.  Maybe Veterans Affairs can help me fill in the blanks as somebody had to report his death.

Thanks everybody.

[bendywendy]

http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/contact
b.

[Westwood21]

Hello All!
I am a complete beginner to chat rooms and forums but I am compelled to reply having just found all your posts on the subject of Joseph Watson.  I'm afraid I have arrived rather late to the party but I might be able to be of help, albeit limited since the family were banned from all mention of his name...  He is an extremely close relative of mine but I'm not sure how much to divulge on the web.
I have a copy of his marriage certificate in front of me.  He was married to Ellis Boyes on 1st November 1904 at St Michael's Church, Cherry Burton.  He was 21 and she was 22.  He is described as a Coal Agent residing at Gardham, Cherry Burton.  His wife is from Beverley.  Joseph Watson (father) was described as a Tenant Farmer and Bryan Boyes, Ellis's father, as a Paint Merchant.  The certificate does not state Joseph's middle name.
I can confirm that this couple had two children:  Joseph (Skidder) Watson b.1905 (I think) and Ellis Joan Watson (known as Joan) b.1907
I have somewhere a faded photograph of Joey (as he was known) and Ellis and their two very young children in a room in their house in Beverley.  Shockingly for those days, he deserted Ellis around this time and "ran away to Canada" leaving her traumatised, degraded and penniless.  Hence in the 1911 census she has returned to live with her father (her mother, Florence, had died aged 29).
I'm afraid I know nothing about Joey's life after he left, as I have explained, but I can certainly fill in information about Ellis and their children.  [Sir] Henry Samman (Harry) had been a childhood friend and indeed a friend of the family.  I believe he had always had his eye on Ellis but she was completely smitten with Joey, against warnings in letters I have in my possession.  She married Harry in 1914.
Hope this gives some clarification.  I am more than happy to help further.  I confess I am still reeling over all the information you have supplied re Joseph Watson and am immensely grateful to you all.  All my life I have wondered what happened to him and have drawn blanks whenever I have tried.  Thank you!

[scotiagirl]

Great information westwood 21.  Welcome aboard.  I'm still trying to make the definitive connection between your Joseph Watson and my Ralph Beverly Watson.  On the marriage certificate that you have, does it state his mother's name?  Thanks.

[Westwood21]

Hi Scotiagirl,
This is very exciting for me too!  The answer is no, but I've always known we were related to the Sandersons, so there is your answer I think....
I am trawling through all the information that you lovely people have come up with and I can see quite a few things I know the answer to.  Do keep asking the questions!
I know that Harry Samman was in the Boer war, but I didn't know that Joey went with him.  Love rivals....  Fascinating.
I am guessing, because it wasn't allowed to be mentioned, that the divorce between Ellis and Joey was automatic because of his desertion/disappearance?  Also, I guess that he may have changed his name so that he would be difficult to contact?  He was quite a naughty boy by reputation, but I don't know what he had done to turn so many people against him prior to the marriage because of the veto in mentioning his name.  I'm sorry to talk about him like this, but we are both related to him so I feel a bit of entitlement.  I saw the consequences.
Keep going, you are doing a fantastic job and I would so love to put all these ghosts to bed.

[bendywendy]

Hi Westwood21
Welcome, this is a fascinating family and so many twists n turns and secrets.
With these threads getting ever longer I have to keep going back and re-reading 
What else do you know of the wider Watson families can you add anything

Kind regards
bendywendy

[Westwood21]

Hi bendywendy,
Thanks for the welcome.  Delighted to be aboard ship! 
It wouldn't take Sherlock Holmes to guess about which side I know the most.  As you know, I am keen to go backwards, but I can tell you about Joseph and Ellis's offspring if it's of interest.  Skidder and Betty had three children, John, Michael (Mickey) and Christine Watson.  Joan Moody (Watson) and Brian had two, Peter and Virginia.  I could put meat on the bones here, but I guess it's not what you are after.  I know nothing of Joseph Watson's siblings.  Ellis tore up every photograph but I have just one or two of Joey that escaped and the odd one that I think was taken at their house in Gard(h)am, possibly showing sisters (unattributed).  I'm sure Scotiagirl is far more genned up.
You have uncovered so much between you all and I need to read and digest all 23 pages that I have downloaded.  I've just spotted something I can clear up.  Joan Watson was born in Didsbury (for no known reason - Ellis passing through - but never explained) on 6th January 1907 but someone made a mistake and she was registered as being born on the 16th.  Re the Yorkshire Yeomanry entry, four men were mentioned as volunteers (Boer War) - Henry Samman, Joseph Watson and two other employees of Arthur Wilson's hunting stables.  Arthur Wilson Filmer was a good friend of the Sammans.  I knew him.  I'm sure the information is correct or, rather, what you were looking for.  He owned Tranby Croft, a house at Anlaby near Hull which is where the famous Baccarat scandal involving the Prince of Wales took place.
I've now reread the whole lengthy and fascinating discourse.  My helpfulness only extends to Joseph's fairly brief first marriage and it's progeny, and it seems he and his father left Beverley far behind to make their lives overseas with new families.  You have all laid so many ghosts for me - huge thanks - but maybe I am better to stick with the eccentric step-grandfather that I grew up with, loved and admired.  Another book here to be written one day!
And a big Hello to all my new-found rellies....
Thanks again, all.