I am having major problems trying to find my great-great grandfather.
His name was James William Searle, born 1895. He married Dorothy Maud Bartlett in 1918. His occupation is ‘sailor’. They are both living at 35 Carlton Street. The last known address I have down for him is on my great grandmother Mildred Dorothy Searle’s birth certificate, where they lived at 35 Carlton Street, North St Pancras. Mildred was born in 1923, and I have found her father on the electoral register for the same year at this address.
I cannot find him after this year, however. Dorothy and James had a daughter, Amy, in September 1924 so presumably he is most likely still alive by that point. I have not seen Amy’s birth certificate so I am unaware of his address.
On Mildred’s marriage certificate from 1942, her father is also down as William James Searle, and he is already stated as deceased,
Dorothy passed away in 1944, and on the death certificate it is stated that she is the widow of a William James Searle. He is most definitely dead by 1942, I having a huge problem with finding him between the years of 1924-1942, and I cannot find a death for either names with an age that fits. I just want to know what happened to him.
Not only that, today I have been on Ancestry and viewed the Electoral Registers, and Dorothy appears to be living with her sister and brother in law in 1931 so James is more than likely dead or they have separated?
Many thanks for any help! I have been looking for him for over a year and still no joy.
I suppose he could just have sailed away, never to return and is then presumed dead?
Anyone got Findmypast sub? I can see two entries in the Merchant Seaman's Register 1918-41 for a J W Searle
I do. I can only see one entry, for 1938. Tells us nothing really. No full name just J W Searle. He's an asst cook. Dis. A. No. R79566 Name and Official NUmber of ship: 161420 (no name given)
And that's it.
PM me if you want a copy.
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East London: Happe/Hoppe (St. Georges in the East) Stanley (middle name Thurston) Rondeau (Spitalfields and Salford) Jones (Bishopsgate - Thomas, Ostrich Feather Manufacturer) Wood (London City) McDermott (Londonderry and Stepney) Upcraft (Bethnal Green) Chidgey (Shoredtich) Grim (Bethnal Green) Row (Mast makers in Wapping) Spurden (Stepney and Pancras) Glibbery (Bishopsgate)
I have checked out the merchant seamen and one JW Searle was hired as an assistant cook on ship no 161240 in 1936. 161240 on the registers the ship was called The Romney, built 1929, later renamed to Granny Suzanne owned by the Bolton Steam Ship Company.
So it's possible he didn't appear on the electoral registers if he was away most of the time.
I purchased the records already which were very helpful. The last service is stated as 8th April 1921 to 6th June 1921 on there, so I do not know if he sailed after that time period?
The card I looked at was recording his leaving the Romney in 1936. There is a JW Searle who died in Islington in 1964 with an approx birth of 1896 which would sugest the person registering the death did not know a lot about his/her past. Is anyone able to check the death/burial registers for more information. Might be worth taking a punt and getting the certificate.
I assume that you have chosen the following as your relative? 1895 Sept Pancras 1b 1 James William Searle
Yet you say that he is noted on the documents you have quoted as William James Searle Why have you discounted this one...................? 1898 Sept Pancras 1b 85 William James Searle
Is there any info from his marriage cert to Dorothy about their fathers?
Ray
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"The wise man knows how little he knows, the foolish man does not"
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