Frank Keeff Coldstream Guards & Worcestershire Regiment

[Patsy Beech]

Hi RootsChatters,
I need some help please in finding details about Frank Keeff, and I am having difficulty as his surname has various spellings!

My starting point is the marriage certificate for Frank Keeff to Ivy Kate Cuff on 13th March 1917. On the certificate he is 28 years old and his occupation is Private, Coldstream Guards, address The Barracks Caterham. He records his father as Thomas Keeff, Engineer.

With that information I searched the medal records and found him both as 8124 Private, Coldstream Guards, and Private 47917 Worcestershire Regiment.

I then tried to find his birth certificate and sent for Frank Keeffe who was born 22nd March 1884, 9 Manchester Street, Kensington Town. No father on the certificate, but mother Annie Keeffe, Laundress (which was a very common occupation in that area). Now this is a bit older than than I would have expected from the age given on the marriage certificate, and of course there is no father named Thomas so there is doubt if these two certificates relate to the same Frank!

What would be really useful is a service record (full of good information!) because without some clues of birth or census returns I have come to a full stop. The only census return I have found is for 1891 at St. Mary's Orphanage in Heston and Isleworth RG12/1025 where there is a Frank Keefe aged 7, born Middlesex St. Pancras. Do you think this is yet another Frank or does he belong to the birth certificate, marriage certificate or neither?

All suggestions very gratefully received.
Patsy

[Patsy Beech]

Hi me again folks,

What I forgot to mention was the marriage took place at St. John, Notting Hill, and that is why I had been searching in that area.

Thank you for looking at my messages.
Patsy

[Christine53]

There is a record of Frank Keeff  , b Hull 11 Nov 1887 , father Thomas a boiler maker , described as a 'bad lot' and sentenced to 5 years in Calder Farm Reformatory in 1901 ( West Yorks Reformatory School Records on A*y ). Then there is this record for Frank Keeff b Hull , serving in the Coldstream Guards and in Barracks in Aldgate :

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XWP9-C6R

You will need to use a paid sub to access the full details on whichever site you use for 1911.

The Army was often the destination of lads who had been in trouble.

[km1971]

Ancestry have a Silver War Badge entry - http://tinyurl.com/lvnsynr - showing he was a Regular soldier serving 1908 to May 1919 when he was 30. His service record must have been destroyed in the 1940 fire. However the Guards regiments appear to have kept their own copies. So you can apply to their Archivist. It costs £30 I believe.

https://www.coldstreamguards.org.uk/histories-of-the-coldstream-guards/archives.html

Oops now £33. Obviously taking advantage of the centenary.

Ken

[hanes teulu]

1891 Census  ref  RG12  3937  18  1

There is a Thomas Keef, age 28, b. Hull, occpn Planer Iron Fittings shop with a Frank Keef, age 3, b Hull

[hanes teulu]

Dundee Courier, 29 Sep 1914

LIST OF OFFICERS KILLED AND WOUNDED

Following a list of killed/wounded is the entry -

"A list of 46 admissions to the Alexandra Hospital, Cosham, under date 8 Sept, includes the following -
..........................
Keeff, 8124, Pte F., Coldstream Guards
............................

[Christine53]

The address for the Keeffs on the Reformatory record is 3 Chapel Court , Fish Street , Hull - they are at that address on the 1901 census , without Frank of course ;

Thomas Keeff 1863 Hull
Annie Keeff 1861
Thomas Keeff 1881
Cris Keeff 1893
Willie Keeff 1897

[hanes teulu]

The Aberdeen Journal, 29 Sep 1914 also reported his admission to Hospital -

"The following admissions to hospital of wounded men from the Expeditionary Force are reported - Alexandra Hospital Cosham - Coldstream Guards - Private F. Keeff"

[hanes teulu]

The Hull Daily Mail, Mon 11 March 1901 has a report of a Frank Keef, age 13, appearing in court along with several other lads.