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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Yorkshire (West Riding) => England => Yorkshire (West Riding) Lookup Requests => Topic started by: pyghtle on Saturday 08 October 11 00:06 BST (UK)
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Hi Everyone,
It is ages since I have posted on this board, but I have decided to have another go at finding out what happened to my Maternal Grandfather Roland Russell. He was born in Leeds in 1889 and he married my Grandmother Emma Hope on 7/10/1911 They had 3 children, my mother was the middle one born in 1914, the youngest Jack was born in 1915, after that I do not know what happened to him .I believe that he went into the army and was killed in action as my Grandmother eventually re married, can anyone tell me, should there be a copy of his signing up papers somewhere, this would confirm that he was in the army and that would also tell me which regiment he was in.
Many Thanks Brenda
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There is no Medal Roll Index for him and no WW1 record. Some 60% of WW1 records were destroyed in the WW2 blitz.
The cwgc website has 80 entries for an R Russell but some only show the initial and have no other identification
www.cwgc.org
There is an MRI for Roland Walter George but it should be Rowland as I checked his birth reg and he was b Hampshire
Last child b Leeds 1915
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Hi Brenda
Do you have the details from your Grandmother's second marriage? It might help narrow the search somewhat.
Do you have any contact with other descendants of your Grandfather or his siblings' descendants, who might have some information?
Did your family remain in Leeds?
Kind regards and God bless you,
Lynne
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My Grandmother remarreied in 1935.
Roland had a brother Harold Russell born 1882 and a sister Evelyn born 1886.Father was John W Russell.
I do not have any contact with any descendants of Rolands siblings, maybe I should follow that route, it is such a shame, I have photographs of him, I never heard my mother talk about him, I got the impression that she never knew him.
Thanks for your help
Brenda
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In the 1911 Census there are 2 entries for Roland Russell born circa 1889
Roland Russell age 22 living in Leeds
Roland Russell age 21 living in Walsall Staffordshire.
In Free BMD for the period 1914 to 1984 there are deaths recorded for 2 Roland Russells with ages that tie in with a 1889 birth:
September quarter 1918 Roland Russell age 30 recorded in Kingston 2a 1118
March quarter 1959 Roland Russell age 69 recorded in Walsall. 9b 949
So your grandfather may be the one who dies in 1918.
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RoWland Russell, son of John William and Caroline Russell of 84 Shakespeare Street was baptised on 22 July 1888 (born 2 June 1888) at St Stephen, Burmantofts. John William is a Milk Dealer.
He has a brother Harold Frederick, born 1882 and a sister Evelyn, born 1885. All at the same address, 84 Shakespeare Street, but in 1882 John is a Miner.
John William Russell marries Caroline Thompson Cartwright at St Peter, Leeds on 6 March 1881. If you don't have the details I can add them.
BumbleB
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Thank you Bumbee, I do have the details.I notice the name Roland is spelt with a W, I never noticed that!Maybe that is why I cannot find any information.
Thank you for your information hjstort but I do not think either of the deaths would have been my Grandfather, if he did not die in the army then I am sure he would have died in Yorkshire.
I watched one of the 'who do you think you are' programmes and someone there traced an ancestor using the army signing up papers, which is why I decided to have another go, thinking maybe I could do the same. Surely there must be a record of him somewhere!
Thanks everyone
Brenda
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The signing up papers would be in his Army record. As Carole said, over 60% of the WW1 army records were destroyed in the blitz in WW2.
If he was killed in the war you would expect there to be a record on the CWGC site, unless he was never identified.
1935 seems quite a long time afterwards for your grandmother to remarry if Roland was killed in action. I hate to suggest this as a possibility, but quite a few soldiers never returned home from choice after WW1 - they simply took up a new life. I've got an example in my own family.
Were there never any family stories about Roland? I can't help but think your mother would have known if he had been killed in the war.
Anne
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There were only 2 births in 1888 for a Roland Russell - one of which was actually Robert Roland. Both were in Yorkshire
There was a Rowland Russell b 1889 Walsall which I suspect is the 1959 death and a Rowland Russell b 1889 Hampshire Isle of Wight who died in the same quarter of his birth
This leaves only your Roland. If he was missing in action and no body found - his wife would have been told and there would have been a presumption of death
His name would also have been on the cwgc website as previously stated
The 1918 death appears the likeliest in my opinion and I would recommend investing in a copy of the cert
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I agree with CaroleW and also Annes suggestion.
There is also the possibility that he was in a military hospital in England when he died. The death in Kingston is my choice too.
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There is a Rowland Russell aged 29 recorded as arriving New York 26 Nov 1917, a seaman on the Mendocino. You can see the record for free on the Ellis Island website, or on FindMyPast if you have a subscription. No further details unfortunately.
Anne
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Thank you everyone, the only person still alive who may be able to help is a Paternal Aunt (my fathers sister) She is 93 years old, still lives independently with a good memory, i am going to see her tomorrow, so will ask her AGAIN if she remembers anything, she has always said that he was killed in the war.The thing is all my Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents all lived within a stones throw of each other in streets in Leeds and none of them left the area, so I find it hard to believe that Roland would have gone to Kingston, I know it is possible...I once spent ages looking for my Great Grandfather only to find that he had left his wife and 6 children and gone to New York where he bigamously married again, so anything is possible.
I am not holding out much hope, but I will let you know if I find out anything new tomorrow!!
Brenda
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Saw my Aunt today but she could not help, she was only young and all she could remember was everyone saying that Roland was killed in the war, so maybe I will never know!!
Thank you again everyone for your help and advice!
Brenda
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Thanks for updating us Brenda. You've got a couple of avenues to explore - you never know!
Anne