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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: Joanne1smith on Thursday 21 December 17 15:36 GMT (UK)

Title: HELP! Richard Hughes, South Wales Borderers 3906592
Post by: Joanne1smith on Thursday 21 December 17 15:36 GMT (UK)
Hi,
I'm looking for details about my great grandfather.
I don't know many details other than the following:
Richard Hughes
1st South Wales Borderers
Lance Corporal 3906592
Based at Whittington Barracks, Staffordshire 08/1928
Married my great grandmother Doris Ada Smith 04/08/1928 & had one daughter *, but divorced sometime following & moved to Wales.
Then remarried & had more children but we have no details of these. Last known address:
16 Oakland Terrace, Ferndale, Cynon Taff, CF34 4UD
Any information would be gratefully appreciated.

Title: Re: HELP! Richard Hughes, South Wales Borderers 3906592
Post by: jorose on Thursday 21 December 17 16:13 GMT (UK)
Hi,

I've taken out the name of the daughter in case she's still alive.
Do you have the marriage certificate of Richard and Doris? That would give us his age and father's name.
With that it might be possible to locate him in the 1939 register

The divorce record is available from Kew. You could ask for a quote for a copy but it may be quite expensive:
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C8068494
Title: Re: HELP! Richard Hughes, South Wales Borderers 3906592
Post by: cath151 on Thursday 21 December 17 16:30 GMT (UK)
I think Doris  possibly married again in Tamworth in 1934 to the co respondent mentioned in the divorce papers.
Cathy
Title: Re: HELP! Richard Hughes, South Wales Borderers 3906592
Post by: Joanne1smith on Thursday 21 December 17 16:51 GMT (UK)
Hi,

I’m not sure if I’ve replied using the correct button - new to all of this!

Yes his daughter is still alive - that’s my lovely Nan.

I have a copy of their marriage certificate - it says he was 21 when they were married so he’d either be born 1907 or 1908. His father’s name was Charles Hughes and I know he was deceased when they married. I can’t read what it says his fathers occupation was.

Many thanks for your help!
Title: Re: HELP! Richard Hughes, South Wales Borderers 3906592
Post by: Joanne1smith on Thursday 21 December 17 16:54 GMT (UK)
I think Doris  possibly married again in Tamworth in 1934 to the co respondent mentioned in the divorce papers.
Cathy

Hi Cathy

Yes my great grandma re-married to the gentleman I always knew as my great-grandad.

It’s her first husband that I am looking to trace the history of.

Thanks for your help 😊
Title: Re: HELP! Richard Hughes, South Wales Borderers 3906592
Post by: jorose on Thursday 21 December 17 18:21 GMT (UK)
There was a Richard Hughes b. Ferndale about the right time, father Charles, here is the 1911 census:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XWXS-5FS

Perhaps he returned home after the divorce?

The parents of this Richard Hughes b. Ferndale would appear to be Charles Hughes and Gwen Bowen who married in 1894. A search on https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/indexes_search.asp shows Richard Hughes, mother's maiden name Bowen, registered June quarter 1907 in Pontypridd (covers Ferndale district), which would put his date of birth somewhere in April, May, or June of 1907 (possibly slightly earlier if there was a delay in registering his birth).
Title: Re: HELP! Richard Hughes, South Wales Borderers 3906592
Post by: jorose on Thursday 21 December 17 19:55 GMT (UK)
The father of this family, Charles Hughes, died aged 50 in 1918
https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Calendar#calendar
Here it is recorded that he was of 14 Lake-street Ferndale, Administration (i.e. no will) to son Ivor John Hughes, private H M Army.
Title: Re: HELP! Richard Hughes, South Wales Borderers 3906592
Post by: Joanne1smith on Friday 22 December 17 08:50 GMT (UK)
This is great - thank you so much.

Is there any way of finding out what happened to Richard Hughes? My Nan lost contact with him when she was 15 & we have no information about him after this. We don’t know when he died or what happened to his new family.

My Nan said she had a step-sister called Leonora (not sure of spelling) & a step-brother Richard. They would have been approximately 2 & 7 respectively around about 1944.

Thanks again for your help.
Title: Re: HELP! Richard Hughes, South Wales Borderers 3906592
Post by: Spidermonkey on Friday 22 December 17 14:39 GMT (UK)
Is there any way of finding out what happened to Richard Smith?

Richard Smith or Hughes? 

If you do mean Richard Hughes, then one online tree (on Ancestry) has him remarrying in 1935 (in Richmond, Yorkshire) and dying in California in 2000.

The free index to the 1939 register, suggests that his second wife (and presumably their family) are living in Ystradgynlais R.D., Breconshire
Title: Re: HELP! Richard Hughes, South Wales Borderers 3906592
Post by: chempat on Friday 22 December 17 15:44 GMT (UK)
This might be Ivor John mentioned on the probate:

Ivor John Hughes  mmn Bowen  born March quarter 1895 in Pontypridd

 
Title: Re: HELP! Richard Hughes, South Wales Borderers 3906592
Post by: chempat on Friday 22 December 17 15:57 GMT (UK)
California naturalization records:

Richard Hughes
Born 18th May 1907 in  Ferndale South Wales, United Kingdom
Arrived 30th September 1958 in New York, NY
Petition Date:   13th November 1964 at Los Angeles, California.
Spouse   Lenora Jean Mitchell (from Gillingham, Kent, born 23 March 1913)

Married 17 September 1934 in Richmond, 3 living children.

He is 5'8", 168 lbs, grey eyes, brown hair.
Title: Re: HELP! Richard Hughes, South Wales Borderers 3906592
Post by: chempat on Friday 22 December 17 16:01 GMT (UK)
I can see a Lenora born 1939, but no Richard.
Title: Re: HELP! Richard Hughes, South Wales Borderers 3906592
Post by: Joanne1smith on Friday 22 December 17 16:20 GMT (UK)
Hi,

Yes I mean Richard Hughes! I’m getting myself confused!!

Thanks
Title: Re: HELP! Richard Hughes, South Wales Borderers 3906592
Post by: chempat on Friday 22 December 17 23:30 GMT (UK)
This looks like his wedding:
Marriages September 1935
Richard Hughes to Mitchell    Richmond Y.   

Free bmd has her as marrying a Tagler
Marriages September quarter 1935
Lenora J Mitchell       Richmond Y.   
Title: Re: HELP! Richard Hughes, South Wales Borderers 3906592
Post by: chempat on Friday 22 December 17 23:35 GMT (UK)
Lenora Jean Hughes, born 23rd March, 1913, died 28th May 2007 in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Only one child claimed:
Children Lenora Gwendelyn Ann Thomason

Title: Re: HELP! Richard Hughes, South Wales Borderers 3906592
Post by: Joanne1smith on Saturday 23 December 17 11:11 GMT (UK)
Oh my goodness - thank you all so much!
This has lead to me finding what I believe is my nan’s half-brother & half-sister on Facebook.
I have contacted them & am waiting to hear back from them.
Can’t tell you how thankful I am
Title: Re: HELP! Richard Hughes, South Wales Borderers 3906592
Post by: chempat on Saturday 23 December 17 20:40 GMT (UK)
Brilliant.

Added:
Also a portrait.
Title: Re: HELP! Richard Hughes, South Wales Borderers 3906592
Post by: Joanne1smith on Tuesday 09 January 18 11:50 GMT (UK)
I just wanted to thank you all for your help.
We have found my nans half brother & half sister, & after 73years she has finally spoken to them on video messenger.
You are all fantastic - what a great job you do!
Sincerely thank you x