Harry Lewis England

[ACEngland]

Hello good people

I am endeavouring to find out about my great grandfather, Harry Lewis England, particularly the circumstances of his birth, and the names of his parents.

I have discovered that he served in the Royal Navy (from 1 January 1873 to 25 September 1894) and have his service history. That service history notes that he was born on 13 September 1855 in France.

... but where in France?

... and who were his parents?

I am essentially an absolute beginner at genealogy so any help given will be very gratefully received

Thank you very much indeed

Andrew England

[charlotteCH]

Hi Andrew and welcome to rootschat.

One question that would seem to me to need answering is whether  a birth [assuming English parents which may well be the case given the surname] in France for which you have an exact date  was registered in any form in England or do you need a French birth cert to find his parents.   I haven't a clue about this but I wonder if his father was in the army and his regiment was in France in1855.

No answers there but maybe teasing it out a bit will give some ideas- and then someone will answer who has more info.
Sorry not to be more help.

charlotte

[Tati]

Hi Andrew (and Charlotte),

The census returns only ever seem to give his birth place as France  

Here he is in 1861 with his parents

1861
RG9/686 68 17
Lockerley, Hampshire
Lockerley Green
George England, head, 36, Ag lab, b. Wilts West Dean (1871 says Wilts West Tytherley)
Mary Ann, wife, 35, b; Hants Lockerley
Harry L, son, 7, scholar, b. France British Subject
Harriett M, dau, 6, scholar, b. do.
Elizabeth, dau, 5, scholar, b. Hants Lockerley
Mary A, dau, 7 mo, b. Hants East Titherley?

 

[charlotteCH]

Well done Tati [as usual   ]- the obvious thing to do was look
at census silly me...

but in a way the myserty deepens in what an ag lab was doing in France with his wife?
Unliley to be on a holiday... so maybe the army?

So now you have his parents, Andrew.

Why not search the freebmd site to see if a marriage comes up for George England and a Mary Ann surname unknown.  Long shot but worth a try.

charlotte

[Tati]

West Dean, Wiltshire it was, apparently ...

1841 census
HO107/1164/5 5 4
West Dean, Wiltshire
Henry England, 45, Ag lab
Thomas England, 20, Ag lab
George England, 15, Ag lab
Edward (or Edmund?) England, 14, Ag lab
Emma England, 11
Charles Cole, 4
Charlotte Cole, 4
Thomas Cole, 2

All born Wiltshire

[Gaie]

Hi Andrew and welcome to Rootschat  

There are a few George England / Mary Ann ? marriages, so it might be worth obtaining Elizabeth's birth certificate to confirm Mary Ann's surname:

Birth June Qtr 1856 Romsey Registration District (Hampshire, includes Lockerley) Vol 2c Page 69
Elizabeth ENGLAND

Kind regards
Gaie

[Gaie]

Ah, Lymington is in Hampshire!

Sep 1852 Lymington Vol 2b Page 809
DUNNING Sarah
ENGLAND George
READ James
SOUTHWELL Mary Ann
are the possible couples.

Kind regards
Gaie

[Gaie]

Andrew, just in case you don't know, the FreeBMD to look for registration of births, marriages and deaths from 1837 to about 1915 (it is an ongoing project) is at this website:

http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl

Kind regards
Gaie

[Tati]

Born in France but christened in Hampshire quickly afterwards:

Extracted IGI christening record from the IGI:

Harry Louis England
22 July 1855 Lockerley, Hampshire

Father George England, mother Mary Anne

So 13 Sep 1855 seems wrong