I wanted to share with you all a new break in this never ending story....
Thanks in a very large part to Millmoor (William)
Well, it seems one John Ferguson, born 1861 as John Rourke, son of James Rourke and Mary Toner, step son of Terrence Ferguson and husband to Agnes Croan. Seaman merchant service and seemingly lost after the 1901 census has been found ...
Millmoor found him in the seaman merchant service records ...both records stamped from Sunderland England Office
First a document in 1924 where John has changed his name from Ferguson to Rourke
Then his discharge in 1928 (says again changed name from Ferguson to Rourke)
Date of birth on both 1861 Glasgow ....
So John went back to his birth surname after all those years of being Ferguson, even marrying as Ferguson and all his children and grandchildren and ancestors carrying the Ferguson last name!!!! I know some family who will not be happy giving up the Ferguson
Obviously by Agnes' death in 1916 his family presumes he was dead or they knew they had been abandoned by him?
John obviously left them in Edinburgh and never went back ... Millmoor found a death that might match in Sunderland 1935.
Could this story get anymore unbelievable
?
Thanks so much to Forfarian, Br1gau and Millmoor you guys really have outdone yourselves here...and I not sure without all your pooled efforts whether this would have EVER been solved!!!