McHamiltons from The Shetlands

[Rosinish]

Debra, this one's an enigma with many twists & turns (info. not adding up/matching), see Reply #1

His age seems to match but PoB & mother's name don't although the name John James does exist & there is a John James who was in Shetland.

I believe John (Harold) was indeed illegitimate although possibly related to the John James who was in Shetland?

There's this one who may actually have been his g/father?

HAMILTON JOHN JAMES 06/08/1805
DANIEL HAMILTON/HARIET CAMPBELL FR219 (parents) (Hariet/Hettie)
636/ 10 362
Crawfordjohn (Lanark)

Could his mother have died & he thought she was Hariet/Hettie?

Could he have been brought up with a relation of the John James in Shetland?

It just seems strange he could pick out the place name of Shetland as it's a remote island, miles from mainland Scotland.

His name is not to be found in Scotland let alone Shetland but his age fits almost with the George on the 1881 in Shetland i.e. could he have changed his name for whatever reason but if so, why give his father's correct name yet a different name for his mother...it's a curious one for sure with so many ideas/thoughts/scenarios coming to mind.

Annie

[Banks2233]

Sorry I have given you all a real mystery to deal with. I do like a challenge, but this  is Possibly the worst one I have come across.

[whiteout7]

Debra, this one's an enigma with many twists & turns (info. not adding up/matching), see Reply #1

His name is not to be found in Scotland let alone Shetland but his age fits almost with the George on the 1881 in Shetland i.e. could he have changed his name for whatever reason but if so, why give his father's correct name yet a different name for his mother...it's a curious one for sure with so many ideas/thoughts/scenarios coming to mind.

Annie

George Hamilton born 1869 in Chile can be found in Brentford, England in 1911, with sisters Annie (b 1867)  and Mary Hamilton (b1864) both born in Chile. So I'm thinking he is not the same man as John Harold Hamilton born Shetland who married in Australia in 1909.

Added George Hamilton b 1869 Chile died 1951 in London and is buried in Kirkudbright Cemetery
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/71504200/george-hamilton

John James Hamilton's death (born 1930)
Deaths Mar 1917
Hamilton   John J   87 years old   Brentford   3a   268
The district Brentford is in the county of Middlesex

His Wifes death (born 1842)
Deaths Mar 1916   
Hamilton    Mary A S    74    Brentford    3a   180

Mary was "Mary A S Foster"

[Rosinish]

Good find whiteout!

I believe elimination is as good as confirmation where/when there's doubt 

I discovered the other post last night...
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=796634.msg6535060#msg6535060

The link Dundee posted was interesting!
http://soda.naa.gov.au/record/4435993/1

This gave a specific DoB as 1st Jan 1870 although PoB unknown 

Not sure how the PoB 'Unknown' came about when elsewhere Shetland is stated, furthermore where he enlisted is also 'Unknown'...not very helpful 

Anyway, I trawled every birth on Shetland on familysearch (1870) & although not 100% reliable it's 2nd best to SP prior to purchasing genuine docs & found no-one who was male born on 1/1/1870!

It's still very strange why he would pick out a surname so unique who was actually on Shetland 

The other thing which puzzles me even more, a change of identity is something but to then change DoB as well as invent a middle name is beyond comprehension as keeping a forename would have been more simple (if it was myself anyway), not to mention the place of Jamestown (Shetland) which doesn't exist (although possibly did once-upon-a-time) although I don't believe so?

Annie

[whiteout7]

Like MaxD I believe his British Medal Card occured when he served Britain from Australia.

The date of 30.8.15 Discharged on shore is interesting in itself, "Admiralty, who had took her to Britain and scuttled her in August 1915, in Holm Sound, Scapa Flow, the United Kingdom’s chief naval base during World War I" - Scapa Flow in Orkney

This is also interesting - "she was manned by her New Zealand civilian crew" ((possibly an inaccurate statement!!)) http://www.ssmaritime.com/Aorangi-II.htm


There was a Jamestown in New Zealand once that was colonised by Nova Scotians, Shetlanders and Orkney Islanders. Haven't found a John Harold McHamilton birth in NZ

To be a chief cook he must have been crewing on ships for a small while before 1914 as he was in charge of supplies and possibly other men in the kitchen. This vessel could carry more that 100 passengers.

[Rosinish]

The only other explanations, if he was indeed born in Shetland are he was not born by the name he was using or he wasn't registered for whatever reason but I believe him to have changed his name or been illegitimate &/or born elsewhere?

The middle name of 'Harold' may have been his surname although not found in Shetland either 1860 - 1880.

Annie

[Blue70]

This reminds me a bit of John Barney Hines the Liverpool born Australian soldier who left a wife and kids in Liverpool, went down under and changed his name from Heim to Hines and covered up his German parentage. Going to another country gives a person the opportunity to present themselves in a different way and cloud things from their past.


Blue

[Skoosh]

A bit like the royal family then! 

Skoosh.

[Rosinish]

I think it's possible John Henry was born Jamisontown, Zetland, New South Wales, Australia

Having thought about everything, I don't recall any specific mention of Scotland i.e. an error in spellings may be likely or (misunderstanding) 

Annie