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Research in Other Countries => Other Countries => Topic started by: alllegs on Thursday 25 October 07 16:53 BST (UK)
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Hi,
Just looking into my friends family history and her maternal grandfather was from Mexico, how would we go about finding Mexican information? We know his name was John and his surname was possibly Cook. We're not sure if he was actually Mexican or whether his family may have moved out there in a previous generation. He was born circa 1910 and moved to the UK circa 1930/40 where he settled down and married.
Any info or advice would be great.
Thank you in anticipation
Legs
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I don't know about Mexican records, but the first thing would to be firm up the details you have on John possibly Cook born about 1910. Records in the UK that might be useful would be his marriage certificate, death certificate and possibly naturalisation information.
Do you know if he served in WWII?
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Unfortunately I have no idea whether he fought in WWI or WWII. I have tried searching for a marriage cert but cannot trace one. He married Sadie Justice/Seaton. She was married twice. He maiden name was Justice.
My friend has gone to quiz her parents about them so fingers crossed she'll find some more info.
Thank you for your help.
Legs
xxxx
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Hi,
I now have a bit more info on these guys
John Cook was possibly born in London c1908. He married Sarah Ann Rebekah Seaton in the early 1940s (can't find exact date yet).
Would it be possible to find ships lists to Mexico? Or would they sail to the US and go by land to Mexico?
TIA
Legs
xxxx
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You could look for them leaving UK on FindMyPast website.
Like most 'recent' searches it may be more difficult to find information.
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http://www.findmypast.com/passengerListPersonSearchStart.action should list them, although it doesn't seem there were many ships directly to Mexico. They'd be more likely to go to the US and then take another ship or go via land.
So Sarah was nee Seaton, married Mr Justice, then married John, or nee Justice, married Mr Seaton, then married John? Are you saying that he and Sarah went to Mexico after they married?
I can see a Sarah A. R. Seaton b. 1911 on freebmd - was this possibly her?
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That is Sarah's birth Jorose, yes, sorry if I confused you, we think she was born Seaton, married Mr Justice then married John Cook. Their 1st child was born in 1947 in Thanet. ****** Cook, mothers maiden name = Seaton.
Thank you for the link, I'll have a nosey.
Aghadowey, I always forget about findmypast....thank you for reminding me!
I have searched Justice~Cook marriages and cannot find them from 1940-1947
Legs
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Have you tried looking for a Cook-Seaton marriage?
Any idea took John to Mexico in the first place- quite possibly a job like government position, engineering, etc.
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Is John's father Alfred?
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Aghadowey - I have no idea why John was in Mexico, I have looked for a Cook Seaton marriage but not found anything as yet.
Karen, I'm not sure of John's fathers name, sorry. Did you get my facebook email??!!!
Legs
xxxx
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This is what Karen emailed me, it's very hard to read but the only link we can find for a (William) John Cook and Mexico at about the right time. Sorry about the size of it but it's even harder to read if it's any smaller.
L
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That appears to be the record for this fellow:
http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/index.cfm?fuseaction=showIndividual&entitY_id=3816&source_type=A
William John Cook, aka Anthony Tudor.
What was your John Cook's occupation (e.g. from birth certificates)? That would make a difference to the search. Due to the timing, I wonder if they met while John was stationed in England during WWII?
Another way to approach would be to look for the first marriage and what happened to Mr Justice. Were there any children from Sarah's first marriage?
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I've not got John's daughters birth certificate, I'm waiting for my friend to get it off her mum.
Having looked at the link you sent I'm certain that that is not the right man, as he came back to London, married and had kids.
I'm not sure about Justice children. My friends mum only knows about her siblings (she is the oldest) and a previsous marriage to Mr J.
I'll have a look for a death and marr for Mr J.
Sorry I'm not being very helpful!!!
Legs
xxxx
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OK, found Sarah's marriage to Mr J
Wycombe, December 1934, 3a, 2960, Sarah A R Seaton married Sidney W Justice
Cannot find a death for Sid nor a marr for Mr Cook and Sarah though....
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OK,
John ES Cook married Sarah AR Justice or Seaton, March 1/4 1948 in Thanet
Cert has been ordered
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Although I can't see the full reference, a Sidney William Justice died in Buckinghamshire in 1996. Possibly there was a divorce? (Sidney W. Justice was born in Buckingham district in 1914, and I suspect this is the first husband).
I also found a son to Sarah and Sidney in 1935 (amj quarter), but I won't put the information on here as he may still be living. You should be able to spot the record without too much of a problem, but if you can't see it I'll PM the details later.
Well done on the marriage! Two middle names ought to help locate him. Incidentally, there's a John E. S. Cook b. 1913 in Greenwich/St. Olave (he seems to have been registered twice?), mother's maiden name Covell. Might be a red herring, but a Greenwich link might suggest navy/merchant navy... (that'll have to wait for the certificate, really, but it's fun to speculate).
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Thank you Jorose
Sid and Sarah had 2 sons according to my friends mum (2nd one born in North Bucks in 1938). Sarah and John had another daughter prior to friends mum, so perhaps a divorce was occuring hence John and Sarahs marriage after the birth of 2 daughters....?
Any idea how I would search for a divorce?
Will have a look for the son now, thanks.
I found another John ES Cook born 1913, JFM 1/4 in Leicester, mother's maiden name = Beck
Speculation keeps me off the streets and out of trouble!!!!
Legs
xxxx
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More speculation but there is a marriage between Louisa Covell and Edward A Cook in JFM 1911 in St Olave....
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I can't find anywhere to search for divorces after 1935....
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Hmm... there definitely are files in J77 on the NA catalogue that go beyond 1935, but apparently most case files beyond 1938 were destroyed and no longer exist. I had a quick look at the Times (which should have mentioned the case, but often only by surname in a long list of divorce cases going up before the judge, and with surname "Justice" it makes it a bit difficult), but no luck.
Principal Registry of the Family Division, Decree Absolute Section, First Avenue House, 42-49 High Holborn, London WC1V 6NP (020 7947 7015) seem to be the people you should be checking with if there was a divorce - probably best to narrow it down as much as you can first. If they do find something, apparently you want to ask for copies of both the decree absolute and decree nisi to get all the possible information (i.e. cause of divorce, etc).
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oh heck, now it turns out that Sarah had 2 sons (1935 and 1938) and a daughter (1943) to Sidney Justice. However, my friend and her family think that the daughter is John Cook's daughter....
Although I guess Sarah could still have been Mrs Justice (whether married/divorced/widowed) when her and Mr Cook's daughter were born in 1943? Although the next daughter born as a Cook in 1947 was born before Sarah married Mr Cook....
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Thank you for the divorce info, I'll have to ask my friend what she wants to do about finding that as it'll cost £40. At least I seem to have narrowed the dates down a little! I searched J77 on the National Archives site, but nothing came up for those two, it seems likely that it would have occured after 1983 as son number 2 was born in 1938 so it may not exist any longer I guess...?
Maybe they didn't divorce....? Bigamy??? Or perhaps we just haven't found Sid's death...?
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A Summary of the facts....
Sarah Ann Rebekah Seaton was born in the Winslow district in Dec 1/4 1911.
She married Sidney William Justice in the district of Wycombe in Dec 1/4 1934
They had 2 sons, June 1/4 1935 in district of Aylesbury and Dec 1/4 1938 in district of North Bucks
A Justice daughter was born in district of North Bucks in Dec 1/4 1943
In 1947 another daughter was born to Sarah indexed under Justice and Cook.
Sarah married John ES Cook in Thanet district in 1948. More children are born.
Sidney Justice dies in 1996
Now the speculation.....
Sidney Justice joined the forces and fought somewhere in WW2, whilst he was away Sarah met John Cook and gave birth illigitimatly to daughter Justice in 1943.
Sidney returns home to find Sarah with John and files for divorce. Daughter 2 was born and registered under Cook and Justice as both parents were present, still awaiting divorce.
Divorce comes through and Sarah and John marry in 1948.
What do you reckon...?
Legs
xxxx
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Are WWII files available?
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No idea Karen.....
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Hi,
Me agian, received John and Sarah's marriage certificate today, Sarah was divorced from Sidney and she married John in Jan 1948.
John's birth is the one Jorose located in 1913, as his father is Edward Arthur Cook who married Louisa Covell in 1911 in St Olave.
On Sarah's side, her parents were William John Seaton and Kate Ellen Smith. They married in Kingston in 1908.
So now I need to find Sarah's divorce between 1935 and 1848......
Legs
xxxx
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What was John's full name on the marriage certificate? Might be able to find something on him from that. It's quite possible he was named on the divorce - if there was one and she wasn't being a trifle economical with the truth.
If there was a daughter born in 1947 who used the name Justice/Cook but they didn't marry to 1948, I'd start first looking for a divorce in 1947/8, with the marriage right after.
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His full name is John Edward Samuel Cook, born St Olave district 1913.
There were 2 daughters born before the marriage, one in 1947 registered as Cook and Justice and one in Dec 1/4 1943 registered as Justice but believed to be the daughter for John Cook as Sidney was away fighting in WW2.
Where would I look for a divorce in the late 40's? the latest records I can find online are only until 1935.
Legs
xxxx
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The only place I can think of is to write to the address I gave upthread:
Principal Registry of the Family Division, Decree Absolute Section, First Avenue House, 42-49 High Holborn, London WC1V 6NP (020 7947 7015)
and ask them to confirm if there was a divorce - I'm not sure . Case files have not survived. I tried looking in the Times which often listed divorce cases but couldn't find anything - they usually just listed surnames and the surname "Justice" makes it difficult.
http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/ - if you do an exact search for the phrase Cook, John Edward Samuel a hit in 1992 will come up relating to his death.
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Good idea, I'll speak to my friend and see what she wants to do.
Justice isn't the easiest name to search for divorce wise is it?!!!!
Struggling to locate John Cook's father on the 1901 census.... and Sarah's mother!!!
Why are Cook and Smith so popular?!!!! :)
Legs
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