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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Lancashire => England => Lancashire Lookup Requests => Topic started by: Claddagh on Saturday 12 October 13 03:45 BST (UK)
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Hello everyone,
I am trying to find out if the widow of Canadian soldier Hector Joseph Pressever emigrated to Canada and if she had any children with Mr. Press. I dont have a wedding certificate but I assume that they were married in England.
Can anyone point me in the right direction where I might find answers to my questions?
Name: Hector Joseph Press
D.O.B.: January 21, 1918
Place of Birth: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Regiment: Canadian Forestry Corps
Died: December 21, 1944 in Antwerp, Belgium
Buried: Schoonselhof Cemetery
Wife: Hughina Lumb
D.O.B.: July 19, 1925
Place of Birth: Rossendale, Lancashire, England
Hector Joseph Press
Military Service:
Service Number: C/63027
Age: 24
Force: Army
Unit: Canadian Forestry Corps
Division: 30th Coy.
Many thanks for taking the time to read my post!!!
Take care,
Claddagh
;)
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Hi quite difficult to work out but I will update as I look further!
2 listings on the 22nd July 1946 re a Hughina Press Southampton to Canada the second one gives more info, "The Canadian wives Bureau Civilian Repatriation Section"
States Pte H J Press C 63027 Wifes name Hughina Press address Rehiran Farm, Cawder Nairn, Nearnshire address in Canada Mr G H Press Father in Law 230, Russell Road, Overbrook, Ottawa
On SS Aquitania
Keyboard86
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Many thanks keyboard86 for trying to decipher this mystery!
The address and city in Ottawa is correct. George Henry Press was Hector's father.
I can't seem to find anything else on these two. I'd really like to locate Hughina or her family to see if they have any photos of Hector.
I look forward to hearing from you. :)
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There is a death record for
Hughina Press
Birth 19th July 1925
Date of Registration: Feb 2001
Age at Death: 75
District: Bradford
Yorkshire
Register Number: A61A
District and Subdistrict: 0811A
Entry number: 107
Heather
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There is also a death record for Hughina Gourlay
Birth Date: 19 Jul 1925
Date of Registration: Feb 2001
Age at Death: 75
District: Bradford
Yorkshire
Register Number: A61A
District and Subdistrict: 0811A
Entry number: 107
Hughina Press married Robert Gourlay in 1948 Barton, Lancashire
Heather
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Looks like she was also
Hughina Margaret Hirst
Birth Date: 19 Jul 1925
Date of Registration: Feb 2001
Age at Death: 75
Registration District: Bradford
Yorkshire
Register Number: A61A
District and Subdistrict: 0811A
Entry number: 107
Do you already have this information?
Heather
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Marriage
Hughina M Gourlay
Spouse Leonard Hirst
Apr-May-Jun 1955
Bradford, Yorkshire West Riding
Volume Number: 2b
Page Number: 300
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Hi
It looks as if Hughina married 3 times and her death indexed under all 3 married names.
The marriage between Hector Joseph Press and Hughina Ross took place in Nairn, Nairnshire, Scotland in 1942
Andy
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That's interesting because the CWGrave says she was from Lumb in Rossendale
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Hi
The marriage between Hector Joseph Press and Hughina Ross took place in Nairn, Nairnshire, Scotland in 1942
Andy
I was just going to say that too Andy :)
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There are 2 Scottish births in 1925 of Hughina Ross's, one in Calton Glasgow and one in Inverness.
There is a birth of a Hector Joseph PRESS in Inverness in 1944.Looks promising.
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Hi
The CWGC actually says Son of George Henry and Ida Press; husband of Hughina Press, of Lumb in Rossendale, Lancashire
It doesn't say where Hughina was born, Lumb in Rossendale is where she was living. There are two locations in Lancashire named Lumb, the In Rossendale signifies which one is being referred to.
Andy
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Hughina is a very Scottish name,her dad or grandad is probably called Hugh(depending on whether she's the oldest daughter or not)
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I worded it badly Andy!
What I was meaning was that the original post says 'wife Hughina Lumb born Rossendale' but Lumb was the place name not surname ;)
Heather
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I worded it badly Andy!
What I was meaning was that the original post says 'wife Hughina Lumb born Rossendale' but Lumb was the place name not surname ;)
Heather
Hi Heather
Sorry, I didn't see your post before posting. Late at night (Australia) and I was about to go to bed.
Andy
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Thank you so much everyone! I had no idea that Hector married Hughina in Scotland. How would I go about obtaining a copy of their marriage certificate and finding out if they had any children? I would love to find out that Hector left behind a child.
Hector was born January 21, 1918 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. His surname was originally Presta and he was of Southern Italian descent.
I wonder if Hughina did arrive in Canada from Southampton and then returned to England and married a Mr. Gourlay. Is she had a child it would have been documented in the passenger lists.
So many unanswered questions to this puzzle.
Your kindness is appreciated. I hope to find a photo of Hector during his tragic military career. In time I just might.
Take care,
Claddagh
:) :) :)
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You need to register on and order it via this website.
http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/welcome.aspx
Because the cert you need is in the last 75 years (I think that's the deadline?) you have to order it to be sent to you.Older ones you can download off the website.
I found it by just putting in his name and narrowing down the years to 1940-1944,but there's only the one anyway.
I did have a quick look for her on a passenger list but did not see her.
Carol
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Thank you Carol! A marriage certificate would be nice to have. I'd want to find out if it is the right Hector Joseph before I order it. Can you point me in the right direction to find out Hughina's maiden name? If I can obtain her obituary, it would provide her maiden name and let me know if she had any children with Hector Joseph Press.
Take care,
Claddagh
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I have found her travelling out to Canada!
Departing from Southampton on 22 July 1946 bound for Canada on the AQUITANIA.
It says she was the wife of Private 63027 H J Press.
Her address is given as Rehiran Farm, Cawdor ,Nairn Nairnshire.
Her father in laws name was George H Press 230 Russell Road, Overbrook Ottawa.
At the top of the page it says Canadian Wives Repatriation.
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Hi quite difficult to work out but I will update as I look further!
2 listings on the 22nd July 1946 re a Hughina Press Southampton to Canada the second one gives more info, "The Canadian wives Bureau Civilian Repatriation Section"
States Pte H J Press C 63027 Wifes name Hughina Press address Rehiran Farm, Cawder Nairn, Nearnshire address in Canada Mr G H Press Father in Law 230, Russell Road, Overbrook, Ottawa
On SS Aquitania
Keyboard86
OOps sorry Keyboard must have missed this!
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Thank you Carol! A marriage certificate would be nice to have. I'd want to find out if it is the right Hector Joseph before I order it. Can you point me in the right direction to find out Hughina's maiden name? If I can obtain her obituary, it would provide her maiden name and let me know if she had any children with Hector Joseph Press.
Take care,
Claddagh
It HAS to be them,no on else is called Hector Joseph Press marrying a Hughina with such a Scottish name too. See below what Andy found for you(as I did at the same time!)
The marriage between Hector Joseph Press and Hughina Ross took place in Nairn, Nairnshire, Scotland in 1942
Andy
Her maiden name was ROSS.And I found 2 possible births for her too-although I now much favour the Inverness one.
There is no reason to think that the informant of her death knew what her maiden name was -she had been married 3 times before she died. It will not neccesarily appear on her obit.
It should on her 2001 death cert ,but again it will all depend on who the informant was.
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Just had a thought,I can't see her returning to the UK after the 1946 trip.
Maybe the army flew her back,meaning that she wouldn't appear on a ships passenger list of course.
Carol
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Great work everyone!!! :)
Timeline:
1944 Hector is killed in Belgium
1946 Hughina emigrates to Canada
1948 She marries Robert Gourlay in Barton, Lancashire
*** Now I must fill in the gaps and search for passenger lists. Why would she emigrate to Canada if her husband was dead and her family was in Scotland?
HeatherJulie I did not know that she had married three times. I certainly didn't expect her not to remarry after Hector died in the war. I just want to know if they had a child together and if that child is still alive today.
Does anyone know of a good website to search for obituaries?
I'll have to search for passenger lists to see if she came over with a child. I have never heard stories of Hughina living in Canada. She must have eventually returned home to be with her family when she found out that Hector had died in Belgium. I'll have to do a more thorough search at the National Archives of Canada.
Thanks again for all the vital information that you have provided!
I'd like to have a photo of Hector Joseph Press to add to the online memorial site honouring the soldiers that have died during the war. He deserves to have his photo beside his name. Like so many others, he died much too young and left many broken hearts with his passing. :'(
Take care,
Claddagh
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There is a birth of a Hector Joseph PRESS in Inverness in 1944.Looks promising.
Hello Carol,
Could "Hector Joseph Press" born in Inverness (1944) be their son? Where would I obtain this information?
Many thanks!
Claddagh
:)
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Hi
It looks like Hector Joseph Press born 1944 died in 1944 at Inverness, Invernessshire, Scotland.
As Carol8353 mentioned in an earlier post Scotlandspeople is the site for Scottish records.
http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ (http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/) It is the Scottish Government website, whilst Hector and Hughina marriage and Hector 1944 birth are too recent to be downloaded (they can be ordered on the site) the death registration for rhe Statutory Death for young Hector can be downloaded. This should give the names of both parents (including mothers maiden name) which should confirm his connection.
Andy
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Hi
It looks like Hector Joseph Press born 1944 died in 1944 at Inverness, Invernessshire, Scotland.
Andy
I didn't think to look for deaths for the baby- how sad.
Claddagh I don't think she emigrated to Canada,but just that she went out there to visit her father in law after hubby had died.
Obituaries in the UK are few and far between,they cost such a lot to put in the paper and a lot of us don't bother for the ordianry every day person ;D
Carol
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Thanks again Carol and Andy! Now I can obtain the missing information and with any luck I'll finally be able to get my hands on a photo of Hector Joseph.
I appreciate your taking the time to answer my questions and search for me. Everyone is very kind and generous here. ;D
Take good care of yourselves and keep smiling!
Claddagh
:) :) :)
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Thanks again everyone for the push in the right direction! I've been able to order the documents that I need and will receive them by the end of November.
I appreciate your taking the time to help. I have found so much information on Hector since then and I am grateful for your generosity and knowledge. I've also found out that his brother-in-law was in the same corps as him. This is something that I never knew until recently. You never know what you are going to uncover.
Have a lovely weekend!
Take care and keep smiling,
Claddagh
:)
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hughina is my grandmother and i have visited hectors grave in antwerp
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Good afternoon Darrell,
I am absolutely delighted to read your posting. I hope that you'll drop by soon. I have so many questions for you. Is there any chance that we can correspond by personal email? Please let me know.
I look forward to hearing from you. It's been so many years that I've been trying to find your grandmother in the hopes of finding information about her first husband Hector Joseph Press.
Kind regards,
Claddagh
:)
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Hi Darryl,
Welcome to RootsChat :)
If you reply to this post you will then be able to use the private message function (PM) on RootsChat to exchange any private sensitive family information.
Regards
Sarah :)
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my name is robert gourlay my grandmother was hughina ross she married hector in inverness she lost a baby in 1944 who was named for hector she never emigrated to canada it was all booked and ready for her to go but he was kia sadly strange but if he wasnt i would neber habe existed she married my grandfather robert gourlay after the war
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How wonderful to hear from you Robert. Is there any chance that we can communicate privately? I would like to know more about them. Would you happen to have a photo of your grandmother to add to my family tree? Their tragic love story has touched me. Hector was very much loved by his family and they would have welcome your grandmother with open arms. I hope that we can work together and let their brief but meaningful time together come to life.
Have a lovely day!
Claddagh
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To enable you to communicate via personal message system Bobby will need to post here at least once more.
Welcome to Rootschat Bobby.
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Thank you "carol8353"! I just remembered this as it has been awhile since I've posted. I communicated with Bobby privately. I hope that he will respond soon as I am delighted to hear from Hughina's grandson.
Have a lovely day!
Claddagh
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Claddagh, until he's made at least 2 postings he will not receive any PM's as the system is not open to him yet.
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Many thanks "carol8353" for the additional information!
Much appreciated!
Claddagh
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Hello "bobby1970",
I've sent you a DM. Please have a look when you have a chance.
I hope to hear from you.
Take care,
Claddagh