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England / My brick walls!
« on: Thursday 24 August 06 21:09 BST (UK) »
I have been researching my family history for may years and reading posts here for a long time and I wondered if anyone could help me with any suggestions to help me through my brick walls, it’s a bit complicated!
My Great Grandfather was born Harry Albert Randolph Tolmie on 7th November 1880 in Lymington, Hampshire, to John Randolph Tolmie and Priscilla Honor Tolmie (formally Cartridge.) I have information from the 1881, 1891 and in the 1901 census he was a photographer. Harry married Beatrice Ellen Woodman on 22 September 1903 in Southampton and he was still a photographer. My Grandmother was born in April 1907, and on her birth certificate his occupation was Ships Cook – a bit of a drastic change from a photographer in four years!
My Father tells me that he recalls being told that Harry was in the Merchant Navy and died in San Francisco, he thinks whilst my Grandmother was very young, if born at all. It is believed that Harry wasn’t bought home because he died on land and the family could not afford to bring his body home. This is my first wall – finding out if any of this is correct. I understand it may be possible to find out by visiting the PRO to find a reference of his death overseas and then maybe apply for his death certificate?
To be able to find out any of this you obviously have to use a surname and this is where my other walls come in!!
Up until 1907 when my Grandmother was born Harry’s surname was Tolmie, but for some reason on her birth certificate the Tolmie is missing and Randolph has been used as the surname instead, for Father, Mother and child. This may have something to do with that when Harry was born he was registered as Tolmie, as was his Father John Randolph Tolmie, but then his seven brothers and sisters that followed just had the surname Randolph, no Tolmie. Why did he drop the surname he was born with and married and used and how could he just change it?
So, I am looking for Harry Albert Randolph Tolmie / Randolph / Randolph-Tolmie.
Confused – it’s taken a while to sort this out to be able to put it into words! Any thoughts?
My Great Grandfather was born Harry Albert Randolph Tolmie on 7th November 1880 in Lymington, Hampshire, to John Randolph Tolmie and Priscilla Honor Tolmie (formally Cartridge.) I have information from the 1881, 1891 and in the 1901 census he was a photographer. Harry married Beatrice Ellen Woodman on 22 September 1903 in Southampton and he was still a photographer. My Grandmother was born in April 1907, and on her birth certificate his occupation was Ships Cook – a bit of a drastic change from a photographer in four years!
My Father tells me that he recalls being told that Harry was in the Merchant Navy and died in San Francisco, he thinks whilst my Grandmother was very young, if born at all. It is believed that Harry wasn’t bought home because he died on land and the family could not afford to bring his body home. This is my first wall – finding out if any of this is correct. I understand it may be possible to find out by visiting the PRO to find a reference of his death overseas and then maybe apply for his death certificate?
To be able to find out any of this you obviously have to use a surname and this is where my other walls come in!!
Up until 1907 when my Grandmother was born Harry’s surname was Tolmie, but for some reason on her birth certificate the Tolmie is missing and Randolph has been used as the surname instead, for Father, Mother and child. This may have something to do with that when Harry was born he was registered as Tolmie, as was his Father John Randolph Tolmie, but then his seven brothers and sisters that followed just had the surname Randolph, no Tolmie. Why did he drop the surname he was born with and married and used and how could he just change it?
So, I am looking for Harry Albert Randolph Tolmie / Randolph / Randolph-Tolmie.
Confused – it’s taken a while to sort this out to be able to put it into words! Any thoughts?