tracing James Palmer before it is too late-modified post

[kammy]

please can anyone help I am trying to find out information regarding my dads father James Palmer.  We know he was in the Manchester Regiment ( army no.  6786 or 3512622) he was born on 02.05.1891 and died on 14.02.41 in Daventry and was born in Birmingham, enlisted 12th july 1901 age on recruitment 15yrs 2mths,

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,359522.msg2363394.html#msg2363394

Kammy

[Gaille]

Hi Kammy,

Why dont you have a look on the Manchester Regiment forum?
google the manchesters . org for the address.

I am a member there and the forum has helped me loads with queries about family members.

Gaille

[kammy]

many thanks I will try that - I do know he was a member of the footie team and gymnastic teacher I think ..never thought of that ( dummy eh?)
any ideas on his pre-army -life- ''legend'' has it he hitch hiked to manchester and lied about his age to qualify as a drummer boy for the crimean so I have no idea of where he was born or his fathers name (someone mentioned Philip ) I do know his mother was Harriet Bill but have found 4 recorded marriages and no husbands name?
Thankyou thankyou thankyou for being so prompt
kammy

[Richard Knott]

There are six James Palmers registered in the June 1891 quarter and only one of them is in Manchester.

It might be worth ordering this, stating that the mother's name is Harriet and/or that the date of birth is 2 May:

Jun 1891
Manchester 8d 307
James Palmer

Does your father remember the names of any of his uncles and aunts (and whether they were younger or older than his father)? It would help us find James on the 1901 census. The most obvious candidate for the above James in 1901 has James and Georgina for parents.

Richard

[kammy]

Would this birth certificate have the mother/fathers name on as there is also some uncertainty as to whether he was born in Manchester having said that I found a Harriet Bill on a 1861 census being 6 months old but unfortunately the page didn't have her father/mothers name either.

As for the Manchester.org forum I checked and I have put a posting on that  already -no replies yet.  I am getting so confused as to where I should look.
Please take into account its like talking to the cat when you talk to me as I am a complete novice but very keen to find out any info I can for my dads sake.
thankyou for your kindness in helping me
kammy

[suzard]

have edited this - I had misread your post

Suz

[kammy]

no marriage certificate, no birth certificate nothing of any substance to prove he ever lived other than a couple of pictures.
another generation eh?
they haven't made it easy
thankyou all for you interest and advice
kammy

[jorose]

Who did James Palmer marry? Or didn't he?

Interestingly, there's a Philip Palmer (23) and Harriet (22), with children Margaret (3) and Leonard (6m) in Wolverhampton in 1881. They say everyone is b. Wolverhampton, but I'm having a hard time finding a trace of any of them except for Leonard's birth.

There are a lot of possible Harriet(t) Bills in the 1861/71 censuses, so it will be difficult to pick one as being the mother of your James without more information.

[suzard]

I'll start again

First -where did you get his date of birth from???

How are you sure his mother was Harriet Bill???

Sorry for questions -but need to sort out in my head what we have that are actual facts and not just passed word of mouth

Was wondering if maybe james mother married a Mr Bill after james father died -or if Bill was her maiden name??

Suz

Suz