Finding great grandfather who walked out

[Nazreel]

How can I trace my great grandfather who walked out on the family?  I have searched all the death records in Scotland and there is no trace of him there so we presume he went to England, but as I have no idea whatsoever where he went and he had a fairly common name it makes it very difficult.  I also have very limited resources as I am disabled.

His name was William Wood and he was born in 1863 in Lasswade, Midlothian, Scotland.

My father, who is 88, would love to know what happened to him.

Thank you,

Susan

[groom]

What was the date of the "last sighting" of him in Scotland?

Jan

[Nazreel]

I don't have a definite "Last sighting".  I believe it would be around 1910 - 1912.  I know it was before my father was born in 1921.

My grandfather never talked about it. His youngest brother, my father's uncle said that he (the uncle) was quite young but he remembered him being there, and he was born in 1906.

Thank you.

[MonicaL]

Hi Susan

Have you looked at the death cert for your great grandmother to see what it says regarding William? You could also try to check the marriage certificates of your grandfather and his siblings to see what if says about their father? All this can help when trying to narrow down the time frame of deaths. This may not help however if your g grandfather had absolutely no contact with his family after he left.

Monica

[MonicaL]

What was your great grandmother's name?

Monica

Added: Is this family's 1901 entry:

Wm Wood 36, piano tuner, b. Loanhead, Midlothian
Jacobina Wood 35, b. Leith
Wm Mc Wood 9
Ernest E Wood 1

Address: 43 Montgomery St, Leith

I was just wondering if there could have been a divorce but couldn't easily see anything on www.nas.gov.uk/onlineCatalogue/

[Nazreel]

Yes that's them.  William McDonald Wood was my grandfather.

Jacobina was a McDonald.  I just checked her death certificate (1944) and it says "married to William Wood, music seller" but that more or less what I would have expected.

On my grandparents marriage certificate (1919) he is listed as "William Wood, Piano tuner".  The family lived in Leith at the time he went and he had a shop selling music and musical things.  (Sorry that sounds so vague).

Thanks

[Suffolk Mawther]

Hello Nazreel and welcome to Rootschat

I too had the same problem, a great grandfather who 'went to America'.

I had been trying to find him for years, the story being that he was an Irishman, married great granny, had three daughters with her in London then disappeared in America where he was very successful and he then sent for the family - but great granny refused to 'cross the water' and so remained in London.

Last year another kind Rootschatter was able to find great grandad arriving at Boston on board a ship from Liverpool.  My dad is also 88 and was so delighted to finally find out that the family story was correct.

I hope one day I might find out what happened to him after Boston as the story was that he prospered in Pennsylvania.

Don't give up hope - and there are rootschatters all over the world who are willing to help.   
I wish you good luck and successful research   

Pat ...

PS The piano tuner/sheet music seller/hirer and seller of pianos etc etc was an important man in any town.  No home entertainment back then, pretty much all the entertainment revolved around the piano.  Hiring pianos was common too.  The family could well have been quite comfortable.