Welcome to this weeks Scavenger Hunt, Nifty has a problem he's hoping you can 'flesh out' for him.
Good Luck and Good Hunting
Barbara
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Hi/Hello
I am trying to use the many brains and resources that may be accessed via this thread.
Barbara has kindly advised me to give as much information as possible and that I should read the relevant threads of others to get some idea how to ask about a subject.
I have done as Barbara suggested and one term which I liked that was used by another poster was 'the scatter-gun approach' and is one which I had intended to stick with until I had something more tangible to go on. The trouble for me with the scatter-gun approach is that my family is pretty complicated. Therefore I will try and address my further questions in some sort of chronological focus if any development should occur from this initial post.
Other lines which had a particular resonance with me was,
'I am now writing it all down to bring clarity to my mind, it's like having a whole new family.
My great grandfather certainly lived on the edge'.
I feel that some of my forefathers and mothers may have also lived on the edge. I believe my father certainly did. I want to learn all that I can about him/them and that is the reason for my starting this thread.
As the product of a failed marriage, I have several families that I want to research. I have considerable amount of information on my mother's side, and also my father, which for the interests of clarity and focus, I shall introduce others into this thread at a later date.
For the time being, I am trying to learn more about my father who was
Marsh Ramsay Brown Born Auckland (co Durham) p.10a vol.48 (sic. BMD) died 1985,
his direct family and his forefathers families.
I have discovered through the notes of my late mother that my late father was born on December 30th 1923.
My father's last wife told me that he said that 'he was very clever, had been to university and had a degree'. I have reason to believe that he was clever, but wonder if he did in fact attend university.
I have written to the archives at Durham University (the natural place to start looking?) and am informed that he did not attend any course there. Though of course he may have been elsewhere.(?)
In April 1943 he was taken on for aircrew training at the RAF ACRC at Regents Park in London.
It is at this point I wish the Hunters to look backwards on his life because, as the character Manuel of Faulty Towers might say 'I know nothing'
except:
His father Elias,(known as Fred) was born at Stanley Peases West Crook co. Durham in 1896 but was at West Rainton seven years later.
His mother's name was Margaret Brown (p11 1911 census?) but I do not know of her occupation etc.
Elias was the youngest of two brothers John (1894 at Stanley) and Robert (c.1891 Stanley Peases Mount Pleasant in 1891 census))
His grandfather was
Robert Marsh b1841, Sunderland, was a Weaver by trade married to
Elizabeth Dye b 1844, Sunderland, a Potter by trade.
Her mother was Barbara Macintosh born 1821, Houghton Durham, she married a
James Dye or 'Deye' born 1814 Norfolk.
Can anybody please flesh out or substantiate these facts out and/or go back further?