False Death Report

[forester]

Clare,

By normal convention, if she married a second time, the Cert would be in her widowed name, with her maiden name also on the cert itself. In this case it would be written "Graham, formerly McGowan".

In other words, fifer's find would look good to me, but as you know the second husband's surname, it's your call.

Phil

[Clarencep]

Thanks everyone for your help, this has been a interesting mystery for me..
I still can't comfirm William's 'so called' Death during WW1, but I have managed to find out a bit more about him and his wife Margaret.

I've learned by contacting the Durham Record's office that William did serve in either the 14th or 15th Battalion (21st Division) and that he first saw action in France & Flander on 11 Sept 1915, (which is also the date on his medal card), on the 25 Sept 1915 he was in the Battle of Loos, and we believe this is were the information of him been gased comes from.

As for his Marriage to Margaret McGowan, while looking through the National Archive Records I came across a record for a filed Divorce between William and Margaret with a Robert Todd Morton as a Co-respondent.
Looking at what you've all said above and doing a little digging on Ancestry and the BMD I've found this information out...

Margaret Ann McGowan married Robert Todd Morton in Apr Qrt of 1918 (South Shields, Durham)

William Files for divorce in 1918 (date unknown as waiting for documents to come in post)

Margaret then re-marries Robert Morton in Sept qrt 1920 (Birkenhead, Cheshire)

Margert has three children to William Graham...

Henrietta Jane (1910-1983)
Margaret A (1912-1989)
Wilhelmina Henrietta (1914-2010)

And seven to Robert Morton, two of which are while she is still married to William...

Joseph M (1916-1987) Registered under both Graham & Morton.
Gladys M (1918-   ) Registered as Graham
Doris (1921-      )
Edna M (1923-    )
Hilda (1925 - 2012)
Lily (1926-  )
Jean (1929-1935)

Margaret must of heard about Williams death in the late months of 1915, and then took comfort with Robert Morton in the Jan of 1916 as Joseph was born 12 Oct 1916.
I can understand why she did this with three young children to feed, but I really do feel sorry for William she didn't grieve him long .
I'm hoping the divorce papers will shed a bit of light on what happen, and I'll post the finding.

Thanks again to everyone who helped

Clare x


William Edward Graham


Margaret Anne Mcgowan


Robert Todd Morton

[Les Broadbere]

hi Clare

I came across your post by pure chance the other evening whilst trying to find the war records for William Edward Graham and noticed that your husband is his great grandson. I am trying to find out if  either Henrietta, Margaret Anna or Whilemena are his grandmother as I am the grandaughter of their mother Margaret Anna. Please could someone help in the best way to find this out as my mother would love to know if her half sisters got married, had children etc

[mmm45]

To add to this William initially served 14th batt,22nd batt then also 1/7th and 2/6th .....this info from actual medal roll info

Ady

[barryd]

Some information but hard to tie together.

15 Jul 1900  Robert Todd Morton = Jane Purvis, St. Jude, South Shields, marriages. (son?)

MyHeritage has a tree for a Robert Todd Morton born 1863 South Shields. Died Birkenhead, No mention of other marriages. Married Jane Maria Bear, South Shields, Dec Qtr 1881.

Robert seems to have been a person  who lives in both South Shields and Birkenhead who remarries in Birkenhead in 1920. Bear died Birkenhead 1928!!!

I am confused. Must lie down and take a nap.

[Clarencep]

Hi Les
Wilhelmina was my husbands grandmother 
She married a number of times the first was to 'Arthur William Hold' in 1935 (Coventry), she had 4 children to this marriage.
Second marriage was to 'James Edward Whitehead' in 1947 (Goole), she had 2 children to this marriage.
Third marriage was to 'Stanley Powls' in 1961 (Goole)
and finally her fourth marriage was to Karl F. W. Jahnke in 1974 (Goole).
If you'd like to see more on the family tree, I have a ancestry tree you can join.
you'll just have to send me your email and I'll send you a ancestry request.

I'm very interested in what you said regarding 'Half Sisters', please can you elaborate on this some more, as far as we knew all the sisters had the same parents.

look forward to hearing from you again
Clare

[Clarencep]

To add to this William initially served 14th batt,22nd batt then also 1/7th and 2/6th .....this info from actual medal roll info

Ady

Hi Ady
Can you tell us more about this, we have had difficulty finding out about Williams war records.

cheers
Clare

[IgorStrav]

hi Clare

I came across your post by pure chance the other evening whilst trying to find the war records for William Edward Graham and noticed that your husband is his great grandson. I am trying to find out if  either Henrietta, Margaret Anna or Whilemena are his grandmother as I am the grandaughter of their mother Margaret Anna. Please could someone help in the best way to find this out as my mother would love to know if her half sisters got married, had children etc

Just to say, Les, welcome to Rootschat!  If you post a couple more times - just reply saying hello or something to this mail - then you will be able to send a personal message to Clare, by clicking on the scroll in the circle underneath her name.

[Les Broadbere]

Hi Clare

That is great thank you so much. I have been trying for a while to locate what happened to the three girls but it has been virtually impossible with mariages etc. The reference to the half sisters is because my mum is Edna born 1923 who was Margaret's daughter with Robert, she is still alive and has always wanted to know what happened to them. she remembers going to south shields with her mum to see one of the girls but she was only little and to be honest I think it was all kept quiet.
I would love to see your family tree as I have always been really interested in this and obviously I will give you what info I have regarding Margaret Anna. (she definitely seems to be a mystery even before 1910).
I am still getting used to this site and apparently after this post I should have more options to message you.
I really look forward to hearing from you
Thanks Les