James Dran - a love story

[rolnora]

Not sure it's relevant but Family Search school records show a
James Dran born Jan 1894, father James, living at 9 Shepherds Court, New Street, Cheshire. Admitted to St Paul's School, Boughton 12 Nov 1900.

There is also an eleven year old James Dran on the 1911 index born Liverpool

Pat

[CaroleW]

1901 for Westmorland  has his relatives as Dean

James Dean 37 stone mason b Kirby Lonsdale
Jane  36 b Sedbergh Yorks
Louis Pearson 24 visitor b Lancs ?? Anfield??
RG13 Piece 4911 Folio 26 Page 44

[CaroleW]

And here is James "Dran" in 1901 with parents

Mathew Dean 32 b Kirby Lonsdale
Margaret   29 b Evelmar Westmorland
James   1 b Liverpool
RG13 Piece 3487 Folio 104 Page 15 

[Janie Woodvine]

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to contact me here and the trouble you have taken to research James.

Ruskie, I will do as you suggest and try and post a copy of the letter here asap.  As mentioned in my first post the letter is written in pencil so I am not sure how it will scan.  I have already scanned it but unfortunately the scan is disappointingly faint - I will play around with it tonight to see if I can get a better image.

Annette - there is a very faint address on the back of the letter but I can only make out:-

Miss Polly 
10 18 Baker (Daker?)
?  ford (Winsford/Knutsford?)
Cheshire
England

There was a second letter in the book from Ord Seaman Norman Hanson to his friend Harry (unfortunately no address for Harry). The letter is date October 1941 and Norman is writing to tell Harry about his naval training in Torpoint, Cornwall.  In the 1918 letter, James Dran asks Polly how her brothers are - namely Arthur, Frank and HARRY.  As both letter were in the same book I was wondering whether Norman was writing to the Harry mentioned in James' letter.  Unfortunately, I have found Norman Hanson's death a year later in Dec 1942 when his ship, the HMS Penylan was torpedoed by a German U-boat - Norman was 19 and his death record showed he lived in Northwich, Cheshire.  Very sad.

Anyway any other information would be kindly received and I shall try and post a copy of the letter here tonight.  Thanks once again.

Jane x

[Ruskie]

It may be that someone will be able to enhance Polly's surname and address too, if you can scan that as well? 

It does seem likely that the two letters must be related somehow ....

[Ruskie]

Miss Polly 
10 18 Baker (Daker?)
?  ford (Winsford/Knutsford?)
Cheshire
England

There appears to be a 'Baker's Lane' in the area - near Lower Peover. There may be others of course and perhaps it may no longer exist today as street names have changed over the years. (forget that)

There is a Baker's Lane in Winsford. (Unfortunately it appears to be full of new housing ....  ) However there is an older semi remaining - numbers 20 and 22 I think, so I suppose we can assume that number 10 or 18 was similar in style.

[CaroleW]

Norman Hanson was 19 when he died in 1942 and free bmd shows his birth in 1923.  The cwgc entry mentions his parents were from Winsford

Can we assume that James and Polly and her brothers were born in similar years and most likely after the 1911 census.

There is no Cheshire marriage between a James Dean and a Polly/Mary 

[Annette7]

Since Polly received her love letter in 1918 she, and more likely her brothers also, would have been born well before 1911.

I did notice when I saw the mention of Norman Hanson that he seemed to be a generation apart in age difference.

Annette

[CaroleW]

Hi Annette

Yes - the introduction of Norman Hanson and 1941 threw me off the scent somewhat.  I have amended my reply above to avoid further confusion