St Albans CRADDOCK

[ian__davies]

Hi All,

For some reason i didn't get an email to say there had been replies.  Just saw all these posts, thanks so much for your help.

I've checked with all family i'm in regular contact with, but information is very thin on the ground about Fred.  I'm now trying to get in touch with the other Craddock's who we are in touch with.

I've already put in a request for his Marriage cert, thanks for that suggestion, hopefully it'll shed a little more light.

Will post back when it's recieved...

Cheers

Ian

[ian__davies]

So i finally got the Marriage Certificate but it really hasn't helped all that much!

It does confirm his DOB as 1896 as he was 29 years old when marrying.

His fathers name is just Craddock, with what looksl ike a line drawn above as if they didn't know his first name. (Deceased is written below, so we know he is dead or not around) and the fathers occupation is also lined out.

It does give an address of the couple, 31 Harrison St.  I've checked electoral roles for 1923,24,25 and 26 but have no Craddocks at this address.  There is a George and mary Craddock at 49 Harrison St, we'd assume a Brother as the father is a dead and the uncle would know his brothers name?

We know 10 months later they are living in St Albans having their first child from the first childs birth certificate.

Frustraing!

[carol8353]

By saying that his father is deceased is often a cop out for not having one or not knowing who he was.

Who were the witnesses to the marriage?

The address they married from could just be where one of them lodged,or a friend or workmate's addreSS. They only needed to have been there for the 3 weeks before the marriage date whilst the banns were being read.

Did they marry in church or a reg office?

Carol

[ian__davies]

I've checked the Witnesses also on the electoral register for that street also for these dates, they dont' appear.  They are both Gents but not related to Craddock or Elborn (in name anyway)

They were married in the Registry office in St Pancras, not sure how common that is back in the 20's?

I guess i can dig a bit more on the Witnesses and try and find a connection that way.

I'm also getting a family member to ask the Daughter if she remembers an Uncle George or Aunty Mary

[ian__davies]

We spoke to the Daughter yesterday evening and she dosn't recall anyone called George or Mary, or anyone living in St Pancras...

She is quite old and just lost her husband over xmas so her memory might not be the best right now.

Just keep digging. Just keep digging.  I will find him!!

[ian__davies]

We had another chat with Fred's daughter and gathered a little more info.

Fred apparenlty served bothin in WW1 and WW2, first in the Army and then either in the Navy or Merchant Navy as the daughter remembrs him in the Russian Convoys.
I've had a search and fail to turn up any real hits for him in military records.

The daughter remembers living or visiting Fishpool St.  Possibly where her grandparents lived.

She also remembers an Aunt Rose.  I know there is no Rose on the mothers side, so hopefully this could be Fred's sister.

[ian__davies]

Wow, can't believe i've been on this one for so long!

Found some info yesterday which might shed a bit more light on Mr Craddock's earlier years.

I have a Record from Winchester which lists the criminal record of a Frederick Henry Craddock AKA Frederick Henry Creda Kite or Frederick Kite or Frederick Henry Kite or Francis G. Osborne or Frederick Henry Craddock Kite or Henry Craddock Kite!!!

Over a period of 1913 to 1922 he was sentanced to 79 months in jail for mainly stealing things!  He popped up in Wales, Midland, London and the south.  The last being a 18 month stint of Hard Labour in or around Winchester.

There is a gap from 1915 to 1918 which i guess he was serving in the military (or hiding from the military)

I'm keen to get hold of the court documents to get a fuller picture of what happened and hopefully some more leads!

[Maddie]

Hi Ian

Goodness your Fred had a varied criminal career, didn't he.

I wonder if this is he, Frederick Henry C Kite Dec qtr 1895 Maidstone (Free BMD).

From the 1901 census, there is this family in Rotherhithe

Stephen Wrattan 35 born Blackmanston Kent
Fanny    Wrattan 36 born Harrietsham Kent
Florence       Dau 12
William J Kite  Nephew 17 born Harrietsham Kent
Fred H Kite Nephew 5 born Maidstone Kent

Stephen Wrattan married Fanny Kite in 1887. (Free BMD)

Fred is on the next census in Bermondsey living with a Falkard & ROSE Stearn. Falkard Stearn married Sarah Kite in 1902. (Free BMD)

I have found who I think is the Kite family in 1871 RG10/947/35/21 Harrietsham Kent

William & Ann Kite with 2 sons William & George & also 3 daughters Sarah, Elizabeth & Fanny. Unfortunately I can't find any more for Elizabeth.

What do you think, could it be Fred's family.

Maddie

[ian__davies]

Sorry to dig up an old post, but this still has me going...

I found the enlistment details of Fred Craddock, which shows the correct units of the two photo's i have of him in uniform.  His borthdate is listed as 7 Nov 1895, which matches both this birth certificate and a Gallywall Rd School entry for him.  The Kite family was living in the gallywall rd area at the time, and would make sense to be lodging with his aunt if this was the case.

His name is listed as Frederick Henry Craddick, no mention of Kite.

I'm now DNA tested at both Ancestry and FTDNA and trying to build out the tree of the man mentioned below.

I received today his Birth Certificate from the GRO (Yay for $6 pdf's).  His mother is listed as Sarah Rose Kite, and when looking through the records does make him nephew to the Wrattens, and places him with the Stearns, but perhaps Rose (aka Sarah) is his mother?

No father is listed at all on the Birth Certificate, but his mother is listed as a domestic servant, so i'm trying to locate who was livign at the address given on the certificate at the time.

The papaerwork all seems to add up and point at my Great Grandfather and this man being the same person, but I've had no Kite or Craddock hits via my DNA tests, which is worrying, but we'll see i guess.  Perhaps the father was neither Kite of Craddock.  On we keep searching