Searching for my elusive Grandad in Merchant Navy 1940s

[TylerGib]

Hi

Looking at the Birth Records for Gurr and Lawe, I have found 6 children, I will not name them as they may  still be living

3 in Uckfield Sussex 1945,1946,1948
1 in St Neots Norfolk 1949
2 in East Retford Notts 1952,1959

If any of these children belong to your family, have you checked  there Birth Certificates, to see what Williams Occupation was at that time

Hello,

Yes the last two entries deffo ring a bell. One being me Mum and the later 2 her brothers for sure.

In reference to the Birth Certs, I have seen Mums and its says "Able Bodied Merchant Seaman" which is great. So in 1949 he was in the Merchant Navy. Now as my earlier post reads, I got William and Sarahs Marriage Cert from 1945, he is 29, her 20, but at that time he was a Soldier living at Ranby Camp. So sometime after 1945 he left the Army and became a Merchant Seaman before 1949.

Prior to these two events and other than what Anette has unearthed, this (the original birth cert of Mum, and now marriage cert) is we both know.

I did ask Mum whether my Nan would let on anything, but she is adamant she will keep schtum. Even her above siblings have been told the same, not knowing who there Dad is. I havnt seen my Nan in a long long time, partly because of the frostyness. And may I add MargP, that my Mum has NEVER seen her Dad in memory, so you can understand my eagerness to find about him, as he is my Grandad too.

Again thank you.

P.S. Do the birth searches you did, match up with the info supplied by Anette at all?

[MargP]

Hi

I think that something is not quite right,  and there may be a skeleton in the cupboard, if the last child was born in 1959 and your mom was born in 1949 and they were still together, your mom would have been 10 and remembered her dad.

Are you still in touch with the 2 younger brother's,  if you are, ask them to check there BC to see what information is given about there father, William may be name as the father of the one born in 1959 but from the information you have given I doubt if he is.

I am not sure, if any of this relates to the information that Annette found, as that is much earlier than this

Marg

[Annette7]

Blimey - does indeed sound like there is a real story here.

There certainly seems to be only one marriage between Gurr and Lawe and the 3 earlier births registered Uckfield Dec.1945, Dec.1946 and Mar.48 - born in the area where it seems William hailed from - look like they could be 3 older siblings of your mother!   Could this be why your Nan refuses to reveal any information?   If she and William split up then what happened to these 3 children - did they remain with their father?

I see on Genes Reunited that there are 5 people who have William Gurr b.1915 East Grinstead  on their tree (one has his surname as Gurr-Ridley?) and it looks like the one born 1945 Uckfield has his own entry.

If you get any further evidence that confirms that the William Gurr born 1915 East Grinstead is your man it might be worthwhile contacting any of the above people on GR who may have further information on him.

At the moment there's a lot to take in and, as has been suggested before, take it slowly - one step at a time.

Annette   

 

[TylerGib]

Good eve.

Yes there is a skeleton or two surrounding his name from what Mum has told me in the sense that her and her siblings know next to nothing about their Dad (s). Il ask more about her siblings tomoro to try and gain something.
There is more to the family tree concerning absent fathers that I have uncovered but this isnt the post about that.
Agreed, we know that something is a miss.

Ty

[MargP]

If you investigate the people around them, this may led you to the truth

Margp

[TylerGib]

Whoops double posted...

[MargP]

Hi Ty

I think the only way to know for sure if Annette is on the right track with this, and it is the only candidate we have, it may be worth getting the BC for

William Gurr
Mother's Maiden Name Tilden
Date April Qtr 1915
Reg Dist East Grinstead Sussex
Vol 2b
Page 210

They are £9.25 and you order them from the GRO

http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/

Margp

[TylerGib]

Morning Marg.

Well after the visit to the TNA yesterday, we had both a productive day and an unproductive day. First and foremost this man on my mothers birth cert was definitely NOT in the merchant navy. The helpful ppl could not anyone that matched what info we had.

So this thread is as good as closed. I will start another in general for this William Gurr fella explaining what we found yesterday in due course.

Also yes, im looking at what certs to get next to help me on this quest, so keep an eye out in another category!

[MargP]

Hi Ty

If you post on another Forum, attach a link to this post, so information is not duplicated

The plot thickens, can you send me what you have found via a PM

Margp