Henry Leonard Graham

[MonicaL]

William, you are a fountain of detail...that is great 

That fits well with this previous info:

On his marriage, Henry Leonard was a Sergeant in the 5th Lancers.

Which might explain his absence from the 1881 census?

We know that Amelia and Frederick did seem to have a son called Henry Leonard, christened in 1869 in England. I thought from the wording of Amelia's will, that you mentioned earlier William, that likely Henry Leonard had pre-deceased his mother or was estranged, given there was no mention of him on the will from what you mentioned.

Monica

[Millmoor]

I cannot see a service record for Henry. What about googling the 5th Lancers to see if any other records are available? The Families in British India site might also be worth looking at.

William

[Emma08]

Hi,

I am looking into the family history of Henry Leonard Graham's wife - Mary Jane Bissett - who was my Great Great Grandmother.
I am struggling to find much information on her, but have found information on Henry Leonard that seems to match what people above suggest.

I believe Henry Leonard's father was Frederick Graham and his mother Helen Amelia Greatorex as mentioned. I found a death record for a "Frederick Gordon Carruthers Graham" in May 1895 in Madras, India. This has a birth date of around 1817. Could this be the Frederick Graham who is Henry's father?
I also have Henry as having 2 sisters, Helen Bertha Graham and Ethell Minnie Graham - both born in India - and several half-siblings from his father's first marriage.

I have Henry Leonard's death as being 20th Nov 1893 in India.

I researched into Henry Leonard's line in the hope that it might give me a few clues to Mary Jane Bissett and her family.

Henry definitely married Mary Jane Bissett - but there seems to be 2 marriage certificates. One in Dublin, Ireland in 1885, and one in 1886 in Brighton, Sussex. Same names, but more than a year apart.
Mary was born in Dublin, Ireland, so perhaps they registered the marriage in 2 places?

I have quite a lot of information on Henry and Mary's 4 sons, but interestingly, on the marriage certificates of the two youngest sons, they give their father's name as being "John Graham" - "deceased" and his occupation as "soldier".
The 2 youngest sons (Richard Wallace Graham and Ralph Louis Graham) were only born a year or 2 before Henry Leonard's death, so they wouldn't really have known him.
But where does the "John" come from?
Henry Leonard is definitely their father, so I'm not sure why they wouldn't state his full name on their marriage certificates.

Mary Jane Bissett also appears to change her name when she marries for a second time - in India - in 1894.
She married a Henry Stewart (my Great, Great Grandfather), and their marriage certificate gives her name as being "Mary Pauline Bissett Graham" and "widowed".
I don't know where the Pauline part comes from, because on the 1901 UK census, she is listed as "Mary J Stewart". But on her death record, she is "Mary P Stewart".

I have no information at all on Henry Stewart, other than he was born abt 1867, and his father was Walter Stewart.

Can you shed any light at all on the parents or siblings of Mary Jane (Pauline) Bissett? Or where she may have met Henry Leonard Graham?
I am unclear as to the year Mary was born, as it changes, but I think it was abt 1867. Her marriage certificate states 1867, which agrees with the 1901 UK census. But the 1911 UK census has her birth year as abt 1871.

Mary died in Farnham, Surrey in Dec 1915. Her death record has her name as being "Mary P Stewart" and her age as 49. So that would match with her being born abt 1867.

She lists her nationality on all census' as Irish, and always states "born in Dublin, Ireland".

From her second marriage in India to Henry Stewart, the certificate says her father was a "John Bissett" but that's all I have to go on.

I am wondering where Mary met Henry Leonard Graham and why there are 2 marriage certificates for them - a year apart, one in Ireland and one in Brighton.
Their first son "Herbert John Henry Graham" was born in Brighton in 1886.

Sorry for the lengthy reply!

Emma

[dptb]

Hi Emma

I am researching my gt  grandfather Henry Leonard Graham, who was married to Mary Pauline Bissett.

Henry leonard, we think, was illegitimate as on his birth cert it doesent have a fathers name only the mothers, Amelia Graham.  Amelia and Henry L both disappear and are not mentioned on any census from 1860 onwards.  The next evidence on Henry is his marriage to Mary Jane.  The baptism in Lewes in 1869 is questionable.  It was nine years after Henry was born and the fathers name is different from  Henrys marriage cert, which states that his fathers name was Henry Graham, Commercial Traveller (which was a popular made up occupation for the fathers of illegitimate children to explain absences).

Henrys death is correct, he died of cholera in India

I also found the two marriage certs which is a puzzle.  Seeking advice on the matter it was explained that perhaps the two ceremonies was to satisfy both English and Irish families.
As to the reason the two younger sons gave John Graham as their fathers name on marriage certs, maybe Henry Leonard had John as part of his name, as his first son, Herbert ( my grandfather ) was called Herbert John Henry Graham and maybe Henry Leonard was known as John.

On Ancestry there is a public family tree that may be of help to you.  It is from Mary Janes side of the family and does give a bit of info about Henry Stewart.

I have some paperwork concerning Mary Jane when she came back to England (widowed for the second time) and it does give the name of her sister, Edith J Menelly it also contain the signature of Mary P Stewart and an address on 24 June 1900 as 37 Queens Road, Aldershot.  There is also the name Elizabeth Hickie who was a witness on Herbert John Grahams baptism cert in 1886.  Whether she was a relative of Mary Janes or just a friend I dont know but may be worth a bit of research.

I did a little research on John Bissett, Mary Janes father, and came up with a John born 1834 died 1879 from Dublin North maybe Balbriggan Balrothery.  That was from Griffiths Ireland.

Henry Leonard was in the army, the 5th Lancers and he was stationed near Dublin and also in Aldershot, so I would presume that he met Mary Jane at either of those two places.

I have no idea why Mary Jane changed her name but maybe its a family name as my second name is Pauline !

I hope this help a bit.  If you want any of the paperwork I mentioned just message me and I can sent it via email to you.

Diane

 

[Emma08]

Hi Diane,

Thanks so much for your reply! Does this mean we are distantly related then?

I would love to see a copy of the paperwork of Mary Jane's return to England in 1900. Does that mean that Henry Stewart died in India then or elsewhere? Also was Mary pregnant then? Because I have a daughter born to her in 1901 in aldershot.
Also can you confirm Mary's year of birth?

I will look for the family tree on ancestry for the info on Henry Stewart. Do you know what it's called?

[dptb]

Hi Emma

How are you related to Mary Jane?

I am afraid that I dont have much info regarding Henry Stewart but I presume he must have died around 1900ish and I also presume that Henrys death meant she had to come back to England with her brood (poor woman).  I took the year of birth from the marriage cert so it is probably 1867. Im afraid ive forgotten the name on Ancestry but if you put in all Marys names it should come up and its the first one you see.

Let me have your email address through my messages and I will send you the written info I have got on Mary Jane.

Diane

[Emma08]

I am Mary's great great granddaughter. Her daughter from her marriage to Henry Stewart (Mary Pearl Stewart) was my great grandmother. Mary Pearl was Herbert John Henry Grahams sister.... Or half sister.
Will try to send you a personal email later with my email address.

[Emma08]

Have sent you a personal message Diane