Percy Platt - Illegitimate/Adopted Bolton 1898

[Waterloo24]

Hello There
My first post here so not sure where to post or go for help. I have been researching my family for a couple of years but am still a total novice. I am now in Australia which makes the task even harder.

I am really stuck with my granddads strand of the tree and would love to find out more so am hoping someone can help me. I lost my mum last year and finding out about her dad has become very important to me as I couldn't get anywhere or tell her much.

His name was Thomas Percy Platt (also known as Percy Thomas Platt) and he was Born in Bolton 1898 to Margaret Platt ( born 1880) - no father listed.

In the 1901 census he is listed as a lodger of Mary Hughes and in 1811 as her adopted son. I am unsure what happened to Margaret. Mary was in her 60's and died in 1913 so grandad was alone. I did find her Will and it appears she left her $80 fortune to her brother.  Percy never talked about that time except to say that it was hard and that he begged outside the mills. I am thinking he maybe ended up in a poorhouse but have no evidence of that.

I know Grandad signed up as a boy soldier in 1914 as life was so hard. Mum believed he had 2 half brothers James (may have been John) who married Doris and Jack who was insane but I have no idea what their surname was. I am guessing these were Margaret s sons also and mum was pretty sure they were also Platt.

I would love to find out more about Margaret and grandads life but have no idea where to go next.My mother remembers visiting an old lady in an Asylum in Bolton around 1950 who was apparently Percys mother.

On a happier note my lovely grandad who I sadly never met made a great success of his Army career becoming Regimental Sargeant Major !

Thanks in Advance for any help or advice.

[PaulineJ]

Erm, How do you know Margaret Platt was born 1880?

What address was (Percy Thomas/ Thomas Percy) Platt born at?

[heywood]

Hello and welcome 

Just one point for now.

With regard to Mary's will, the records show that administration was granted to her brother, which implies there was no will.
As adoption was informal at that time, there would be no legal entitlement to inheritance, I would think.

Regards
Heywood

[Craclyn]

Birth registration for Thomas Percy Platt in Bolton Q4 1898 vol 8c P 501.

[Craclyn]

Birth searches for both James Platt and John Platt in Bolton in the right time period give too many results to be able to make an immediate identification of possible candidates for the half brothers.

[Ruskie]

Firstly, welcome to rootschat Waterloo24. 

Do you have Percy's birth certificate? And his marriage certificate? Presumably no father named on his. Birth certificate, but does he name a father on his marriage certificate?

You don't know if Margaret ever married?

Do you have Percy's WW1 service record (am wondering if it names his NOK).

This seems like the sort of puzzle that rootschatters love to get their teeth into.

 

[Craclyn]

There are several Margaret Platt marriages in Bolton in the timeframe that your Margaret could have married after handing over Thomas Percy to Mary. One approach might be to follow each of these through to the next census after marrying and see if they fit on age with your Margaret. This technique may also help you to find James/John and Jack.

[heywood]

There is a Maggie Platt in 1881 and 1891, daughter of Elizabeth Platt who is Welsh and could therefore be related to Mary Hughes - also Welsh.
 

There is also a published tree which shows 2 military records - a Medal record for a Private Platt - did Percy continue after WW1 and a service record which is the wrong man.

[heywood]

Again from a tree, there is a Margaret Platt marriage to a John Knowles.

In 1901 3607/82/35
Maggie Platt is boarding with a couple called Entwistle.

1911 indexes has a Margaret Knowles who fits .