My Nan's half-brother (A first son by her father and his first girl, who died in his early life), was called Charles William Pearce Lane. Pearce was his mum's surname and he kept it seemingly in honour of her. Born on ALbert Terrace, Birmingham, and living in Aston as a child, he had a pretty hard life. A drunken father and new wife (my ggrandparents) who had four daughters who ostracised him. He stole out of desperation, ending up in a young offenders' institute - he was then scooped up by WW1 and within two years was a German prisoner of war in Sennelager. He returned to Brum, and married Fanny Louisa Wilson after the War, had two/three children, then followed in his father's footsteps by being a drinker and a bully (we'd probably treat him for PTSD these days). The last time on record is in the Electoral roll of 1935, when still with Louisa and kids. No further record has been found, except the family folklore of his bigamous marriage (some say to a Belgium girl, but maybe not) for which apparently he was jailed. I wonder if there are any other Lanes (if that's the name he used) out there with any record of our 'black sheep'.
There are two elderly descendants still alive, but who cannot fill in anything after his being kicked out by his sons. It would be most satisfying to tie up some of his loose ends, and complete the picture for our family records.
I know he was a man who put the fear of God into his loved ones. But having researched his early life I can see how, left untreated, his experiences and addictions could explain his unforgivable behaviours, while his poor family suffered the consequences.
All help would be very welcome, thank you.
