Author Topic: Help needed in trying to solve the Mystery of my Granfather  (Read 9456 times)

Offline Allyson Bekkar

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Help needed in trying to solve the Mystery of my Granfather
« on: Wednesday 23 December 15 19:44 GMT (UK) »
Hello,
I am a beginner in searching my family history. I have really enjoyed the last few months finding out all of my family history using an ancestry website but the main reason i started was to try and solve the mystery of who my Grandfather was.
My Grandmother (who now has dementia so cant help with any questions) has told us in the past that she married my Grandfather and that he was in the army. She gave birth to a son, my father, in 1942 and the named father on his birth certificate is Roy Henry Blakeway.
In 1944 she gave birth to a daughter, and the same father is named on her birth certificate also.
She later remarried in 1945 and on her marriage record it states her surname as being Blakeway and her marital status as widow.
She later married another two times and all the marriage certificates i have been able to find on the ancestry website except the first marriage to Roy Henry Blakeway.
I have also searched through the website for that name but found no one by that name.
I tried to order a marriage cert from the local records office in the area she would of possibly be living but it turned up with no records.
I have also placed an order with the records office for England and am waiting to see if that brings any result.
Many years ago my Grandmother gave my father an Army service number which didn't exist in records held by the Salvation Army.
My father always thought that his father may of been a foreign solider based in the local area as there were allot of American air bases but the dates don't really tie up, especially if this Roy Blakeway was to of fathered two children, would he of stayed in England that much time?
So now i am asking questions, Did she really marry? Is Roy Henry his real name?
Being a novice in this family search business i don't really know what to do next.
Please if anyone has any suggestions especially in the history of that era... were there any other foreign soldiers in the UK, especially norfolk/Suffolk area at that time?
Thank you  :)
martin Blowers Blakeway Hammond Constance Feast

Offline groom

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Re: Help needed in trying to solve the Mystery of my Granfather
« Reply #1 on: Wednesday 23 December 15 20:06 GMT (UK) »
Welcome to Rootschat

Like you, I can't see a Roy Henry Blakeway on Ancestry or Freebmd, so the idea of him being a foreign soldier does sound very possible, especially because of the dates. He could well have been an American airman or perhaps more likely ground crew, which would explain him being around for several years. It may be that they didn't marry, but he must have agreed to have his name on the children's birth certificates. Have you tried searching Freebmd using her maiden name in case his name has been transcribed incorrectly? Please don't mention her name on here as she is still alive.
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Offline bevj

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Re: Help needed in trying to solve the Mystery of my Granfather
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday 23 December 15 20:54 GMT (UK) »
I would say the dates tie up quite well.
I believe there were a lot of American airmen stationed in Suffolk in WW2.  If he died between 1944 and 1945, my thought would be that he could have been killed on active service in the war.
Bev
Weedon - Hertfordshire and W. Australia
Herbertson, Congalton, Paterson - Scotland
Reed, Elmer - Hunts.
Branson - Bucks. and Birmingham
Warren, Ball, Jones - Birmingham
Fuller, Bourne, Sheepwash - Kent
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Offline crisane

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Re: Help needed in trying to solve the Mystery of my Granfather
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 23 December 15 21:10 GMT (UK) »
Quote
Many years ago my Grandmother gave my father an Army service number which didn't exist in records held by the Salvation Army.

When you say an army number do you mean a military army number? If so it has nothing to do with the Salvation army. Do you know the number?

Is there an occupation for Roy Henry Blakeway on the birth certificates for your father and his sister?


Offline Radcliff

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Re: Help needed in trying to solve the Mystery of my Granfather
« Reply #4 on: Wednesday 23 December 15 21:28 GMT (UK) »
One to check out
Henry B Blakeway
ARMY OFFICER
AGED 31 YEARS
Adress,Villa Sablen, Mt Cochon, Jersey
departed Liverpool Destination Pakistan
July 1952
possibly to young
Gunning County Down,Kneale Isle of Man,Riddle Tynemouth,Bibby Kendal/Bradford,Colenso Penzance/Barrow-in-Furness,Steele Corney Fell,Chapman Ely,Dawes Alfreton,Blamire Westmoreland and Ulverston
Dislike the use of P Messaging system, unless its of a sensitive nature, Rootschat is  an open forum,

Offline Allyson Bekkar

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Re: Help needed in trying to solve the Mystery of my Granfather
« Reply #5 on: Wednesday 23 December 15 21:39 GMT (UK) »
Thank you for all of your replies, i really appreciated any help anyone can give!
martin Blowers Blakeway Hammond Constance Feast

Offline Allyson Bekkar

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Re: Help needed in trying to solve the Mystery of my Granfather
« Reply #6 on: Wednesday 23 December 15 21:41 GMT (UK) »
I would say the dates tie up quite well.
I believe there were a lot of American airmen stationed in Suffolk in WW2.  If he died between 1944 and 1945, my thought would be that he could have been killed on active service in the war.
Bev
i wasn't sure if the dates did match up as all of the American air bases didn't open until after the birth of my father.
martin Blowers Blakeway Hammond Constance Feast

Offline Allyson Bekkar

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Re: Help needed in trying to solve the Mystery of my Granfather
« Reply #7 on: Wednesday 23 December 15 21:48 GMT (UK) »
Welcome to Rootschat

Like you, I can't see a Roy Henry Blakeway on Ancestry or Freebmd, so the idea of him being a foreign soldier does sound very possible, especially because of the dates. He could well have been an American airman or perhaps more likely ground crew, which would explain him being around for several years. It may be that they didn't marry, but he must have agreed to have his name on the children's birth certificates. Have you tried searching Freebmd using her maiden name in case his name has been transcribed incorrectly? Please don't mention her name on here as she is still alive.
What other foreign soldiers could of been in Suffolk/Norfolk around 1941? Apart from the US Soldiers.
I have tried searching by her maiden name on both those websites but found nothing.
I am waiting to see if the general office of records for the whole of England find anything otherwise i it does seem that she was never married.
The other thing that made us believe she was married is on her marriage to her next husband she uses the surname Blakeway and states herself as being a widow, but the records office have said that in the 1940's it would of just been a matter of taking her word for it and proof would of been needed to accept that Blakeway was her legal name.
martin Blowers Blakeway Hammond Constance Feast

Offline Allyson Bekkar

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Re: Help needed in trying to solve the Mystery of my Granfather
« Reply #8 on: Wednesday 23 December 15 21:49 GMT (UK) »
One to check out
Henry B Blakeway
ARMY OFFICER
AGED 31 YEARS
Adress,Villa Sablen, Mt Cochon, Jersey
departed Liverpool Destination Pakistan
July 1952
possibly to young
Thats great, thank you i will have a search of that and see
martin Blowers Blakeway Hammond Constance Feast