An Abundance of John Smiths! Help requested.

[jimmy_cricket123]

Several factors have made tracing my family tree difficult. The thing causing the most problems, however, is the fact that several of my ancestors are called 'John Smith', and that these John Smiths are descended directly from each other! 

John James Smith married Edith Bottomley on Christmas Day 1932. John James was born in 1906, making him 26 at the time of the marriage, and Edith was born in 1908, making her 24.
John James Smith's father was John William Smith (grr!).

If anyone could find out anything else about John William Smith from this (admittedly scant) information, I would be so so so grateful!

Cheers,
Jimmy

[CaroleW]

Hi

If John James was born in 1906 then he should appear on the 1911 census with John William

That entry will give you details of JW's age and birthplace and also his wife's name

You can then either look for his marriage and buy a copy of the cert to get his fathers name or look him up on earlier censuses if possible

1911 lookups are not allowed on Rootschat so you will have to look it up yourself. 

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,355486.0.html

[CaroleW]

If you know when and where John James Smith died - and if he died after 1969 - his death registration will give his full birthdate

[Geoff-E]

Do you know that JJS was born in 1906, or was this calculated from the age he gave on his marriage certificate?

I see he married in Grimsby. There was a JJS birth registered there in Q1 1902.

[CaroleW]

Although he married in Lincolnshire - do you know whether he was actually born there or elsewhere?

[mgeneas]

Have you looked for them on the 1939 register?

[dcbnwh]

They appear on the 1911 census - look for John Smith born in Yarmouth.

In 1932, He, wife Eliza and sons Walter and John are at Elm Avenue, Cleethorpes.

Later, John gave his birth as 4th February 1906

I believe that John William married Eliza Jane Jackson in Grimsby District in 1900.

1901 Census :-

22, Bath Street, Grimsby, Great Grimsby, Lincolnshire
John Smith Head 24 1877 Fisherman Yarmouth, Norfolk
Eliza Smith Wife Married Female 22 1879 - Grimsby, Lincolnshire
Harriet Smith Sister Single 15 1886 - Grimsby, Lincolnshire
John G Ashton Adopted Child - 1 1900 - Grimsby, Lincolnshire

David

[CaroleW]

Later, John gave his birth as 4th February 1906

If John James Smith was born 4.2.1906 in Lincolnshire - there is no birth registration for him in either the March or June qtrs of that year

What was John William Smith's occupation on the 1932 marriage cert? 

[dcbnwh]

Many apologies - I got the family of John James wrong.

The date of birth is as given in 1939 but the census details are the wrong family.

David