George William HARRIS - Sittingbourne

[Mbilsbrough]

Hello Kent,

I am at a dead end with a lost member of my family history.
George Albert HARRIS LEONARD was my Great Grandfather. His Father is a mystery to me.
His Mother is May Elizabeth LEONARD and is the only name on my Great Grandfather's birth certificate (1909), but when George Albert HARRIS LEONARD married in 1934, he named his father as George William HARRIS (Deceased) with the profession 'R.N.' (presumably Royal Navy).

My Grandmother has told me that her Great Grandfather, George William, had a metal leg and committed suicide off a bridge.

If anyone has the time or knows of where I might find more information I would be grateful as I am in Preston, Lancashire and have no way currently of getting to Sittingbourne where they lived (according to the 1911 census).

Many Thanks
Michael

[groom]

Welcome to Rootschat.

It certainly looks as if George Albert was probably illegitimate if there is no father's name on his birth certificate. It also looks as if his mother married in 1912

May E Leonard
Arthur Smith
1912 Jul-Aug-Sep quarter
Milton Kent
Volume   2a  Page   2332

His mother was the daughter of Horace Horton Leonard and Mary Ann. She was baptised 5th October 1890 at St Peter & Paul, Ospringe.

Remember that often people added fathers to their marriage certificates in order to look respectable.

[groom]

There are medal cards for two sailors called George William Harris, but obviously no way of knowing if either is the right man.

Medal Card of   Harris, George William
Place of Birth:   Hull
Date of Birth:   1882

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8026059

Medal Card of   Harris, George William
Place of Birth:   London
Date of Birth:   1885

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8026058

[grandarog]

  As people didn't stray far form home for there romances in the old days .There is a good chance the Father George William is the lad about her age living with his parents at 41,Charlotte St. This  is only spitting distance from Eastbourne St. where May lived at the time of her dalliance.
  As the lad George was a Waterman (probably a mate on a Barge)at the time, there is a good chance he would have enlisted RN at outbreak of WW.1 or earlier.
 Have you managed to find May on the 1911 census. Her child is with her parents at Eastbourne Street.
  Obviously this is only my supposition but you may want to follow up.

[rosie99]

There are these two births
Births Dec 1891 
Harris    George William   - mothers maiden name SMITH
Milton    2a   858   
 
Births Mar 1892   
Harris    George   mothers maiden name WHITING
Milton    2a   880

The George at Charlotte Street has father James Harris mother Hannah Sarah nee Whiting

[groom]

If what Michael's grandmother said is correct, we can probably rule out the first George born 1891 as I think this is his death.

George William Harris
Birth :   2 Oct 1891
Death:   Mar 1979
Age at Death:   87
Shepway Kent
Volume:   16
Page:   1818

[Mbilsbrough]

Thank you groom. I did manage to find out about May Elizabeth and her marriage to Arthur Smith.
I have their certificate which clearly names Horace Horton Leonard as father.

I did wonder about the exact details from George A Harris-Leonard's marriage certificate, but my gran seems to believe her information about George William Harris is correct.

I hoped someone might have access to newspapers that would show any suicides that occurred in Kent. The fact he supposedly had a 'metal leg' and a career in the Royal Navy might coincide or be reported.

grandarog, I did suppose they might've been near home and did wonder about local lads. It's difficult to tell with George William being a popular name (presumably because of Royalty) and lots of Harris surnames.

Thank you for trying rosie99, again I have limited details that I'm not completely sure are true, i.e. Name on marriage cert to save face.
It's an interesting conundrum that has been plaguing me since starting my family tree search in 2010.

I think I might have found May Elizabeth Leonard on the 1911 census working as a servant, but not certain.

Thank you for your help with my family history. I'll keep on investigating and hope for a link at some point.

[groom]

I hoped someone might have access to newspapers that would show any suicides that occurred in Kent. The fact he supposedly had a 'metal leg' and a career in the Royal Navy might coincide or be reported.

. 

I had a look at the Newspapers on Find My Past, but couldn't see anything.

[rosie99]

I hoped someone might have access to newspapers that would show any suicides that occurred in Kent. The fact he supposedly had a 'metal leg' and a career in the Royal Navy might coincide or be reported.

. 

I had a look at the Newspapers on Find My Past, but couldn't see anything.

I could not see anything in the Times either