My Grandfather Frank (Patrick) Vary, Life between 1905 and 1921

[Alan Vincent]

I am trying to find out where my Grandfather Frank (or Patrick Vary) (Vary was spelt Very on his Birth cert, changed in 1945 to Vary), was between 1905 and 1919 when he joined the Army on the 1st Sept in Liverpool under the name Patrick Vary. He was born in a work house in Bedford on the 15th Feb 1902. To Ellen Very/Vary (Nee Reene) and Thomas Very/Vary When he joined the army he has given his birth date as 1st Aug 1901. Can anyone suggest where l can look to find his whereabouts between 1905 and 1919 please.

[aghadowey]

Have you tried finding him in 1911 census? (we can't do lookups for it)

School registers might record his movements.

Was the address when he enlisted in 1919 the same or in the same area as Bedford?

[Alan Vincent]

I have checked the 1911 census, but he does not appear on it. Bedford Councils Archivist have also checked this for me and they could not find him. As his mother was rumoured to be Irish he may have been in Ireland at the time. I have tried checking passage records for that time but could not find anything. I have checked his army records (we have copies of them) and the only address l have, is for his mother (listed as next of Kin) is in 1922 at 8 Gay (Gray) Street Liverpool.

Do you know how l could check school records ??

Thanks Alan.   

[aghadowey]

Did you check for him in 1911 census under initials in case he was in an institution?

Ireland was part of the U.K. so no records were kept of people travelling between Ireland and England, Scotland and Wales.

You can check the 1911 Irish census here- I'd try looking for him with first name and birthplace (England) if you don't see any obvious surname entries-
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/

School records will possibly be in county archives but unlikely to be indexed.

Have you applied for any workhouse records?

[Alan Vincent]

I have tried the census records all ways, spelling variants, initials, etc. with no luck.
We did not apply for workhouse records as he left the workhouse 3 weeks after being born there. Apparently workhouse were used by the poor as places to give birth as they would get medical assistance whilst there. As his parents are listed as being Hawkers on his birth cert. l can only assume this was the situation.

[Annie65115]

The workhouse records (if they exist) may give an address to which Ellen went on leaving after giving birth. It's worth a try.

Another thought - how sure can you be that the Frank Very b q1 1902 in Bedford is the same person as the Patrick Vary who gave his dob as Aug 1901?

[myluck!]

Thomas VARY m Ellen REEN Kensington London 1892 Q4 V1a P390
Did they have other children between 1892 and 1904?
Searching for them may locate the family if there are transcription errors

[Annie65115]

Births Mar 1904   (>99%)
VERY    Frank         Sheppey    2a   1050

I presume you have this certificate?

Ignore this silly post!   

[Annie65115]

There was a Thomas Daniel Vary mmn Reen b in Kensington in 1895. Unfortunately it looks as though he died in the same quarter.

I can't see any others. Were they travellers?