Great Grandfather died in WW1 im starting to think not

[DavyTee68]

Guess it's time to give up on William Turner. All avenues have been exhausted.
I could try and track down Elizabeth, Emma and Martha jnr descendants and see if they can shed light I suppose.
Thanks to everyone that had input and followed this story with interest.
You've all been wonderful.

[groom]

That is probably the only way to go now, although the chances are they were told the same story. Looking at all the extra information we’ve found since you last posted, who knows what may become available in years to come.

Good luck.

[jonw65]

I still think he left the family and perhaps changed his name, so is buried using that name and that is why he can't be found.

Unfortunately re John's birth certificate naming him as father that doesn't mean 100% that he was.

So you don't think that was the correct William Turner in Medomsley on the 1908 electoral register?

1908 electoral register
Polling District Hamsterley
Medomsley
William Turner
place of abode 5 Hamsterley Colliery

John George Turner last born child of William and Martha
Address given for birth is 5 Dene Row, Hamsterly Colliery, Medomsley, Durham. 25th July 1907

[LizzieL]

I still think he left the family and perhaps changed his name, so is buried using that name and that is why he can't be found.

Unfortunately re John's birth certificate naming him as father that doesn't mean 100% that he was.

So you don't think that was the correct William Turner in Medomsley on the 1908 electoral register?

1908 electoral register
Polling District Hamsterley
Medomsley
William Turner
place of abode 5 Hamsterley Colliery

John George Turner last born child of William and Martha
Address given for birth is 5 Dene Row, Hamsterly Colliery, Medomsley, Durham. 25th July 1907

Certainly looks like same man to me.

[LizzieL]

Even though he appears on 1908 register he may have died in between data being gathered and the time the register was published. My great grandfather died in late 1914, yet appears on 1915 register

[groom]

Sorry John, I’d missed that. It still doesn’t answer where and when he died or why she claimed she was a widow in 1911, yet the children were told he died in the war in 1915. It’s a very odd situation altogether as the children in 1911 were old enough to know their father wasn’t around.

[jonw65]

I think we can say then that there is a period of about three years, before we see Martha in the next census, during which time William has certainly disappeared!
John

[LizzieL]

Sorry Jon, I’d missed that. It still doesn’t answer where and when he died or why she claimed she was a widow in 1911, yet the children were told he died in the war in 1915. It’s a very odd situation altogether as the children in 1911 were old enough to know their father wasn’t around.

It looks like he and Martha were together until at least the time when data was gathered for 1908 ER (late 1907) and the date of 1911 census. Perhaps he did die in 1915, but not in the war (as he would be rather old to serve) and somehow Martha heard of his death and just assumed it was connected to WW1 because of the date, and that got handed on to the children. 
But how did Martha explain several years of an absent father to her children before the beginning of WW1?

[groom]

But how did Martha explain several years of an absent father to her children before the beginning of WW1?

That is the strange thing isn't it?  Or perhaps, and we'll probably never know, they did know he'd left her, but that bit was never passed down to grandchildren and great grandchildren, just his death. Still doesn't tell us when and where he died!