Looking for descendents of William John Hughes, Old Woking >>>

[halfasheep]

Hi all, apologies as I don't have much info here.

I have (potentially) in my tree a William John Hughes (17/03/1939 - 20/01/1987). I have his death as Old Woking, born in Greenwich, London. His parents would be William John Hughes and Dorothy Doris (Payne). His line appears to be the only one with any living descendents.

There is an ancestry tree with him on it connected to the family I think is mine, and it shows him with two daughters (both hidden, so I presume still alive). The owner of the tree hasn't been on for over a year, and I've had no response to an e-mail on there.

I was really just hoping that someone on here is either related to him, or knows someone who is related to him, and could possibly pass my details on? It's quite an important line in my tree and I'm desperate to get some information on it.

Thank you very much in advance.

[PaulineJ]

Slim chance of any links. Have you been proactive about  other avenues?

Will(s)?
Death certificate(s)? Who notified the death(s)?
Newspaper announcements of marriages/ deaths/ births?
Did you ID his marriage and the names of the offspring using BMDs?
Chased up the death address in electoral rolls?

Pauline

Which tree (on Ancestry)? was it?

Schembri, Hazelwood and many more (private)
Our Family Tree.ged  (private)
or Hughes Family Tree (public)

[halfasheep]

Hughes family tree - just checked again, not been on in over a year, and I sent the message a good two weeks ago.

Not got the death cert yet, local newspapers are a bit difficult as I live in South Wales, so it's a bit far, plus I work Monday to Saturday, so apologies if I don't respond very quickly.

I've possibly found a living sister of his, and I have sent a letter recorded delivery as she is ex-directory - it's been signed for by the lady, but no response (I put three phone numbers, my address, and two e-mail addresses in my letter).

Thank you for your interest though

[rosie99]

Presumably you have the address from the probate index. 

Woking obituaries for around that time are not online.  Papers would have been Woking News & Mail / Surrey Advertiser / Woking Herald, Surrey Herald group.

Maybe the sister is not interested in family history 

[halfasheep]

It's probably one of his kids/grandkids on Ancestry to be honest Rosie. They have no details for our mutual relative (William sr), other than his name.

William jr's father was on his second marriage at the time and died when the oldest child was 10, their mother remarried.

When they married, he was 59 and she was 21! I apologised several times in my letter in case she didn't know the situation with her father being married previously - she would be in her 80's now. There's a chance she just doesn't want the past dragged up, but equally, I asked her if she could pass my details on if someone in the family would be interested in speaking to me.

The family are not at the probate address (spent a fortune on 192.com).

I have messaged the local community centre, and a local gent who ran it for the last 60 years(!) has been passed my details today in case he knows the family.

I've had some luck on here in the past with random posts looking for relatives, so who knows who might message me in 3 years 

[halfasheep]

But thank you for the newspaper details too. Gives me other avenues. One of my in-laws lives in Epsom, so next time I'm up that way I'll make an effort to go to a local reference library

[rosie99]

I have messaged the local community centre, and a local gent who ran it for the last 60 years(!) has been passed my details today in case he knows the family.

I had family who were involved with the creation & running of that centre in its early days (1950's)
Sadly no longer with us.   

[Annette7]

I have (potentially) in my tree a William John Hughes (17/03/1939 - 20/01/1987). I have his death as Old Woking, born in Greenwich, London. His parents would be William John Hughes and Dorothy Doris (Payne). His line appears to be the only one with any living descendents.

The man who died 20/1/1987 Old Woking was born 25/3/1914 - death reg'd Jan.1987 Surrey NW.

'Your' man - born 17/3/1939 - his death is Apr. 1987 Lewisham.

Your searches need to be in the Lewisham area, not Old Woking!

Annette

[halfasheep]

Well, well, small world isn't it! This gentleman probably worked with your family

I'd love to put this one to bed. My guy has been missing for the last 15 years, so a second (unknown) family was a real shock. Family rumour was that he was in a paupers grave in London, and so far it's all panned out. I just have no idea how a coal miner from the South Wales valleys ended up in Greenwich in the 1930's, having abandoned his family, possibly entered a marriage bigamously, and had a second batch of children 30 years after his first 6!!

As the person concerned (William Sr) is my gt gt gt grandfather, his London descendents are the only people who can finalise this for me. William jr is the only one of the four London children who seem to have children of their own.

I always feel it's a shame when there's no-one in a particular family line with any interest in where they come from. My 10 year old step-son asked me last night why I did the tree, and apparently my response that I want to know where I come from isn't good enough lol!