Uniform ID

[ecksdochter]

Hello,
     Certainly looks like the same man on all the photographs. On two of the them, 2nd one taken with his children and later photograph of a family group, Edward's left hand appears to have a curved scar running from between middle fingers to his wrist. No doubt at all that these two are the same man.
     Regards,     Dod.

[jim1]

There are online trees that have Edward married to Mary Sarah Smyth although I can't see a marriage for them. However in 1901 she's single & with her family so that begs the question of where has Joseph Flood b.1897 come from. I think you need to look at the children born between 1905-1911 as they should show him as a soldier.

[ShaunJ]

I've been looking at Flood children born in Belfast and have found several in the right period with mmn Smyth and an address of 66 Little Patrick Street.  The father's name varies - sometimes Edward Flood, sometimes Patrick Flood. Mother Mary. Father's occupation labourer.

Edward and Mary are in Little Patrick Street in the 1911 census but the number recorded by the enumerator is 34.

Just to add more mystery to it all, the 1910 directory records the occupant of 66 Little Patrick Street as Edward Smith.

[ShaunJ]

Here are the Flood/Smyth births in Belfast per the records I could find:

Ellen Jane Gertrude born 3/5/1904 at 16 Caroline Street. Parents Edward Flood, labourer and Mary nee Smyth (died 7 days later)
James Harold born 18/7/1905 at 13 California Street, Parents Edward Flood, labourer and Mary nee Smith
Nellie born 16 /5/ 1907 at 18 Caroline Street, Parents Edward Flood, labourer and Mary nee Smyth
Thomas Edward born 16/7/1909 at 66 Little Patrick Street. Parents Edward Flood, labourer, and Mary nee Smyth
Nellie born 17/9/1911 at 66 Little Patrick Street. Parents Edward Flood, labourer, and Mary nee Smyth
Mary born 11/5/1914 at 66 Little Patrick Street. Parents Patrick Flood, labourer, and Mary nee Smyth
A search on Geni also reveals a Lily Flood mmn Smyth born 1917.

The children in the 1911 census are:

Joseph   14   
Charles   10   
Harold   6   
Sarah Ann   4   
Edward   2

So it looks like "Harold" is James Harold, "Sarah Ann" was possibly registered as Nellie#1, "Edward" is Thomas Edward. 

Edward the father is a labourer throughout.

[jim1]

Good info Shaun. So Either the photo isn't Edward or the Belfast family is the wrong one.
Any sign of a marriage ?

[ShaunJ]

With three girls born after 1911 I am more comfortable now with the proposition that the man in the photographs is the man in Belfast in the 1911 census. Presumably the family photo was taken in 1918 and Lily is the girl on his knee.

I'm not so sure that the information from the Lancers museum relates to this man.

[jim1]

The problem I have is that the man in the 2nd. has 2 chevrons so at least 6 years service, the only explanation I can come up with is that he was TF & embodied & his TF service went towards his full time service as per the Regs. at the time. There's nothing to suggest he was ever a full time pre war soldier & that's why I don't think the photo is Edward.

[ShaunJ]

The first evidence we have of him in Belfast is the birth of daughter Ellen in 1904. We don't know the history of the children Joseph or Charles who appear in the 1911 census but they were not registered as Flood mmn Smyth so unlikely to be his children.

Theorising, it seems possible that he served with 21st Lancers for a short time circa 1901-1903 which would explain how he came to be in Ireland (21st having been based there since 1898). And then as Jim suggests, he may have joined the Territorial Force as a part time soldier before 1914. 

[jim1]

Certainly plausible. It won't be the first time a soldier has been discharged for some reason only to join again later.