Hi everyone thanks for looking,
Happy New Year to all. When is the time that is really the time to end researching our own family history. I have been researching my family history now for near on 20 years and feel like I have hit the brickwall of brickwall's. When I started the knowledge all that I had I would call very basic. I had only one birth certificate which was for my Grandfather.( Mother's side.)
My brother and I were born in the mid 1940's. With a gradual ageing storyline, my brother and I were told of our Grandfather's father,(our G / Grandfather) had worked and spent some time in America in the 1890's and 1900's. That's all we were told. No one ever defined the length of time. A birth certificate for our Grandfather was the only record that we had on the family at that time.
The second world war was the reason we had nothing more of the family's history. Everything was lost in the war.
Me now, trying to remember as far back as possible. - I, my brother and some cousins were told, .....what we now know as minimal information. ........ Conversation back then, some conversation's were shortened by being told that eventually time will be the greatest healer of bad memories, hopefully in the future they will all get forgotten........ Their war experience's they did not want to share ..... to painful to be remembered.
Release of anything further from cousins on our past was not very forthcoming.
I, carrying on with my research have the problem on which named descendant is my G / Grandfather's father ( my G / G / Grandfather ) as there are two of them one born 1816, and one born 1837 with the same first christian name ... JAMES. They are Father and Son.
My / our G / Granndfather's birth certificate is the only legal document that confirms his Father as a JAMES WENTZELL. My / our G / Grandfather was born 1856/7.
Censuses findings for 1861,1871, (We cannot find census for 1881).
Do not show a JAMES in the household. The 1871 Census has head of household / HUSBAND ?? as ALBERT WENTZELL ?? ....... in contention we have a JAMES b 1816 his son's ( brothers ) JAMES THOMAS b 1837 & ALBERT GOTTLEIB b 1839. .... all Infact are Father, Sons and brother's.
Have found marriage banns on ALBERT and my G / G / Gandmother for the year of 1859. Tower Hamlets, Poplar. This strange thing here is they do not marry until 1871.
What is showing here is that ALBERT is Stepfather.
No more children are forthcoming with ALBERT.
The main big question has been did our G / G Grandmother marry to give her children their rightful surname?
We have not been able to find a copy birth certificate details of my G / Grandfather's brother. Born supposedly 1854 Liverpool which perhaps would / could be of help.?
Having two people to choose from for a descendant, puts the direction of my family history of uncertainty. I would like to find out which one of the JAMES is my G / G Grandfather.
Hoping the above is understandable.
Any help into what route I take would be much appreciated.
Best Regards JUST J
