I'm hoping someone with more skill than myself can help.
I am trying to find out information on my Great Grandfather who seems to have carved out interesting life for himself.
From the records I have his full name is Michael Patrick Gillespie - born either in Ireland or Great Yarmouth. I have found via the internet a Michael Patrick Gillespie born in Ireland in 1874 - which is his birth year - the date given is 31st March 1874 to parents Patrick Gillespie and Margaret Brown (Gillespie).
However I have found a census record of a Michael P Gillespie from 1911 living in Aldershot with his mother who is named as Alice T Gillespie and a sister called Jane McGuire. But this MP Gillespie has stated his birth town as being Great Yarmouth. But the rank listed matches with other information I have along with the age.
My Grandfather asked the General Records Office for his father's birth certificate (Michael Patrick Gillespie), in 1948, stating that his father was born in Great Yarmouth to which they replied they could find nothing and had searched between 1870 to 1874 inc. So it appears my GF thought his father was born there.
I also know based on another letter from the War Office that they state that No. 5268 Quarter Master Sergeant Michael Patrick Gillespie served in the British Army between 1890 and 1911 in the Lincolnshire Regiment although I believe he was actually in the Leicester Regiment based on a photograph of him in dress uniform with his medals - the insignia on his collar is not a Sphinx (Lincs) but looks like the tiger of the Leics. I've also found that he received a DCM in the Boer War having being involved in action at Ladysmith and that record states the Lincs who co-incidentally were based in India.
I have a copy of a certificate saying he married a Kathleen Burke in India on the 27th May 1905 - the following year my GF was born - Terence Patrick Gillespie 30th May 1906.
Somehow though he returns to the UK and leaves Kathleen and my grandfather in India (I think) appearing again in the 1911 census in Aldershot.
Then the next thing I can find he has married again, 29th September 1913 in Pernambuco Brazil to a Sophia Elisa De Macedo - The have a daughter Dorinha Patricia born 1st August 1914 and Elisa dies in childbirth. Dorinha then appears on a ships passenger list when she's 7 arriving in the UK with MPG but he appears to go back to Brazil on his own toing and froing until 1924 and I believe he dies in 1925/6 in Pernambuco but there is no death certificate etc. The next I can see of Dorinha is her getting married to Ivor Fredericks in Ipswich in 1939.
To add to this my aunt believes he married Sophia whilst still married to Kathleen.
So to summarise I’m hoping someone can:
1) Confirm his date and location of birth
2) Confirm who his parents were - Patrick and either Margaret Brown or Alice T xxxxx and any other information on this line
3) Help with any information as to where he signed up and ended up in India
4) Say when and where he died
5) Help with any other information Kathleen (Burke)
6) Say what he was doing in Brazil from 1912 to when he died
7) Tell me did he have any further relationships and family
I know it’s a big ask but he seems as though he was an interesting character and certainly had some secrets and any other information would be welcomed.
