Alfred Shaw b1897 Gateshead - trying to trace father

[wivenhoe]

Thank you for the information on the marriage certificate. Can you give the names of witnesses.


Army enlistment (what date for this please)
".. his next of kin were Hugh Shaw and Margaret Shaw."

Does he identify them as his parents, or just next of kin, with no other detail?.

If they are his parents, and alive when he enlisted.........he would name them as THOMPSON?

[Questor28]

The witnesses on the marriage certificate were Maud Ridley and Charles Lamb who were Hannah's sister and her husband.

The enlistment date was 20 April 1915

Next of Kin states "Father Hugh Shaw", "Mother Margaret Shaw" of the same address.

If they are his parents, and alive when he enlisted.........he would name them as THOMPSON?
That is correct. It also applies to his marriage certificate where it says his father is "Hugh Shaw"

Could it be he was hiding that he was illegitimate?

[wivenhoe]

You have two records where Alfred SHAW names his father - Hugh SHAW, one of which also names his mother as Margaret.

I do not think it is worth following the possibility that Hugh THOMPSON and Margaret nee THYNNE are his parent.

The army enlistment file is the earliest evidence you have that your Alfred SHAW existed. Look for every clue on this file.

Physical description......anything significant eg. Six foot tall with red hair?........scars that might suggest trauma injury....innoculation.....

How long was he in the Army.........was he injured / ill...... which would mean that his parents were notified....and they were at the same address because the next of kin details stayed the same during his service?

Are there any other addresses.....what religion did he state.

Do not identify living sons / daughters.......but do you see any unusual given names....does he name a son Hugh?

Anything of note that might appear in a newspaper......was he active in the union / church / civic activities......amateur sportsman....played in the brass band......racing pigeons.....petty crime.....
loved photography......anything?

Only another 12 months to see the 1921 census.

[Questor28]

Do you not think that the address given on the enlistment document, 22 Hector Street, being the same as him living there in 1911 as the son of Margaret is a good enough link. The census says he was a "son" but the "Children born to this marriage" has been altered to None.

[Neale1961]

There are some trees on Anc. that provides documentation that partly solve this puzzle.

Alfred Shaw’s parents are supposedly George Shaw (born 1861 Newcastle, died 1894 Gateshead at age 34) and Margaret Shaftoe Thynn / Taigne (1859-1932)
They were married 1881 (2Q) Newcastle upon Tyne. George’s parents were Thomas and Barbara and are living in Elswick Northumberland in the 1871 census and by 1881 the family is in Gateshead. George is a Cartman and his father a horse keeper.
George and Margaret’s children were Frederick born 1881; Harriet born 1884; William born 1886, John Thomas born 1889, Robert born 1891, George born 1894; Alfred born 1897.

Margaret (widow) remarried on 25 August 1906 to Hugh Thompson (widower)
Thompson children are: Annie Lillian born 1885; Margaret born 1887; James born 1888; John born 1893.

However, as George died in 1894 and Alfred was born 3 years later, there is still a question over Alfred’s biological father. Searching birth registrations for 1897-1898 in Gateshead bring up a couple of possibilities but none with a mother’s name that matches Margaret.  But I will look further.

Added: In the 1939 register Alfred Shaw gives his birth date as 2 June 1897.

[Dundee]

Alfred used the name 'Alfred SHAW' so it is not at all unusual that he would give his (step) father's name as 'Hugh SHAW' instead of Hugh THOMPSON.  He likely didn't know his real father's name.  The only question is whether Margaret was his biological mother as a birth does not seem to have been registered with her recorded as the mother.

Debra 

[Questor28]

Neal1961 - :-)  Two of those trees belong to my family. The tree owned by Robert Shaw is my brothers and I am the editor. The one owned by Gary Shaw is my Half brother.

[Dundee]

From a GRO search, there is only one record, 10a/934, of an Alfred Shaw being born between 1894 and 1900. I have obtained a copy of this certificate which is very confusing. It states that the father is also Alfred Shaw and the mother is Elizabeth Shaw nee Bendall living at 5 Arthur Street. The birth date is given as 4 Jun 1897. I have not been able to find any census or marriage information for an Alfred and Elizabeth Shaw (Bendall) living in or around Gateshead at that time.

What is the occupation given for this father 'Alfred SHAW' and who registered the birth?

Debra 

[jonwarrn]

What is the occupation given for this father 'Alfred SHAW' and who registered the birth?

Railway Labourer.
Elizabeth Shaw, mother, 5 Arthur Street, Gateshead.

Link to certificate
https://mediasvc.ancestry.com/v2/image/namespaces/60623/media/7c5e727b-ce0d-488a-8017-79f00acd46d4?Client=Ancestry.Boards