My Grandfather the elusive Charles Duff

[Carl Chorley]

Hi all,
I am trying to find my Grandfather on my Mothers side.
I doubt he will still be living now though but I can't find anything out there.
My Mum was the result of an affair during WW2.
My Grandmother refused to allow my Mum to go live with him and saw to it that she never had contact with him. The reasoning was that he was already married and refused to divorce his wife and marry my Grandmother.
My extended family my mums aunts refused to give us any information.
Sadly all have passed away now, leaving my mum who's in her 70's without any clue to her paternal lineage. She has felt alone all her life and rejected by her mother being Granny reared.
So I'm looking for a Charles Duff, married to a lady named Jean? His occupation apparently was a bookies runner and the area he was known to of come from was Bermondsey.
The only record we know exists is from the Courts as he was charged with the crime of bastardy (fathering a child out of wedlock) and a support order granted. The local Courts refused to supply a copy of any order or information because they deemed it wasn't in the public interest.

I appreciate any help with this.
Kind Regards
Carl

[Sandblown]

Could You by any chance, name the vicinity, where Your Grandmother was living at the time of the liaison, with Charles Duff.

[Girl Guide]

Welcome to Rootschat Carl 

I checked to see if there were any marriages for a Charles Duff to a Jean but none came up between 1890 and 1945.  Whoever his wife was it was not Jean unless that was her second name.

As Sandblown has asked, where was your grandmother living at the time she met Charles?  Where was your mother born?

[Carl Chorley]

Thank you for your replies.
Charles met my grand mother when he was evacuated from Dunkirk.
legend has it that he spent quite a lot of time in the water awaiting rescue and this caused health problems along with his hair turning white from shock.
So he was sent to Markeaton Army Camp in Derby,East Midlands. He was sent to work in the cook house.
He was quite unable to work properly in the cookhouse and required assistance as he had very little grip. Aso the Camp Dr gave him regular injections in his feet and hands, something to do with use of gold needles? Any way I digress, once my Grandmothers pregnancy was revealed the Army called in her parents. Whom apparently said they would sort the mess out?
So we know for sure he was in Derby in March of 1944.
After  that I'm assuming he would of been medically discharged. I can't imagine he would of been able to do much after. Or maybe the Army moved him on elsewhere?
My Grandma would of been between 20-21 years old. It was said he was slightly Older.
My Grandmother was born in 1923..
So I'm not sure how much older Charles was.


 

[Carl Chorley]

Welcome to Rootschat Carl 

I checked to see if there were any marriages for a Charles Duff to a Jean but none came up between 1890 and 1945.  Whoever his wife was it was not Jean unless that was her second name.

As Sandblown has asked, where was your grandmother living at the time she met Charles?  Where was your mother born?

My Mother was born in Derby.
That's the issue I'm finding was his name really Charles? Mum seems to think he went by the name of Charlie? Charley?
Apparently his wife Jean was disabled and couldn't have children.. Hence the offer to take my mum on?
That's the trouble with legend and not having open honesty from the family.
Thank you for taking the time in looking for me.

[Carl Chorley]

Could You by any chance, name the vicinity, where Your Grandmother was living at the time of the liaison, with Charles Duff.

Thank you for replying.
Charles was in Derby at the time of the liaison.
My Grandmother was Derby Born.
I appreciate your time in helping.

[Girl Guide]

Ok well if we assume that he was born between 1918 and 1923 only two births appear in that time frame:-

DUFF, CHARLES  LINDSEY     LINDSEY 
GRO Reference: 1920  J Quarter in ST. MARYLEBONE  Volume 01A  Page 1137

DUFF, CHARLES  ROBERT     DUDDY 
GRO Reference: 1920  S Quarter in EASTBOURNE  Volume 02B  Page 134

Taking the births back to 1910 gives one birth in the London area:-

DUFF, CHARLES  JOSEPH     ROYSTON 
GRO Reference: 1911  J Quarter in SOUTHWARK  Volume 01D  Page 129

This is of course making the assumption that Charles was born in the London area somewhere.

The other two in the expanded time frame are Stamford and Battle.

DUFF, CHARLES  JAMES     GARRATT 
GRO Reference: 1910  D Quarter in STAMFORD  Volume 07A  Page 314

DUFF, CHARLES  BRIAN DORNTON    WILLIAMS 
GRO Reference: 1916  J Quarter in BATTLE  Volume 02B  Page 76

Your biggest problem is that you don't have enough information about Charles to pin him down accurately.

[Sandblown]

It's also probable that as He was at the Dunkirk Evacuation, He could have been either an Army Regular or Territorial in 1939, and might not appear on the 1939 Register, that was compiled primarily for the issue of Wartime Identity and Ration Cards.

I'm surprised You cannot obtain the Court Support Order, as it might be worthwhile Your Mother reapplying under the latest 'Freedom Of Information' Act. The services of a Solicitor might be worth considering. I believe obtaining sight of the Court Support Order, maybe the only way forward, with so little information, You have, on Your Mother's Father.

[garstonite]

the only Duff family I can find in Bermondsey in 1911 census

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XWPP-MLS