Dependents Pension Card help please.

[ALAMO2008]

Dependents Pension Card found for me for Pte 30223 James Bradley of 19th King's Liverpool Pals Btn
was Killed in Action 30/07/1916
The Dependents Card for his Step Mother Margaret Maylor Bradley is noted in Red at the top:-
" Minister's File No. 74452"
Anyone any ideas what this refers to?
James was not his Real Birth name
It was Ottowell Hugh Claude Bradley born Feb 1876 Mother's Maiden Name = Moor/Moore ( Mary Anne)
Father Bromsgrove born Police Sergeant Edward Bradley
Medal Cards and CWGC and Effects all under James
No trace of Attestation
Step Mother placed Memoriam in Liverpool Daily Post 6 Aug 1917 to Ottowell Death 30/07/1916
But no Ottowell Bradley on CWGC only James on that date.
Is it likely Army knew his name was his Known as Name not Birth name.
And what is a Ministers File please?

[jim1]

It appears he was calling himself James well before the war so
this is the name he has given at attestation.
He wouldn't have to provide a birth cert.
His war gratuity was £4 which indicates he attested 9 months or less prior to his death.
A Mrs. Margaret Alexander is named as his legatee when the 2 payments (1 being service gratuity)
were paid in Nov. 1916 & Sept. 1919.
It's possible the Minister's file no. has something to do with the name change.

[ALAMO2008]

He married in November 1901 at St John's Everton as Ottowell
Had a Son 1904 and shown on his Baptism as Ottowell
But then in 1906 his own Step Brother James died aged 13
1911 Census at 149 Spencer St he completes it showing Wife Laura Bradley and shows he married 9 years previous
Shows Son Waldron Bradley
But completes Census as Head named James Bradley same profession Tailor but as Lodger born in Dublin
So probably attested as James
Step Mother's Daiily Post Memoriam in 1917 clearly reveals he was Ottowell not James.
Although a Son of a Police Sergeant he and his elder Brother served time doing Hard Labour in H M Prison Liverpool for House Breaking.
Any ideas Jim1 on Ministers File ?

[jim1]

A Mrs. Margaret Alexander is named as his legatee when the 2 payments (1 being service gratuity)
were paid in Nov. 1916 & Sept. 1919.
It's possible the Minister's file no. has something to do with the name change.

Who was Margaret Alexander?

[ALAMO2008]

Yes Jim1 Margaret Alexander Legatee on Soldiers Effects is the one big Mystery at first I thought it was his Mother who possibly remarried after Husband Edward died June 1917 but not the case.
He had no relatives named Margaret

[jim1]

It looks like he was estranged from his wife & child as he would
have named Laura as his legatee.
It's not usual for someone who's been married for 9 years to be in lodgings
so there may have been some dysfunctionality as early as 1911.
Found just 1 Margaret Alexander in L'pool in 1911 b. 1874 with husband & kids
but who knows what they were up to during the war if it's her.

[ALAMO2008]

Finally posted my Biography for this Previously Unknown PAL on our Roll of Honour

https://www.liverpoolpals.com/soldier/?i=272/30223-Pte-james-bradley

[jim1]

I know it sounds like nit-picking but being named on a memorial in this
case Thiepval doesn't mean the body was never recovered it means
it was not identified.
It's possible he is buried somewhere as "known unto God"

[ALAMO2008]

Good point Jim1
I shall bear that in mind for future research.
Only an hour before your above comment, I got involved in a case of a Soldier listed on the Menin Gate Memorial
Yet I found his Attestation papers and Correspondence regarding his Burial
Which proved your point.