Answering one query seems to bring more

[jonw65]

Alexander Shiel is in the merchant seamen's records.
He has a CR10 card, which gives a photo (it's from about 1919, he is very young)
Born 12 Sep 1902, Gateshead.
Rating Mess Room Steward.

From later, two CR1's, which give some physical description. He had blue eyes.
Rating Carpenter.
Ships discharged from, Karabagh, and Elswick Park

And a CR2 card has him as Carpenter, Elswick Park, date of engagement, 10.6.40, looks like So Shields.
Sadly, though the database covers 1918-1941, it hasn't been made free this weekend.

[antiquesam]

That Alexander Shiel (Thiel) is the father of Augustus Shiel (Thiel) who we decided started calling himself Alexander. The person you have found was the husband of Mary Oates whose death certificate started this discussion. Confusing isn't it?

[antiquesam]

I apologise. I spoke to soon, he may well have followed in his father's footsteps and he is listed as a carpenter in the '39 Register.
 An interesting fact about South Shields is that it lost more men,per capita, than anywhere else in the UK during WW11 because of the number of men in the Merchant Navy. Both my father and step grandfather luckily survived and now my great uncle joins them. Thank you for the information.

[jonw65]

You're welcome. Hope you can get to see them!

[antiquesam]

Not for a few years yet I hope🙂

[antiquesam]

What goes on here?
Marriage
March 1932 South Shields 10a 1267
Augustus Thiel and Eileen Rogers

Marriage
June 1933 South Shields 10a 1681
Alexander Shiel and Eileen Rogers

I got the two marriage certificates this morning. The first marriage took place in the parish church and he says he's a bachelor living in Ingham road and his father was Alexander Thiel (deceased). Eileen Rogers was a spinster. The second marriage took place in the Register Office and Alexander Shiel is now a widower with Alexander Shiel as the father. He is still living in Ingham Street and Eileen is still a spinster living elsewhere. All the other information is the same but with different witnesses.
I think they were lucky not to get caught for perjury or something.

[MonicaL]

Ist child looks to have been born 1st Qrt of 1933, showing as Shiel...so they were together before the second marriage.

Odd!

Monica

[antiquesam]

They couldn't admit to living together, but I assume their families must have known. We'll never know why they did it.