Tracing an illusive Railway employee, London, 1930s

[still_looking]

Apologies if I've overlooked this being considered re:war service but if he was born in 1900 then he may have been called up in 1918/1919 when he turned 18.

S_L

[Jool]

7. On 3 children's birth certificates he states he was at the following addresses?
    a. 1934 - 166 Hampstead Road, St Pancras
    b. 1938 - 2 Dalby Street (NW5?)
    c. 1940 - 220 Arlington Road, Camden.

Bob

220 Arlington Road, Camden was a "Rowton House".  Rowton Houses were hostels for low-paid working men.  I have found the address on the 1939 Register and have scrolled through the original images but I cannot see him there as Wilson or Speers variations.  There are over 20 pages for this address, it was a large building.  There are a few Wilsons listed (common name) but not Alfred/Albert, I will have a closer look later when I have more time.

Information on the Camden Rowton House here:
https://www.workhouses.org.uk/RowtonCamden/

If you Google "Rowton House 220 Arlington Road Camden" you will see more information, the building is still standing.

[BobB1]

Thank you Jool - I appreciate your efforts. Keen to know if you find anything more on this man.

My working theory is that those pre and early war months went along the following:

1. in 1939 Martha had 3 small children under the age of 9 years and potentially was pregnant with a 4th. I believe it likely they were evacuated to Luton under Operation Pied Piper which commenced 01 Sep 1939. 

2. Alfred/Albert stayed at the home address of 2 Dalby Street (or 4/4a Dalby Street) to continue working on the (I assume) railways. I have a feeling he didn't join up, or if he did, he was quickly medically excused.

3. 2 Dalby Street was bombed in late 1939 or early 1940 (I have no exact info of the date) and this could probably be the reason for the move to 220 Arlington Road - where on her birth certificate he sates he was when 4th child was born in April 1940. He was living then as a single man and in need of nearby emergency accommodation after the bombing.

4. I don't know how long he stayed at 220 Arlington, or if he went elsewhere. However, his TB diagnosis and illness eventually found him in St Mary's Luton where he died in Aug 1943 to be closer to the family. It's highly likely he was at some sanitorium before he deteriorated - a good possibility is Moggerhanger House alternatively at Aspley Heath or Woburn Sands, but I just don't know for sure.

Still_Looking - You're probably right, but how do I find that if I don't even know when or where he was born?

Bob

[jonw65]

Check out 171 Camden High St in 1939.
There is an Albert Wilson with 2 birth dates.  The amended date of 26 May 1900 appears to have been recorded/notified on 14 May 1942 by the DPL area.  DPL is the area code for Luton.

This Albert looks a good bet to me (a great find by Sc00p). Is living in the right general area.
171 Camden High Street is some kind of pub. In 1939 it was being run by the Thornes, with staff also living there.
Perhaps Albert was boarding there?
Says he is married. Occupation Caretaker.
Original date of birth 24 May 1885
Amended to 26 May 1900 !
The change was noted in 1942, and, yes, area code is DPL for Luton. So this Albert Wilson was residing in Luton by then.
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/articles/1939-register-enumeration-districts

Ancestry have indexed him with the 1885 date of birth, findmypast with no year of birth.

[jorose]

I wonder if by any chance St Mary's hospital, Luton records survive. Looks like pre the start of the NHS it was the workhouse infirmary so records are with the poor law.

https://bedsarchives.bedford.gov.uk/Using_Our_Collections/Collection-Guides/Health-and-Welfare-Records/HospitalRecordsPartThreeConspectus.aspx
LutonSt Mary's Hospital: from 1948 (for pre 1948 see Luton Poor Law and Public Assistance Archives)

i.e.
https://bedsarchives.bedford.gov.uk/Using_Our_Collections/Collection-Guides/Health-and-Welfare-Records/Poor-Law-Records/Luton-Poor-Law-Union.aspx
PULV16: Registers of Deaths in the Workhouse (1866-1951)
PULV17: Registers of Religious Creeds (1876-1949)
PULV25: Patients' Admission & Discharge Register (1924-1950)

https://bedsarchives.bedford.gov.uk/Enquiryandresearchservice.aspx - likely you will need to visit or hire someone to access, but might be some tidbit here you didn't have before.

[BobB1]

Sc00p - Jonw65

It's worth exploring. Is the any specific reason you feel this Alfred is a good bet? Any info/connection to tie this chap in that can be followed up?

What logical explanation is there for the 2 birth dates and the amendment in 1942?

On the children's birth certificates, he has used mainly Alfred, but also once, Albert. He was always known as 'Alf'. Which one is his actual Christian name is anyone's guess.

Also both Martha and Alf claimed to be married, but there is no evidence of a marriage certificate.

Jorose - I have been in contact with the Bedford Archives, they say records are limited. Its still on my list of options though.

[mazi]

At the start of hostilities all railway dining was halted by the government and several railway hotels requisitioned so his circumstance would have changed then.

The railway dining trains were a prestigious service, with the LMS and LNER in hot competition, and as such perfection in all things was demanded from all the staff.

This makes me think your man, a dining car attendant offering full ‘silver service’ to important customers was at the top of his profession and likely to me be a long serving member of staff.

I would suspect he would need at least 5 years of service in the railway before 1935 to achieve that, and could have joined the railway much earlier than that, given the railway tradition of length of service giving priority for any promotion.

I doubt he worked the flying Scot but probably worked the lms equivalent, The Royal Scot, leaving Euston at 10-00 am en route to Glasgow with just a stop at  Carlisle, another pointer to his likely being very experienced.


Mike

[jonw65]

Hi
I guess it's the locations tie in as much as anything. If he wasn't in the army in 1939 (possibly unlikely, but we don't know for sure of course), and not with Madge in Luton, then somewhere in the St Pancras area seems likely. At some point his date of birth was altered, presumably in 1942, and this chap was in Luton at the time.
There is the Alfred / Albert complication, but his death was registered as Albert.

Dalby Street. The WW2 London bomb damage is online, it's a bit fiddly to use (and a bit fuzzy!)
https://www.layersoflondon.org/map/overlays/bomb-damage-1945?overlayGroups=eyJlbmFibGVkIjpbImJvbWItZGFtYWdlLTE5NDUiXX0%3D

There may be a simpler one online (used to be)
Key is
Black = Total destruction
Purple = Damaged beyond repair
Dark Red = Seriously damaged, doubtful if repairable
Light Red = Seriously damaged, but repairable at cost
Orange = General blast damage, not structural
Yellow = Blast damage, minor in nature

Some houses in Dalby Street appear to have been knocked out

[BobB1]

Thanks jonw65

Looking at the amount of bomb damage to the street on both sides, this is looking more and more likely to be the area my Mother can remember 'rushing to visit' and seeing that street ''gone''. I wonder which was No2?

I'm also starting to think Albert was his real given name and 'Alf' just a self adopted name.

Seems to me that the best bet is following a definite known location of Alf/Albert - 2 Dalby Street (or 4/4a as ShaunJ found).

I am not familiar with the search protocols for the National Archives, but is it feasible to search for an employee - of any name - that might be recorded at that address?

I am visiting my Mother this afternoon and intend trying to discover if there is anything else she can add.

Bob