Aartsen Music Hall Artiste around 1918

[gscott1]

I am seeking any information on Franciscus Josephus Aartsen who married Lily Wilson in Rotterdam on 11/12/1913. Lily gave birth to a boy in Edinburgh named Leonardus Josephus Aartsen on 21/10/1918 who was my wifes father. He was later adopted and named Leonard Stuart Harrow. my wife and her brother are understandably anxious to trace their family history.
On the birth certificate their domocile was given as Boysone road Camberwell
London.
On the birth certificate Franciscus's occupation was given as music hall artiste.
Any information would be gratefully accepted.

[Sue Mackay]

Try putting The Stage Archives into Google. For £5 you can get a 24 hour pass to search back copies of The Stage newspaper, which included many music hall artists. Even if you only find playbills, it helps to track their progess around the country.

[gscott1]

Sue,
My apologies for a very belated reply to you. I have spent the last 6 months looking for answers to the question in every search site, chat room, newspaper etc. in all of England, Scotland and half of Europe without success. I guess they did a great job of hiding their identities or perhaps the the Aartsen and Wilson part of the equation were figments of imagination or I have been looking in the wrong places. I will give it a rest for the moment. Perhaps I will get a blinding flash of brilliance one day and solve the puzzle.
Thanks
gscott1

[AdeleE]

Did the couple have any other children? By using the free search on Scotlands Peoples, the results indicate 4 Aartsen births in Scotland between 1912 and 1925.

[gscott1]

AdeleE
Thanks for your reply.
I have done the Scotlands people searches and found the people you mention. The thing that is really puzzling me is that I can find no trace of Lily and Franciscus either in Scotland, England or in Rotterdam. Although the birth certificate for leonardus says married Rotterdam 1913 I can find no trace of it or for that matter I can find no trace of their death or any reason why the adoption took place.
Looking through music hall sites has no mention of them.

Thank you for your interest

Gscott1

[AdeleE]

I've had a look as well on Ancestry census, BMD and immigration records & found nothing. You may have thought of this already, but the birth in Scotland may have happened because they were in Edinburgh while he was temporarily performing there on that date. As you know, music hall performers often used stage names. Perhaps you could check the Stage newspaper archive or Edinburgh newspapers for advertisements of performers playing there at that time? Then see if you can follow these specific performers for some further clues?

I've been unable to find a Boysone Road in Camberwell. Is the handwriting clear on the certificate?

[AdeleE]

I think I've found the street name. The Victorian London Street Name website lists a Boyson Road in Walworth.

[AdeleE]

I have done the Scotlands people searches and found the people you mention.
Gscott1

I neglected to ask. Have you purchased any of the other 3 birth certificates to determine the names of the parents?

[gscott1]

The birth certificate gives the street district as Camberwell London S.E.. The problem with looking through stage newspapers for their performances is that despite my best efforts, I have not been able to find their stage names.
There was a famous stage artist by the name of Lily Wilson but I dont think it is the one I am looking for.
I have not as yet purchased a birth certificate for the other 3 girls as I thought that just the look of their names compared to Leonardus (Catherine,Dorothy and Margaret) just did not point to an identical family. Perhaps I should try it .

[AdeleE]

The birth certificate gives the street district as Camberwell London S.E.. The problem with looking through stage newspapers for their performances is that despite my best efforts, I have not been able to find their stage names.
There was a famous stage artist by the name of Lily Wilson but I dont think it is the one I am looking for.
I have not as yet purchased a birth certificate for the other 3 girls as I thought that just the look of their names compared to Leonardus (Catherine,Dorothy and Margaret) just did not point to an identical family. Perhaps I should try it .

Does the birth certificate give an address of birth for the child?

Yes, it may be an idea to purchase the other birth certificates. Perhaps the father will be the same, or perhaps the father will be a relative. It may give you one more avenue of research, for what now appears to be a hopefully temporary dead end.. I noticed that there are also Aartsen marriages & deaths on Scotlands Peoples. (Just in case you need any help spending your money)