Harry Ellis

[melsibob]

I found a brother for my grandfather in 1911 census - Harry Ellis. According to the census Harry was born in 1902 in Grimsby. I don't remember Harry ever being mentioned and would like to find out more. I looked on electoral rolls for Lime Street (the family lived at the same address for years) but could not find any any mention of him. Am I wrong to assume he was too young for WW1? I have searched A......y and have not found anything. Does anyone have suggestions where I can look?

[Geoffers]

You might try TNA's documentsonline which has service records of RN, RNVR, RM - searching is free, you pay a small fee to download information.

Did your gt grandafther leave a will in which he metions Harry?

Did Harry go to sea - have a look at the TNA resaerch guides on Merchant Seamen

[Adnepos_Iacobi]

From the general index of deaths there is a Harry ELLIS b 16 May 1902, death registered Cambridge July 1993.

[Adnepos_Iacobi]

From the general index of deaths there is a Harry ELLIS b 16 May 1902, death registered Cambridge July 1993.

But his birth was registered in the September quarter so this isn't him!

[Mona]

But his birth was registered in the September quarter so this isn't him!

A birth in mid May could be registered at the beginning of July, and therefore fall in the September quarter. (Births registered Jul/Aug/Sep).

[Pam Downes]

I found a brother for my grandfather in 1911 census - Harry Ellis. According to the census Harry was born in 1902 in Grimsby. I don't remember Harry ever being mentioned and would like to find out more. I looked on electoral rolls for Lime Street (the family lived at the same address for years) but could not find any any mention of him. Am I wrong to assume he was too young for WW1? I have searched A......y and have not found anything. Does anyone have suggestions where I can look?

Depending on which years you looked at Harry could well have been living at the address, but only people of voting age (which in those days was 21) would have been listed on the electoral roll.

If you think Harry stayed in the Grimsby area, then you could try searching for a marriage for him on the NE Lincs registration site.
Stick www. in front of northlincs.gov.uk then select 'Community, people and living', and follow the links through. (The alternative is a URL about 100 letters long. )
They will do a check for you (e.g. you could say is his father called Zebedee and a tailor by trade). Costs slightly more than ordering a certificate direct from the GRO, but at least you don't waste any money if it's the wrong certificate. There are either quite a few Harry Ellis' living in Grimsby district, or else one who's either unlucky with his wives continually dying on him, or else he's a bigamist.

Have you thought of trying a letter to the local paper? It's surprising how easy it is to live in a town and have relations also living there without knowing them. My grandfather had a half-brother who had children, and when he was growing up my uncle would occasionally see one of the children (Wilf) and be told 'he's your cousin'. Seventy years later I have no knowledge of Wilf or his descendants, and I don't think my uncle has either. (Must do bit of digging in the old GRO Index. )
Pam
Pam

[melsibob]

Thanks - everyone for your input. I tried Pam's suggestion regarding contacting North East Lincolnshire Registrar. I emailed them asking if they would check if the birth for Harry Ellis in 1902 was in fact my Harry. They have confirmed the parents details - this rules out the possibility of Harry being a nephew or something similar. I am aware one of my grandfather's sister's had married in the Grimsby area - and that they had a son. Looking through the telephone directory I have found somone who has the son's name (well at least I think it is the correct name!) - so I have written to him in the hope he can help. I was a little anxious about doing this as I didn't want to worry/upset someone who is probably quite elderly - in the end I kept the letter brief and apologised for any possible distress. Hopefully I will get some pointers.