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topo60
27-05-2008, 10:20 AM
After 15 years trying why can’t I find my grandfather..!
All I have is a marriage certificate and the family knowledge that he walked out of the church - and never stopped! That was in 1920 and my father was born 3 weeks later and on his birth certificate his father is shown as a Butler/Servant – both mother and baby are living at grandparents address. My Grandmother married again as a widow 6 years later – but her widowhood is in doubt – as there has been no trace of 1st husbands death anywhere and ‘poor mans divorce’ (bigamy) seems to have been a family tradition. All the information on the marriage certificate has been exhausted. It shows William John Glover’s place of residence as Hamilton Terrace, St John’s Wood, London and father (John) deceased and both occupations as servants in London. William John Glover was born circa 1900 and there are several with the same name on the 1901 census none of which have a father John and the places of birth vary widely thought the country – including Scotland. I know a little of the family he worked for and have even been to see his place of work (now converted into flats). I have ‘posted’ messages on the internet and various other media all to no avail.
When living near London (before retiring and moving five hundred miles away) I spent many hours going through all the births and deaths for William John (and variants of) Glover at the Family Records Centre and also any information at the Kew Archives. The nearest ‘scrap’ of info I have come across is in the 1901 census where a William John Glover was born to Arthur John and Maria Charlotte Glover from West Ham – but the father was a Railway worker not a servant. Could ‘John’ the father a figment of imagination?
Any ideas would be welcome – I’ve run out of them.
Topo60

Julie Tyrell
27-05-2008, 10:31 AM
Hi

You certainly have a mystery. I had a similiar one with my g.grandparents. My g.grandfather 'liking' the demon drink put down the mothers name incorrectly on my nan's birth cert - Margaret Lewis (Margaret being his 1st wife - who he had deserted!! And Lewis being his '2nd' wife's surname) that caused years of mystery but I got there in the end.

I just wondered if William John Glover was his real name!! How old was he when he married?

Good luck
Julie

topo60
27-05-2008, 12:16 PM
Hi Julie
William John Glover was a 20 year old batchelor in 1920. If that was his real name - now you've got me wondering..! I even had the daft notion that he wasn't the biological father but did his duty as a servant to protect his masters honour. (Daydreaming or desperation?).
topo60

Geoffers
27-05-2008, 12:39 PM
Could he have been a serial womaniser????

I wonder if one - or more - of the following co-respondents in these divorce cases (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/searchresults.asp?SearchInit=0&txtsearchterm=william+glover&txtfirstdate=1920&txtlastdate=1936&txtrestriction=j77&hdnsorttype=Reference&image1.x=17&image1.y=9) might be your chap.

You might try searching the GRO indexes to see if any William John Glovers married before or after 1920.

Any deaths in the CWGC who might be your chap in WW2?

Passenger lists are available on the pay to view site, Findmypast - perhaps he emigrated.

Who were the witnesses at marriage - could they give any clues?

Any marriages notices in local newspapers which again might give names of relatives and a way of pursuing your chap.

topo60
27-05-2008, 1:15 PM
Thanks Geoffers
I have tried all of your suggestions without any luck. One of the witnesses at the wedding was C J Martin - no idea who he/she could be - the other was the Uncle of the bride.
HOWEVER I never considered him being a womaniser so I'll have a good look at the 'site' you've posted.
Many thanks
topo60