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  1. #1
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    Default Some advice please! Missing children.

    Hi all,
    I am looking into my dad's side of the family and have hit a snag. So my great grandparents were Albert George Jennings b1897 and Louisa Jessie Smith b1894. They had 5 children, Louisa b1919, Albert b1920, Ernest b1923 (my grandad), Lilian b1927, Alfred b1925 and Vera b1931.
    Trying to establish were Lilian, Alfred and Vera were in 1939 as they do not appear on the 1939 register with their father and 3 older siblings. I have tried to search for each of them in turn and unable to find anything that matches. Lilian and Vera definitely lived past 1939 as have found later marriage records for them both plus I actually met and knew Vera. No one in my family can recall an Alfred so he may have died young but not able to find a death record to match this so very confused?
    Any suggestions as to where I can go from here? I'm wondering if they may have been sent away as their mother died in 1937 and obviously there was a war on but would still like to find them?
    I'm a total novice at this still so all tips welcome, thank you.

  2. #2
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    They were born in the 1920's/30's so will come under the 100 year rule and their entry will be redacted. Also if they died after 1991 they will again be redacted. Therefore your chances of finding them in 1939 are limited,. If they had been sent ot relatives etc after their mother's death they could be anywhere.

    Emeltom

  3. #3
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    I could well imagine that with 6 children to look after, your widowed great-grandfather might offload the 3 youngest out to a relative to look after and those 3 children's names may still be redacted/hidden on the 1939 register.

    If your great-grandfather & great-grandmother had brothers and sisters I guess it would be worth finding them on the 1939 register to see if they have hidden names in the household ?

    cross-posted with emeltee

  4. #4
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    I'll try this, thank you.. I'll see if my dad knows anything too. Maybe Vera or Lilian mentioned their childhood to someone in the family.

  5. #5
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    Did Vera marry a Henry W Timothy? If so I think she later remarried a Charles M McGregor.If so then a possible death of a Vera R McGregor in 2003 would explain why she can’t be found on 1939 register.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pamelawagster View Post
    Did Vera marry a Henry W Timothy? If so I think she later remarried a Charles M McGregor.If so then a possible death of a Vera R McGregor in 2003 would explain why she can’t be found on 1939 register.
    Yes that's the Vera.. and yes she died in 2003. I know there's a chance they may not be on the register due to how recently they lived but there are no closed records on the record with their father and other sibings so they must have been elsewhere. My dad doesn't know anything so I imagine I won't find them. Vera and Lilian I'm not too worried about as I know they went on to marry etc.. but I'd like to know what became of Alfred. Someone in the family vaguely recalls my grandad mentioning a brother Freddy but no one really remembers.

  7. #7
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    one thing to possibly bear in mind is that people sometimes swap round their forenames. e.g. two of my aunts were always known by their middle names - so it could be that Alfred L Jennings became L Alfred Jennings (Leonard/Lionel ??)

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by wimsey View Post
    one thing to possibly bear in mind is that people sometimes swap round their forenames. e.g. two of my aunts were always known by their middle names - so it could be that Alfred L Jennings became L Alfred Jennings (Leonard/Lionel ??)
    That's a good point.. I'm certain that he must have died young, possibly as a child if no one in the family can recall him.. but I'll need to find a death record that backs that up.

  9. #9
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    Re your mystery Alfred.

    If he was not known to the family, where did you get his name and year of birth from?

    I think these are the births of the five children you know about:
    Louisa May 1919 M Qtr Poplar Vol 1C Page 579
    Albert V 1920 J Qtr Poplar Vol 1C Page 877
    Ernest W 1923 M Qtr M.E.O.T. Vol 1C Page 545
    Lilian D 1927 S Qtr Stepney Vol 1C Page 356
    Vera R 1931 M Qtr Stepney Vol 1C Page 295
    all mother's maiden name Smith

    Searching for any Jennings born Poplar, M.E.O.T., or Stepney between 1920 and 1931, with Mother's maiden name Smith, produces only one candidate:

    Frederick P 1929 J Qtr Stepney Vol 1C Page 429

    There is a possible death record for a Frederick in Edmonton:
    Frederick Portman Jennings d. 1931 M Qtr Vol 3A Page 797 aged 1 year

    Quote Originally Posted by mrs.s2012 View Post
    Someone in the family vaguely recalls my grandad mentioning a brother Freddy but no one really remembers.
    Perhaps your Alfred was really Frederick!

    There is also this birth which could be another sibling:
    Ruth V 1935 M Qtr Stepney Vol 1C Page 319 mmn Smith

    Peter

  10. #10
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    That's very interesting.. Frederick Portman Jennings could well be him as Jessie's father was called Portman.. And it's not a very common name.

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