Hi All
Would be so grateful if anyone can help or point me in the right direction. My Grandad, Charles John Connor, sadly passed away in 1950 when my Mum was only 3 years old. As a family we know next to nothing about him, but I think I have found a record of him serving in the Royal Berkshire Regiment 8th Battalion in WW1. This would tie in with his age, as he was born in 1893. There doesn't seem to be any other information I can find, other than that he reached the rank of Sergeant. My Mum has vivid recollections of my Nan telling her he was a prisoner of war and subjected to some really harsh treatment (she thought Japanese but that doesn't seem to make sense).
It would mean so much to my Mum, and our family, to find out a bit more about him. Any help would be massively appreciated!
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01-12-2021, 1:38 PM #1
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Charles John Connor - 8th Royal Berkshire Rt.
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01-12-2021, 2:37 PM #2
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Have a look at the website of the International Committee of the Red Cross
https://grandeguerre.icrc.org/
Was his next of kin Mrs Connor of 110 Roslyn Road, Tottenham? And was his date of birth 26.2.1893?
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01-12-2021, 2:49 PM #3
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Not sure Peter - the information I have indicates he was probably born in April 1893, but this could be wrong. He was born in Hackney so I guess his next of kin being in Tottenham around that time would be possibly correct.
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01-12-2021, 3:06 PM #4
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Samantha
You need this sort of information before looking for military records otherwise you won't be able to tell whether you've found the right man!
If I were you I'd take advantage of Plymouth Libraries' free access to Ancestry from home during Covid. Do it quickly before the perk ends.
https://library.plymouth.gov.uk/web/arena/ancestry
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01-12-2021, 3:13 PM #5
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PS
I've seen the GRO index that I guess you have seen. You need to be aware that the quarter shown in the index refers to the date of registration not the date of birth.
There's an entry of a baptism on 22 March 1893 at All Saints Clapton Park. This would be consistent with a birth date in February. Parents James and Mary Ann of 59 Mandeville Street.
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01-12-2021, 3:31 PM #6
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Thank you so much! This definitely looks like the right man and would tie in with the prisoner of war info we have. Much appreciated.
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01-12-2021, 3:32 PM #7
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Thanks Peter - I've just seen the baptismal record myself so I think you are right, this seems like the man. We have also found records indicating that my Grandad's Dad was called Jeremiah, but he's on the baptismal record as James - would this be a common abbreviation do you think?
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01-12-2021, 3:51 PM #8
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would this be a common abbreviation do you think?
The principle of family history is very simple. Work backwards starting with yourself (or your mum) gathering evidence as you go. Your mum's birth certificate will allow you to find her parents' marriage. Then you can search for their parents. This may involve buying copies of some birth, marriage & death certificates.
What record was it that gave you the name Jeremiah?
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01-12-2021, 4:27 PM #9
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Ah my sister has done some research and thinks she's found a reference to his father being called Jeremiah (potentially in an earlier marriage from my Grandad) but actually having looked myself everything else seems to be pointing to James. My Mum has extremely scant information, so I think I will have to literally start from scratch here. Thank you again.
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01-12-2021, 4:42 PM #10
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Was there a marriage in 1942? This marriage certificate should show the groom's father's name. Might be worth getting.
If you have trouble navigating the ICRC website, there are people here who know all about it (I'm not very familiar with it myself).
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