The Reynards of Harrogate

[Messina1915]

I found this newspaper extract relating to the family of one of my chaps, Serjeant Ernest Reynard:

Harrogate Herald - 16th January 1918

W H Breare letter

I am going to tell you about a most interesting family. It is that of Sapper P Reynard, of 12 Chatsworth Place, who has called to see me. He is one of a family of fourteen, whose members are scattered all over the world. He joined up over 19 months ago, and has been out 13 months. With him are Cooper, of Starbeck, and Richardson, from New Park, who was employed at Johnson's Motor Works. Reynard was formerly a fireman on the North-Eastern Railway. His brother, Sergeant E Reynard, you may remember, was killed. I told you at the time what a fine man he was, and I had rightdown affection for him. He was employed as gas meter inspector before the war. There is another brother of Reynard's (Frank Reynard), who is in India; another who was with the Canadians has been discharged and gone back. Still one other brother has been in the Australian Artillery three years on the Belgian front, now sick, and in Leeds Hospital. This one was with Mr Fisher, jeweller, James Street, Harrogate, before emigrating to Australia. You see by this that three boys have all had something in them, for they have made good wherever they have gone.

Tracking down Ernest's brothers is proving something of a headache!

The lad with the with the Australians is no problem - I've found his records online - his name is George Saville Reynard.

However, the others - the one with the Canadians, Frank who was apparently in India, and Sapper P Reynard, are proving to be more difficult.

Another newspaper extract gives the name of a Lance Corporal E Reynard who is in hospital, however of the two E Reynards among the Canadian attestation papers, one is from Ripon and his mother's name is not right, and the other, having looked him up on FreeBMD, was born in Cornwall, so I think the E Reynard in the paper may be unrelated to Ernest. The only Reynard from Harrogate amongst the Canadian attestation papers is called Frank.

Which leads me to the conclusion that Frank is the one of Ernest's brothers who was with the Canadians. Which means that Breare has probably got Frank mixed up with another brother who was in India. Given that the rest of the brothers were other ranks, I think it is more likely the one in India was with a British army unit in India rather than being an Indian Army officer.

And as for Sapper P Reynard, I'm absolutely clueless.

The brothers' parents were called Thomas and Maria, and doing a search on Ancestry (I don't have a subscription so can't see images) for Maria, I think I can see her on the 1881 and 1891 censuses which might be a help putting names to her children.

I hope this makes sense, and any help is much appreciated.

Cheers,

Carole.

[ralphjd]

1891 Census:- EARNEST (not a spelling error on my part) AGE 9; EGAR AGE 7; FRANK AGE 5; GEORGE AGE 4; HARRY AGE 13; JOHN AGE 7; PERCY AGE 11; TOM AGE 3; Maggie 9; Rhoda 1; Thomas 40 Maria 46 and John 75 all from Harrogate. (and a big house). Ralph.

[ralphjd]

MEDAL INDEX CARD:- PERCY REYNARD LEIC REGT 35646 THEN WEST YORKS 33380 THEN R E 248808 THEN R E WR/267172 your man ? Ralph.

[Messina1915]

Hi Ralph

Could be.

Certainly right name, but whether it's the right chap...

Thanks for the Census info.

Cheers,

Carole.

[ralphjd]

A Charles Henry Reynard enlisted in 1920 age 14 years and gave his fathers name as Percy lived Harrogate, from Pension Records. Ralph

[Ken S.]

Frank Reynard's attestation paper is available online through the Library and Archives of Canada website.

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databas...42-100.01-e.php

He also appears in the 1911 census residing with his wife and two children at his in-law's in Montreal:

http://automatedgenealogy.com/census11/Vie...g+Frank+Reynard

[rflory]

Two soldiers with the name Reynard are in the 1916 Ackrill's Harrogate War Souvenir: Sapper A. Reynard, RE of Markington who was wounded and Sapper A. E. Reynard, Canadian Engineers who worked for the National Telephone Company prior to the war. Regards, Dick Flory.

[Messina1915]

Ken - I'd already seen the attestation paper but thanks very much for the census.

Dick - I don't think either of those men came from the family I'm interested in, but thanks anyway.

Cheers,

Carole.

[Messina1915]

Could somebody please look up the family on the 1901 census? The older boys would have left home, but some of the younger children would still have been at home and it would confirm whether there were any more children born after 1891 (unlikely given Maria was 46, but just want to be sure).

I wonder why of 8 sons only five (Ernest, George, Frank, Percy and the brother in India) are mentioned as being involved in the war. There's several explanations I suppose - either a) the other brothers were involved and were simply not mentioned in the letter b.) they were in reserved occupations, c) they were medically unfit or d) they were over age.

I think the last is unlikely - the eldest son Harry would have been about 38 in 1916 when conscription was introduced, and correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the upper age limit 40?

If anyone can find out anything about Edgar, Harry, John or Tom as regards to whether they served or not then it would be much appreciated. Looking through FreeBMD, Tom's full name would appear to be Tom Victor Reynard. Realise it is like looking for a needle in a haystack, but anything on any of the brothers would be much appreciated. Would be interesting to see if any of them were in India as suggested in the letter.

Cheers,

Carole.