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Edward Norton ...BBC website


phil1963

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On the BBC website now is the story of a Great War casualty, believed to be Edward Norton, whose remains are due to be buried on March 15th 2018. He was one of six in the D.L.I. who could be the casualty. Four were officers so have been discarded due to items found with the remains...so two are left. Please check the website for all of the details.

If any of you could help trace his relatives who will be invited to the funeral .......you'll be a star!!!!

Edited by phil1963
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Formerly of the Bedfords 2356.

Found a Death Reg for a Susan A Norton. Aged 38 in 3Q of 1922 - reg in Luton. Fits in with Susan Agnes Bushwell’s dob of 1884. No obvious birth reg for a child called Norton where mother’s maiden name is Bushwell. 1911 census has just the 2 of them with 2 boarders. So suspect no children. He had siblings so suspect that is the route the JCCC has followed. Cannot find Effects record at the mo. 

1881 census. Only child living with parents Augustus and Mary Ann.

1891 Mother widowed. Edward 10, Grace 8, Polly 3, Richard Hy 1. 

1901 Mother re-married to Alfred Carter. Above kids described as son or daughters in law but actually step children. All there 10 years older.No Hy for Richard.

Grace married Frank Boutwood on 1905. Edward Norton Boutwood was born in 1905. They appear in the 1911 census. Grace place of birth  is given as Stotfold so links to Edward. Looks as if ENB died in Camden, London in 1984. 

Footnote:  A Frank Boutwood from Luton widow Grace died Portsmouth Mil Hosp. 23/10/15. Beds 4626. He is buried in Luton.

ENB married Doris Stanton. Reg Luton 4Q 1936. Trail goes cold. Think she lived until 1999.

Also followed up ENB’s siblings Frank Wm and Maggie. In each case the trail leads nowhere, at least yet

Polly Godbeer Norton married Albert Frederick Odell in 1908. No children showing in 1939 Register. She died 1965. Probate to an electrical engineer Edward Norton Boutwood. Godbeer was her mother’s maiden name. AFO has some service papers from WW1. No children showing.

Beginning to see why the JCCC has got nowhere. 

Edited by Mark1959
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There is also a line thro

3 hours ago, Mark1959 said:

ENB married Doris Stanton

Followed the same paths as me Mark.

 

Frank William's wife Winifred resided in Poulton Le-Fyde, Blackpool (appearing as a Director on Companies House until 1992) and probate address was to a Nursing Home.

 

Seems the enquiries should be towards Boutwoods (the Boutwoods being a noted Hat company in Luton), Parrs and Odells..in the Luton area, also I see Frank W Married Winifred Whitburn in Dewsbury, there are only a few Boutwoods in the Leeds area.

 

There was a younger Brother Richard H Norton, which presently I couldn't find anything on.

 

Andy

 

Edited by HolymoleyRE
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Maggie's was birth was registered Maggie Boutwood in 1910, she seems to have married William Parr, and they appears to have live in Luton on the Electoral Roll until 1945, when Maggie disappears and is replaced by May Parr.

 

Andy

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1 hour ago, HolymoleyRE said:

Just spoke to a very nice lady at JCCC, and they were unware of any of the above in regard the Grace Norton family line, so have preci'd what has been found an steered her towards this thread.

 

Andy

http://www.worldwar1luton.com/individual/private-frank-boutwood

Well done that man!  Now we know they were a well known family we might get somewhere. Will keep searching. There is an Odell family tree on Ancestry showing the family but not much detail. AF Odell’s brother was killed

http://www.wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/view.php?uid=1206100

https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/807009/odell,-arthur-w./

Edited by Mark1959
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Cheers Mark, I have also passed on the executors of Doris Boutwood estate to them Knowles Benning Solicitors.

 

I have also gone through the maternal line with Mary Ann Godbeer.

 

The daughter of Henry & Grace Godbeer.

 

They had another two daughters.

 

Amelia Jane and Susan.

 

Amelia Jane married Henry Gibson, one daughter Mary Amelia Maud Gibson, and two sons Charles Frederick (who has service records and three children (Violet, Charles Gordon & Gwendolen)

 

Susan married Amos Coleman and had 2 children Amos Godbeer and Lilly (Lilie/Lillie).

 

Service records for Amos Godbeer Coleman,exist nameing children and YoBs.

 

Edit:  two children Stanley Edward (1911) Lilian Francis Maud (1908)

 

Amos G Coleman died in 1920.

 

All Edward's direct cousins

 

Have passed the details onto JCCC to follow.

Edited by HolymoleyRE
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Richard Hy just seems to disappear. Just wondering if he started using his stepfather's name but no evidence to support the theory yet. Other point to note is the 1891 census gives a place of birth of Fulham rather than Luton. Though 1901 shows Luton. He is not on his mother's and stepfather's 1911 return. Edward, ENB, is. So he appears in 2 census returns

Edited by Mark1959
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14 minutes ago, Mark1959 said:

Richard Hy just seems to disappear. Just wondering if he started using his stepfather's name but no evidence to support the theory

Exactly what I thought Mark.

 

The are a couple of Richard H Carters in Luton, but nothing to confirm it is him.

 

Andy

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37 minutes ago, HolymoleyRE said:

 

Edit:  two children Stanley William Edward, Lilian Francis Maud.

Back to three there is a Charles, snapshot below.

 

Lilian married Percy E Woodfield they appear on the 1939 Register with the mother Alice L, and Reginald C which is her brother looking at the year of birthb (15) and the birth Reg below and no visible children at home.

Screenshot_20180117-122116.jpg

Screenshot_20180117-122624.jpg

Edited by HolymoleyRE
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Have found a potential living relative and an address passed to JCCC

 

Malcolm J Coleman born 1949, registered Luton, son of Stanley Edward Coleman (in Amos's service records, William has been crossed out).

and Dorothy Edna Coxall.

Edited by HolymoleyRE
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And potentially two other Luton Born Colemans (Siblings of Malcolm), mothers maiden name Coxall.

 

John S C Coleman 1942 married twice recently in 2002 to Brenda R Grace, and she appears on a recent electoral roll.

Terry Coleman 1946, appears to have married an Ethel J Bride.

 

Also worth noting on the 1939 Register Stanley E Coleman is a Special Constable as is Lilian's husband Percy, so clearly the right Stanley.

Edited by HolymoleyRE
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The Luton LVA has Edward Norton of 22 Pondwicks Road as Sgt 277640 2/7 DLI.

On our local BBC radio, 3CR, this morning the lady from JCCC was speaking about this case as she said Edward Norton was originally from Stotfold, Beds. She also said that he lived in Pondwicks Road Luton, hence the above.

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9 minutes ago, Donald D said:

The Luton LVA has Edward Norton of 22 Pondwicks Road as Sgt 277640 2/7 DLI.

On our local BBC radio, 3CR, this morning the lady from JCCC was speaking about this case as she said Edward Norton was originally from Stotfold, Beds. She also said that he lived in Pondwicks Road Luton, hence the above.

Cheers Donald, it was the lady on the radio from JCCC I have been speaking to most of the day. The Godbeer/Coleman family I have gone down to get a potential living relative were from Stotfold originally.

 

Regard

 

Andy

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Hopefully, with all this good detective work, the CWGC will be able to have a name on the headstone in March.

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Fingers crossed, there are few more avenues to pursue through Amos's older brother Frederick...children Maude, Lily, Edith, Frederick & Alice.

 

Andy

Screenshot_20180117-143706.jpg

Edited by HolymoleyRE
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Things have moved on since I went out for lunch. The important issue is any person must be a proper blood relative so Edward Norton's remains can be identified by DNA.  Hopefully one of the relatives can attend the ceremony when Edward, if it is him, is given the burial he thoroughly deserves.

A great example of the GWF in action. Andy, as usual, one step ahead. I will continue to go down the Boutwood route but at the moment it looks like a bit of a cul-de-sac. Found the marriage register for the Dewsbury wedding of FWB and Winifred Whitburn that confirms it is the correct FWB from Luton.

Edited by Mark1959
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On 17/01/2018 at 15:47, Mark1959 said:

Hopefully one of the relatives can attend the ceremony when Edward, if it is him, is given the burial he thoroughly deserves

Cheers Mark, 

 

That is exactly what they want to do, as they are certain it is him, but just need DNA proof....

 

The 3 cousins 1 removed on paper are all direct line to Susan Godbeer, Mary Ann Norton's (nee Godbeer) sister.

 

I will look at the other Colemans tomorrow.

 

 Edit: we can discount the Frederick Coleman clan above due to them having a a different mother Ada Frances Puddephatt died Qtr 2 1881....Amos Godbeer was Amos Snr and Susan's (married Dec 1881) first child....in Qtr 4 1882

 

Andy

Edited by HolymoleyRE
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JCCC have also received information down the Mary Amelia Maud route, and have a couple more potential second cousins.

 

So from a pool of 5 potentials hopefully this will get a positive outcome.

 

Via ancestry I had made contact with a living relative, but sadly he appears to be a married in relative, rather than blood. I had also gone down Charles Frederick's children and found a potential there (his daughter) albeit she would be 105, Violet Geldert (nee Gibson) (no apparent death registered for her) last appearing on a an electoral roll for a nurising home address Bedford.

 

Let's wait and see.

 

Andy

 

 

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I did find a Eric A Boutwood born Luton 1919. Mother’s maiden name Norton. However, he died 1935. Do not know who the parents were; would need a Birth Certificate. Cannot find any birth that I can link directly to any of the relevant Boutwoods. Possible, maybe even probable, that the line died out. 

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5 minutes ago, Mark1959 said:

Possible, maybe even probable, that the line died out. 

 I have been down most spines of the Norton and Godbeer lines and quite a few seem to die out in the 1980's/90's.

 

But with the 5 or so names they have they feel they have enough to go on.

 

Andy

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  • 3 weeks later...

Sadly it would seem that Sjt Edward Norton will remaining one of the missing, and the British Soldier found will remain unknown.

 

With the the info we provided the JCCC managed to contact half a dozen potential bloodline relatives, but sadly none came foward to be DNA sampled.

 

Well done all for the attempt!

 

Andy

Edited by HolymoleyRE
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