L. H. Prelsford

[daimic]

Hello,

 

My mother recently gave me two old family photos that came from an aunt of hers. I don't know who they were but when looking at them one day I realised a sheet of paper was stuck to one of them. When I examined this it turned out to be a postcard sized sketch of a young child. This is signed "L. H. Preslford" and dated "France, 1918". Given the father of the aunt in question was in the Royal Engineers and was known to be in France in 1918 it seemed obvious that it was one of his comrades who did the sketch. However, I looked on both FindmyPast and Ancesry and could find nobody of the surname of Prelsford at all for the twentieth century, let alone a L.H. in the army. One reference to a 1922 voters list on FMP turned out to be to a Brelsford. There are more people of this name, but again no L.H. and nobody in the British Army. Any ideas?

 

 

Edited 9 January , 2019 by daimic

[DavidOwen]

Could you post a scan?

[Neil 2242]

Hard to be sure without seeing it, but Prelsford doesn't strike me as a likely name.

Beresford or something similar perhaps?

[The Inspector]

Hi daimic,

Clutching at straws but in for a penny.....

Where did your Aunt live? As she originally had possession of the sketch then she no doubt knew the subject and presumably the artist. There are a number of Prelsford families in the 1880/1890s censuses and later. Brelsford seems more likely, easily mistaken for Prelsford as per a marriage cert. on Ancestry!

Have you made a typo. in your post "signed  L.H.Preslford"? 

Regards Barry

Edited 9 January , 2019 by The Inspector

[George Rayner]

What is the name of the 'father of the aunt' please? That could give us a thread...

George

[daimic]

Thanks for the responses. I got sidetracked and only just got back on trying to identify the sketch. This is the signature:

 

The father of the old lady who gave my mother the sketch back in the 1990s was Sapper James Vaughan (203527) of the Royal Engineers. In civilian life he was a cartographer at the Ordnance Survey in the Phoenix Park in Dublin. At the same time my mother was given a map of France with his name and number written on it which I think establishes he did serve there.

[Vlaamse Verhalen]

Laurence Helier Pulsford: Army Service Corps (S/361748) then Royal Engineers (357638)

 

Medal Index Card on Ancestry

 

Evidently born at St. Helier, Jersey.....and employed as a commercial artist by 1911, in Islington.

Edited 15 May , 2020 by Vlaamse Verhalen