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Remembered Today:

An Intrguiging Mystery of Indentity due to Amnesia


AndrewFrench

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Given the length of this thread, I have attempted to compile all the knowledge (research) into one document. I sincerely hope I have not made any mistakes or omissions, as many people have contributed much time and effort in solving this mystery.

William Hubbard-Abbott.pdf

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9 hours ago, Neale1961 said:

Given the length of this thread, I have attempted to compile all the knowledge (research) into one document. I sincerely hope I have not made any mistakes or omissions, as many people have contributed much time and effort in solving this mystery.

William Hubbard-Abbott.pdf

@Neale1961 - this summary is amazing.  You get a real sense of the difficulties and challenges of Williams life and what a can of worms his wife must have discovered about his past after he had died.  There are so many lies and omissions on Williams part that I can't quite believe that we have finally got down to and discovered the truth of it all.  I'd also like to publicly thank you and everyone in the forum for your time, care and attention in helping to solve Williams mystery - it has been truly fascinating and quite overwhelming - thank you.

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10 hours ago, Neale1961 said:

Given the length of this thread, I have attempted to compile all the knowledge (research) into one document. I sincerely hope I have not made any mistakes or omissions, as many people have contributed much time and effort in solving this mystery.

William Hubbard-Abbott.pdf

Brilliant summing up Neale.  

Just one thing which is bugging me - the difference in the signatures at the bottom. I've pondered long and hard over them and then realised that the one for Harry Abbott has come from the marriage certificate (post 81).  I don't believe it is his own signature.  I think a clerk has copied the original marriage certificate.  I've had this with certificates I've purchased.  The handwriting throughout the certificate is identical.  

Do we have any other signature of him as Harry Abbott.  Their marriage was at St John Evangelist Church, Clifton, Bristol on 6 February 1918, but unfortunately these are not on Ancestry or FindmyPast.  The original register is in the Bristol archives.

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Susan, No - I could not find William Abbott’s signature from the documents posted on this thread. The family will probably have documents with his hand writing though.

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Susan is correct in that the certificates that come from Southport are copies, the register at Bristol Archives will be the one that William/Harry Abbott signed himself 

so a copy of this is what you need.

Den

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I know we're coming to the end of our (thorough and brilliant) research on William - but the latest birth certificate has come in for his sister Elizabeth.  You were right @Susan Tall about the use of the name Abbott with the girls in the family.  As was suggested it may have been Robert's alias to avoid the authorities, particularly if his life continued in petty crimes.  I wonder if he just plucked it from thin air or there was a reason?  Especially as the surname continued on from son William and now there are many "Abbott" descendants (it was my maiden name) as a result!

 

image.png.376a187f944ae602f3bbb82243b85d7a.png

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Thanks Neale, I had given up the will to live with all the speculation and such like on this thread.

 

Andy

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On 05/03/2019 at 11:22, Aunty Tory said:

I know we're coming to the end of our (thorough and brilliant) research on William - but the latest birth certificate has come in for his sister Elizabeth.  You were right @Susan Tall about the use of the name Abbott with the girls in the family.  As was suggested it may have been Robert's alias to avoid the authorities, particularly if his life continued in petty crimes.  I wonder if he just plucked it from thin air or there was a reason?  Especially as the surname continued on from son William and now there are many "Abbott" descendants (it was my maiden name) as a result!

 

image.png.376a187f944ae602f3bbb82243b85d7a.png

 

Hi Aunty Tory

Don't really want to start resurrecting this thread as I'm sure we've gone as far as we can, but was really interested in this birth certificate.  I'm sure this is when the name change from Hubbard to Abbott first started.  

 

If you notice Elizabeth Theresa Abbott was born on 28 August 1876, but her birth was not registered until 6 October 1876.  Looks like her mother registered her but she could not sign her name and put a cross (as she did at her marriage on 2 April 1876).  You could wonder if the registrar heard the name Hubbard wrongly and assumed it was Abbott and Elizabeth not being able to read didn't notice, but I think this is unlikely as their other two daughters were registered as Abbott ten years later, although William George was registered as Hubbard.

 

 In between Elizabeth Theresa's birth and her registration she was baptised on the 1st October 1876 as Elizabeth Maria Hubbard, and is then in Raine Street Workhouse, Stepney, with her mother from 6 October 1876 - 9th November 1876 with the surname Hubbard.  This was a time when Robert Samuel Hubbard was in court on several occasions, getting 12 months in 1877 and then 2 years in 1879.  Maybe his wife decided to have the children registered as Abbott  because of her husband's criminal activities.  

 

The name change must have been well known in the family for William George to change his name from Hubbard to Abbott when he re-enlisted.   I don't think it was mere chance that he chose the name Abbott.  

 

This is probably as far as we can go on this one, but it's been a great journey and I've learnt so much about an area of London that I didn't know about before.  Thanks for bringing your mystery to our attention!

Sue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 8 months later...

This thread may be dead but if there is anyone still looking, I am the grandson of William (or Harry) Abbott (or Hubbard).  I am amazed by the depth of research here and would like to share more information with you.  There are more mysteries to unravel.  I would especially like Aunty Tory to contact me directly if she would. 

 Kind Regards to you all.  John Abbott

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Hi John, I have sent Tory a message, as she has not visited the site for a while. I hope she will contact you soon.

 

Neale

Edited by Neale1961
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Hi @John Abbott - I've just emailed you and would love to make contact and share info.  This forum has been incredible in the depth and quality of research on William and as you will see from the thread, there is so much to share!  Thank you @Neale1961 for the message to help us get in touch.

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