Information required with only a name and address.

[Edward T]

Ladies and gents, 

 

If this question has already been covered I apologise in advance for covering old ground!

 

I have with the help of this site and forum members (particularly Roger H) obtained lots of information with regard my Grandfather (Fred Thornton 63705) and the 2nd West Riding RFA (6th Heckmondwike) later 246th ‘C’ to which he served. I am now researching his brother John Thomas Thornton (b1891-1958). I know he served because he is listed with my Grandfather in Heckmondwike library, in the towns WW1 Roll of Honour book and that he lived at 18 Church Lane, Heckmondwike but that is it! Is it possible to find a soldiers service number or even service details if you only have a name and address to go on? 

 

Any my help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Edward.

 

 

 

[BillyH]

You must know a bit more?

Year of birth and parents christian names might help. 

Did he die or survive the war?

There are 8 men of this name on the pension ledger records, occasionally they give an address. I won't have access to these records until this evening but someone else may oblige in the meantime.

 

BillyH.

[travers61]

He features on 12 ancestry trees & several of the open ones show he survived the war. One has a photo of his mother on it. 

 

Born 1891, his entry in the 1939 register shows him working in a carpet mill & does not show any additional comments about previous military service.

[The Inspector]

Hi All

The records which come up on Ancestry for John Thomas Thornton's military service DO NOT RELATE to him but a William Henry Thornton. The indexing is up the poll. I suggest you try the marriage cert. for John ie. 1st qtr 1918 9b, 1083. to Verona Stainthorpe. @ Dewsbury. It MAY tell you if he was serving the same as his brother |Fred's cert. does.  John born 21.3.1891. Father John ,mother  Mary Harriett nee Allatt.  He was one of 12 children, only 5 survived 1911.

Regards Barry

Edited 21 February , 2020 by The Inspector

[Edward T]

Thanks for all your replies.

 

We have researched John Thomas extensively on ancestry and have found all the possible information which is non WW1 related, E.g electoral roll, census, etc. The Inspector is correct. A lot of the information is for somebody else. What I’m after won’t be on ancestry unless I can prove his service number or tie something to his address which I can’t. There are several medal index cards but without a service number how do you prove which one is him? We had the same initial problem with my GF but because we have his medals (service number engraved on the back) we can confirm his service details. We have no medals/service number confirmed for John.

I was hoping there might be somewhere else that forum members might be aware of that could shed light on my plight!

To confirm:

John Thomas Thornton 1891 - 1958

Married Verena Stainthorpe 1918

Father John Thornton

Mother Mary Harriet Thornton (nee Allatt)

 

Thanks again for your help

Edward

 

[roughdiamond]

2 hours ago, Edward T said:

Married Verena Stainthorpe 1918

 

This maybe give you the answer, do you have his Marriage cert? If he was serving when he married it'd show Sailor/Soldier/Airman as his profession, in many cases it will also include his service number, Regt/Corps, RFC/RAF Sqn, Royal Navy Ship/Station or RND Bn.

 

Sam

[clk]

Hi Edward,

 

7 hours ago, Edward T said:

in Heckmondwike library, in the towns WW1 Roll of Honour book and that he lived at 18 Church Lane, Heckmondwike

 

Does the local library carry any surviving Absent Voters Lists that might show his unit/service ? By way of an example, but not suggesting your great uncle...

 

Image sourced from Findmypast

 

Another, albeit long shot (that has paid off for me once), is to contact his local parish church. In my case the vicar kept a notebook of his 'flock', which noted his unit that I didn't find elsewhere.

 

As an aside, if your grandfather served with 'C' Battery, 246th Brigade RFA, it's more commonly written as C/246 Brigade RFA, rather than " 246th ‘C' "

 

Good luck with your research.

Chris

[The Inspector]

17 hours ago, The Inspector said:

Hi All

The records which come up on Ancestry for John Thomas Thornton's military service DO NOT RELATE to him but a William Henry Thornton. The indexing is up the poll. I suggest you try the marriage cert. for John ie. 1st qtr 1918 9b, 1083. to Verona Stainthorpe. @ Dewsbury. It MAY tell you if he was serving the same as his brother |Fred's cert. does.  John born 21.3.1891. Father John ,mother  Mary Harriett nee Allatt.  He was one of 12 children, only 5 survived 1911.

Regards Barry

Hi Edward,

As Sam has also posted, have you got his marriage certificate?

Regards Barry

[Edward T]

Hi all,

 

Thanks for the advice. I never thought of visiting the local Parish, great idea. I have sent of for the marriage certificate which is not available on ancestry. My GF married just after John in the 2nd quarter of 1918 and it only says now serving with HM’s forces but we’ll see what’s on Johns when it a arrives. I’ve attached my GF’s marriage certificate.

 

Thanks again

Edward

[The Inspector]

Hi Edward,

John's elder brother James was baptised on 22nd July, 1888 at George Street Independent Chapel,  Heckmondwicke. The address given was Church Lane, a distance of 0.7 miles. As the 1911 census shows him at No 18 as well as the other siblings then perhaps you should start with their records.

 It doesn't look as though John was married at St.Peter's,Birstall, checked all the 1917 to 1919 records in chronological order. Your GF. Fred's is entry no, 461. 22nd June, 1918. Do you know the place of marriage ? If it is Heckmondwicke then the records should be at Huddersfield Library.

???? Where were the family in 1901? I can't find them. 

Regards Barry

Edited 22 February , 2020 by The Inspector

[Edward T]

Hi Barry,

The first 4 brothers were all baptised at the same Chapel. Their address was 273 Church Lane. At some point before 1910, they moved to 18 Church Lane, assuming No18 was a bigger house for their growing family. I have a 1910 tax invoice for No18.  John married Verena in Dewsbury, I only have the index and not the certificate. You are quite correct with regard the 1901 census, I can’t find it either. What I do know is that in April 1901 John’s Sister Minnie died at less than 1 year old. She was baptised at the same Chapel as her brothers but the Address is Lower Street and not Church Lane. I have nothing else connected to Lower Street. The 1901 census was taken in the 31st March 1901, So I’m assuming because of Minnie’s condition they didn’t fill in the 1901 census or return it??

 

Edward

[Edward T]

Barry,

Correction to my last post. It’s Tower Street, Heckmondwike not Lower Street. Struggle to read some of the old documents!

 

Edward

[Edward T]

Can’t get much closer!! 

[The Inspector]

Hi Edward

The 1911 census for the Stainthorpe family shows the address as Heckmondwicke, Yorkshire. If you scroll to the next page, the Schedule, you will see that the proper address is 18 Tower Street, Heckmondwicke. So John moved in with the in-laws.?

Regards Barry

Edited 23 February , 2020 by The Inspector

[Edward T]

Barry 

Good spot, you are definitely ‘The Inspector’. On Minnies baptism record it’s John T’s Mother and Father that are putting their address as Tower Street. So that’s 2 parents plus 4 boys and a new baby needing accommodation. John T was only 10yrs in 1901 and didn't marry until 1918 So it wasn’t his in-laws then. So either they were put up in different houses on Tower Street or The Stainthorpe family were friends of John T’s family years before he married Varena?? The mystery continues! 
 

Edward