Deciphering Attestation Form

[George Rayner]

That makes it all so much easier 

[Tawhiri]

I can actually find three separate George Bailes Hall births registered between 1871 and 1892, all in roughly the same geographical area. 1871 George is our George Bailes Hall, the 1882 birth appears to be the one that was living in Edinburgh when he attested with the Royal Engineers in 1915, and there is an 1892 birth registered in Newcastle, so I'm wondering if this is the individual that George Rayner found in the 1919 AVL for Newcastle. Checking the medal index cards this particular George Hall served with the Northumberland Fusiliers as service number 2346, before transferring to the Royal Engineers with service numbers WR/258660 and 190687. He also has a 1914-15 Star with a qualifying date of 20 April 1915, so he cannot be 'our' George Bailes Hall. 

[Tawhiri]

Looking at the Canadian passenger lists I can find an Isabella Hall aged 38, and a son, George Hall, aged 11, who are travelling to meet her husband in Parry Sound, Ontario arriving in August 1908 on board the Empress of Britain. According to the Northumberland parish records on FamilySearch George Bailes and Isabella Hall had a son George Andrew Hall who was christened on 12 April 1895 in Gateshead, Durham, so this might be a possible match. There is also a record for a Mrs I C Hall leaving the UK in the same month on the same ship, although the transcription on FamilySearch says she is single.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2QSJ-T5N

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:68PP-KJ22

Where it gets interesting is that in the 1901 England and Wales census George Bailes, Isabella, and George Andrew Hall are living in Gateshead, Durham. In the 1911 England and Wales census Isabella and George Andrew Hall are living at an address in Gateshead, Durham, but there is no sign of George Bailes Hall at that address.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XSCY-BZS

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XWCJ-4XD

So one possibility is that the Hall family emigrates to Canada in the early 1900's, for some reason Isabella and son are back in the UK by 1911, but George Bailes Hall remains in Canada until the outbreak of war in 1914 when he volunteers for the Canadian army.

Edited 10 November , 2022 by Tawhiri

[George Rayner]

…and gives wife’s address on his attestation form, in Newcastle.

Well done Tawhiri

George

[Tawhiri]

If somebody has access to the images of the census enumeration sheets through either Ancestry or FindMyPast it would be good to see what Isabella and George Andrew's actual physical address in 1911 is, and whether this matches the address given in George Bailes Hall's Canadian service record for his next of kin. There is also the conundrum of George Baile's apparent return to Canada in September 1919, because by February 1920 he is back in the UK reenlisting in the Royal Fusiliers.

Edited 9 November , 2022 by Tawhiri

[PRC]

38 minutes ago, Tawhiri said:

If somebody has access to the images of the census enumeration sheets

Genes Reunited doesn't have images but it does have the enumerator sheets transcribed. In this case it shows exactly the same as the postal address shown in the declaration.

Just to make sure I've got the right 41 year old Isabella Hall, (born Newcastle, Northumberland) and her 16 year old soon George A Hall, (born Gateshead, County Durham).

Images courtesy Genes Reunited.

Cheers,
Peter

 

 

[Tawhiri]

19 hours ago, Tawhiri said:

There is also a record for a Mrs I C Hall leaving the UK in the same month on the same ship, although the transcription on FamilySearch says she is single.

I rechecked the UK outgoing passenger lists and there is also a Master G A Hall travelling on the Empress of Britain departing on 21 August 1908 and travelling to Quebec, Canada on the same voyage that Mrs I C Hall is a passenger on. FamilySearch unfortunately only has transcriptions for individual passengers, but a look at the original images on either FindMyPast or Ancestry would soon show if these two were travelling together. I am, however, prepared to take a punt and say that this is I(sabella) C(hisholm) Hall and G(eorge) A(ndrew) Hall returning to Canada to be with George Bailes Hall.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:68P5-NLN4

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:68PP-KJ22

[TDH50]

Thank you again, it appears that I have opened a can of worms here!