Frederick Charles Bristow
 

My grandfather's cousin. I don't know what he did in the war but surely he must have served since he was born about 1886-7 and he was a house painter / builder so certainly not a reserved occupation! So I am hoping to find out something about his wartime service. I think it is a while since I tried to find him in the records so hoping I find something this time round. My grandfather didn't know his relatives so I have no family stories / photos /medals to help with this one.

I haven't managed to find a birth registration for Frederick Charles Bristow, but his date of birth is given as 22 Jul 1886 on one school admission record and 21 Apr 1887 on a later one. His birthplace is Islington or Holloway, London, on the censuses. His parents were John Frederick Wyllie Bristow and Sarah Ann nee Golden. He married Florence Amy Hutton 3 Apr 1909 at St Paul's Canonbury, Islington, and his occupation on the marriage cert is House Painter. On the 1911 census they are at 41 Baring St, Southgate Rd, Islington, and he is a Builder & Decorator.

He died 24 Sep 1953 in New Barnet, Hertfordshire and it is definitely him as probate went to Florence Amy.

I have a note to myself saying he could be no 65442 in the Royal Field Artillery, shown as a deserter on a medal index card, so I will refresh my memory of that and see whether I can find anything to prove or disprove it. He did have a child born in 1917, so if all else fails I could order the birth cert and see what his occupation is on there.

I have ordered his child's birth cert to see what his occupation was.

Good idea. I did look at this yesterday, but couldn't find anything.

Are you talking about FCB here?

This was a 2008 thread about searching The (London) Police Gazette.

No, that's my grandfather's half-brother Reginald. But it did make me think if one Bristow was a deserter, quite likely another might be!

The medal record card has a qualifying date of 16 August 1914.

Thanks, Shona. I haven't found out whether that's the right card for my Frederick yet, though.

Child's birth certificate dated 13 Mar 1917 gives Frederick's occupation as "a builder". Address is 12 Mayfield Road, Dalston.

The medal rolls show that Frederick Charles Bristow, no 65442, deserted on the 1st Nov 1916 and was still a deserter in 1920, but I still don't know whether this is my Frederick or not.