Holden Family of Darwen/Blackburn Lancs

[kiterunner]

So this is Edward Holden's service record on ancestry:
http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/12...rc=&pid=953609

The "descriptive return" where he was asking to be transferred to the Machine Gun Corps is dated 29 Sep 1916 and gives his age as 25 years 120 days, born Darwen, married, occupation miner. His previous army no was 3708.

On the Conduct Sheet dated 7 May 1915, his age is 24 years 0 months, occupation collier, religion Primitive Methodist.

[kiterunner]

And I assume your information about his marriage to Ann comes from his army records, not the marriage certificate yet, so their parents' names are not given but the witnesses' names are:
http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/12...7_155119-00879

[kiterunner]

So this looks likely to be your Edward on the 1911 census, but you need his father's details from the marriage cert to confirm it:
1911 census on ancestry

1 Highfield St, Darwen, Lancashire
Edward Holden Sen Head 57 Widower Stoker Lancashire Darwen
Edward Holden Jun Son 19 Single Coal Miner Hewer Lancashire Darwen
Sarah Alice Kershaw Boarder 21 Married 1 year, 1 child, 1 living, Weaver Lancashire Darwen
John Kershaw Boarder 25 Married Coal Miner Lancashire Darwen
Bessy Kershaw Daughter Under 1 Month Lancashire Darwen

[Olde Crone]

Kate

Sarah Alice Kershaw is Edward senior's daughter I think - Sarah Alice Holden b 1889, mmn Woodcock.

OC

[Merry]

I seem to recall you were looking for a death reg for Edward in 1939, but the one you found is now not a good fit for age. There's this one which seems possible:


Name: Edward Holden
Birth Date: abt 1891
Date of Registration: Jun 1940
Age at Death: 49
Registration district: Darwen
Inferred County: Lancashire
Volume: 8e
Page: 870

[Merry]

Originally Posted by Olde Crone

If you think Edward was a Blackburn boy then you MUST get his birth cert to find the name of his parents. There IS an Edward Holden born in 1891 in Blackburn, his mother's maiden name is Taylor and I cannot identify a marriage.



OC

But isn't Edward the son of Alice Woodcock? (at least, the Edward Kate found in 1911 as the most likely suspect, was the son of Alice)

[kiterunner]

Merry, I think OC was referring to post #37 where Luloo says that the more she reads the military papers, the more it seems that Edward was a "Blackburn boy". This could be taken to mean Blackburn as opposed to Darwen, but given that the military papers give his place of birth as Darwen, I think Luloo probably just meant the Blackburn area including Darwen.

(If she meant "Blackburn as opposed to Darwen", then his birth would likely be the Blackburn one with MMN Taylor instead of the Darwen one with MMN Woodcock. But I didn't see anything in the military papers to suggest this.)

[Olde Crone]

Merry

There IS an Edward, son of Alice Woodcock as I listed overleaf and that all traces back to *Ralph Holden of the unknown father. That Edward was born 1891 in Darwen mmn Woodcock (Lancsbmd).

but Luloo says she now thinks her Edward was a Blackburn boy and there is another Edward Holden born 1891, this time in Blackburn, mmn Taylor (Lancsbmd) so she really does need to sort out which birth was her Edward, the Blackburn one or the Darwen one.

Hooe that makes sense!

OC

*Correction - Ralph Holden should read ROGER Holden of the unknown father, sorry.

[Merry]

So it's back to buying the marriage cert for Edward then. The father of the "Blackburn boy" is Ralph Aloysius Holden, so at least the two likely father's have completely different names!

[Merry]

The army records for Edward give his occ as coal miner and place of birth as Darwen, which matches Edward son of Edward on the census. Edward son of Ralph A was a butcher and was born in Blacckburn.