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Old 22-07-11, 09:41
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Default Peter Henry Harrison

Name - "official" name and what they were known as

Peter Henry Harrison (Harry to workmates much to the annoyance of his wife)

Date and place of birth

22 July 1885 (22nd July is the day they celebrated his birthday and confirmed on the 1939 register) in Rotherham, Yorkshire ( from the 1911 census)- No birth cert has ever been discovered

Names of parents

Unknownmarriage cert says his father was ‘ Thomas Harrison – deceased’ – think that’s a red herring – also he is only listed as Peter not Peter Henry.

Details of each of his or her marriages - if any - and any divorces

25 December 1908 at Holy Trinity Church, Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire to Lily Cox

Occupation(s) - if any

Coal Miner and soldier before and during WW1

Military service - if any

Regimental number 8003, Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. Posted for duty at Castleford 09/12/1903. Posted to Pontefract 15/12/1903,and to Aldershot 04/02/1904. Embarked aboard S S Dilwara 17/02/1905 and reached Gibralter 22/02/1905. Examined for extension of service and considered fit 10/04/1906.
Was recalled for duty in 1914 - Prisoner of War ( date not recorded) although the record states that he was in France for one month and in Germany for four years and four months. So it can be assumed that he was captured soon after arrival in France. He received the 1914 Star, The British War Medal and the Victory Medal. Discharged due to demobilization on the 11/04/1919.

Army record stated his place of birth as Ashby de la Zouch but that was filled in on his recall to the army as a reserve for WW1. It was where he was living at the time.

His army record has been 'weeded' and no details of place of birth from when he first enlisted are in his records. ( He covered his tracks well)


Addresses where they lived - and please list which censuses you have or haven't found him/her on, if applicable.

Can’t find him in 1891 or 1901
1908 – 1913 - The Green, Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire
1913 – 1919 – Military service including a time as a POW
1919 – 1965 – 139 Swadlincote Road, Woodville, Derbyshire


Date, place and cause of death

21 April 1965 at 326 Uxbridge Street, Burton on Trent, Staffordshire (his son’s home) – cause - Coronary Artery Desease and Emphysema

Date and place of burial / cremation.

Cremated at Markeaton, Derby

Details of will / administration of their estate - if applicable

House and contents left to his unmarried son (although the house wasn’t in the will he asked on his deathbed for the other siblings to let him live there which they took as give to him)

Memorial inscription - if any

No


I have mentioned Peter so many times on these boards, Merry is sick of his name. He would never tell his family anything about his early life, just said he wasn’t wanted. We only discovered he was from Rotherham on the 1911 census although it was assumed he was from Yorkshire. He isn’t the Peter Harrison born in 1885 in York as that person is still in York in 1911.



As a POW

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Last edited by Margaret in Burton; 14-09-19 at 14:06.
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Old 22-07-11, 10:31
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It was inevitable, wasn't it? I hope something comes of this for you Marg - and for Dave!

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Old 22-07-11, 11:27
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I don't think I've seen his photo before!

What else can we try? There must be something???
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Old 22-07-11, 12:02
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I haven't read the old stuff in any detail, so I can't promise anything new, so, eyes down and back to basics. In fact, it might be easier to work backwards.

You know when, where and why he died and what happened afterwards (bit of a schlep from where you are to Markeaton Marg – that was more my neck of the woods)

You know where he lived between completing his military service in 1919 and his death in 1965.

You have his army record, which covers the years of his service, but does not shed any light on his antecedents.

You have his marriage in 1908 and you are not confident that either his name or the details of his father are correct. Can you confirm there is no next of kin on the early part of the record?

You can’t find his birth registration and can’t be 100% sure that either the date or the year is correct.

So basically everything before he enlists in the army is at best uncertain and at worst a complete mystery and a lot of the rest is not too clear either.

*calls for icepack*

For the sake of completeness, this is him in 1911 at 14 The Green Ashby de la Zouch, verified by the other residents:

HARRISON, PETER HEAD MARRIED M 25 COAL MINER HEWER ROTHERAM YORKSHIRE
HARRISON, LILLY WIFE MARRIED 2 F 25 LEICESTERSHIRE ASHBY - DE LA ZOUCH
HARRISON, FLORENCE DAUGHTER SINGLE F 1 LEICESTERSHIRE ASHBY - DE LA ZOUCH
COX, MARY MOTHER WIDOW F 67 LEICESTERSHIRE ASHBY - DE LA ZOUCH
WILKINS, JAMES LODGER SINGLE M 48 RAILWAY SERVANT WAGGON EMPTIER LEICESTERSHIRE APPLEBY MAGNA

Our chap would have been 15 at the time of the 1901 census, 16 later in the year, so he ought to appear on the census as some sort of worker, apprentice, whatever, but I have to say he’s not jumping out at me!

*polishes crystal ball*

How about this as a scenario?

He joined the army in 1903 at the age of 18, just before Christmas, which suggests to me that he had not got a lot to look forward to if he stayed at home, wherever that was.

Tying in with what he said about not being wanted, do you think it’s possible that he grew up in some sort of institution? They would have kicked him out at 14 or so, perhaps he couldn’t make a go of it on his own and he opted for another institution where he wouldn’t have to worry about stuff like food and where to sleep. Had he got himself into some sort of trouble as an additional spur to joining up and did it go something like this:

What’s your name lad?

Er…

Come on lad, speak up!

Er…Peter … Harrison … sir

It’s as good a name as any.

Is that the wrong answer?

AN
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Old 22-07-11, 12:44
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AN

Next of kin on the army record is his wife Lily as it was written in 1913 when he rejoined.
No next of kin at all is noted for his early army career. We got these army records before they were on Ancestry. If you check Ancestry you will see my FIL's birth cert amongst them and a letter he wrote giving us permission to have the records from the army. The army did tell us that they had been weeded, didn't give a reason.

Yes that is him in Ashby in 1911.

He was repeatedly asked apparently about his family by his children as they were growing up and about their "other grandparents". They were always told "I wasn't wanted and that's all you need to know".

Apparently some people used to think he was Italian and he denied it rather angrily.

His son Reg, whose house he died at, asked him again on his death bed about his family and he still refused to tell.

As I said, he covered his tracks very well.

Merry and I have talked over the possibility of an institution in the past and Dave and I want to get to Rotherham Archives to see if there are any Workhouse records. They charge a fortune to do research for you. It's finding time to go that is the problem.
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Old 22-07-11, 13:12
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Phew! At least I am not completely off the wall then.

Isn't there anyone on here who might have cause to go to Rotherham Archives and might live a bit nearer, who could perhaps do some groundwork for you?

AN
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Old 22-07-11, 13:18
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Best check before you travel - there doesn't seem to be any mention of workhouse records in their 134 page explantory booklet.

However, these chaps might know more of what's about: Rotherham Family History Society www.rotherhamfhs.co.uk

Even better, they might have a member whose been trying for years to find out what happened to grandad's brother who disappeared in 1903 - can't find a death anywhere!

AN
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Old 22-07-11, 13:48
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Did Peter Harris with the Derbyshire connection get completely discounted?
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Old 22-07-11, 13:58
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Merry View Post
Did Peter Harris with the Derbyshire connection get completely discounted?
I think so Merry, not altogether certain though.
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Old 22-07-11, 13:58
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Anstey Nomad View Post
Best check before you travel - there doesn't seem to be any mention of workhouse records in their 134 page explantory booklet.

However, these chaps might know more of what's about: Rotherham Family History Society www.rotherhamfhs.co.uk

Even better, they might have a member whose been trying for years to find out what happened to grandad's brother who disappeared in 1903 - can't find a death anywhere!

AN
I'll look into that over the weekend
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