Who Do You Think You Are - Gregg Wallace 22nd Aug

[Rachaelwg]

Thanks for the welcome ...ahh maybe it has got muddled over the years it just seems odd that was the story for my grans husband too , except for the bigamy bit which is different however I have still not found any hard evidence of this ! So wondering if this is true too

[Olde Crone]

Well, Henry was a bigamist........

EDIT - Oooh, sorry, correction, we don't KNOW he was a bigamist, he may or may not have married emily2 in Ireland.

OC

[Shona]

Hello Rachael - did you post something about this on either facebook of Twitter? I'm sure I read a post about it. It must have been a shock to watch the show for you and your family. They did mention that 'Cousin David' provided the photo of Selina - is that your dad?

The stories about Henry vanishing may have got confused with the story about your grandfather vanishing. If you could let the Forum know details about your grandfather, someone may be able to reveal something. Perhaps he was the person last seen in Liverpool heading for Australia.

In one census that I looked at - when Henry was in the Navy - the next name under Henry's was either Jack or John Burke, who was Irish.

Do the family still live in Plymouth? My mum still lives there and I went to school at Stoke Dameral.

[Merry]

Welcome to the forum, Rachael

In one census that I looked at - when Henry was in the Navy - the next name under Henry's was either Jack or John Burke, who was Irish.

That was in 1901 - HMS Vulcan. John Burke was aged 23 - I wonder if this is his service record?

Name Burke, John
Official Number: 293989
Place of Birth: Londonderry, Ireland
18 March 1879
ADM 188/474

[Rachaelwg]

Yes my dad is cousin David , did Henry get married again ? Can't remember form the programme and yes did put a comment on Facebook ! Was interested to find out about jack Burke and remember seeing a comment about jack being in the navy with Henry ..we are still in the Plymouth area but live on the moors on the outskirts now ... Funnily enough my grandfather was last seen in Liverpool apparently ( his family moved ther ) so would be funny if the stories had got muddled over the years . Vera s husband called David Alexander Bennett, born march ( I think ) 1910 Scotland Wigtownshire area I think ,fathers name George bennett mother Mary Jane rennie spouse Vera Gwendoline springett was in the navy and was in Plymouth too it would be wonderful if someone could help I have tried to trace him for my dads sake as think he was five when he went ..I am not to good at this researching yet and think it would be great to be able to tell him where his dad ended up ! Only other thing I was told he was sent to prison for the bigamy to Exeter prison ..would appreciate any help thanks

[Rachaelwg]

Thank you will look into that jack Burke I have had a quick search but didn't have much to go on ...could be ?

[Merry]

Vera s husband called David Alexander Bennett, born march ( I think ) 1910 Scotland Wigtownshire area I think ,fathers name George bennett mother Mary Jane rennie spouse Vera Gwendoline springett was in the navy and was in Plymouth too it would be wonderful if someone could help I have tried to trace him for my dads sake as think he was five when he went

Do you know if he was in the Royal Navy or Merchant Service?

When was your dad five? (I could look that up, but it's easier to just ask!!)

[kiterunner]

There might be some information about Jack Burke in the divorce papers at The National Archives, but I asked for an estimate of cost for a digital copy and they quoted a price of £61.60. I specified a monochrome copy but they said it would have to be colour; I don't know whether that's why it is so expensive - I had a copy of another (unrelated) set of divorce papers from them 5 years ago which only cost £8.50 but that was when they had the Digital Express service.

This is the info you would need if you want to look into the divorce papers:

item reference J 77/1368/1928 (part of document J
77/1368)

Divorce Court File: 1928. Appellant: Henry
Roland Springett. Respondent: Emily Springett.
Co-respondent: Jack Burke.
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/default.htm

But of course it might not give any useful info about Jack Burke at all, though I should think it would be interesting anyway. If you can get to Kew easily yourself you would be able to order the papers there to look at and then you wouldn't have to pay. Otherwise, the service record would be a lot cheaper and more likely to have useful info - if it is the right Jack!

[Rachaelwg]

Merry .. My dad was born in aug 1936 and I was told he was 5 when his dad disappeared which it would be 1941 ish (without googling it I also thought it was end of the war he disappeared ) also lead to believe it was royal navy but could double check all this with my dad if needed !? Interesting none of his brothers etc never saw him again either as they contacted my dad years later ..think one of mentioned he could of gone south Africa / isle of Mann /Australia / London but think they were just guessing ! All I can find online is the marriage to my gran in Plymouth in1935 all a bit of a mystery haha
Thanks kite runner for that info on jack Burke gosh that's a lot of money for divorce records I am tempted to get them at some point possibly as you say they might not have anything on them about jack Burke and do you think that there is a chance he is the father of Vera i wonder if it would have that information in the record ...or a possibly a trip to London would be interesting at some point ..tempting !! Thanks for all your help you are so more knowledgable than me !

[Merry]

If you can't go to Kew yourself to get a copy of the divorce papers, it might be cheaper to get someone independent to get you a copy and post it to you than pay Kew that rather large sum!