Jack Smith b c1914 d.1968 possibly Sheffield

Hi Robert!

Did you send us a 'smiley' and it did not work? Sorry about that we are having problems with 'smilies' at present. Please post again and tell us who you are looking for in particular.

Cheers Gillian

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''What will survive of us is love.''Philip Larkin

hi gillian, yes i tried but being new to all this i thought i had done something wrong. in brief i am looking for info on my fathers side of the family and his children by his second marriage.his name was jack smith born circa 1914 died 27/12/1968 poss sheffield,children by second marriage joy smith and catherine smith born circa 1960/1962. I emigrated to australia in 1962 and never returned to the uk, but still have many fond memories.I am sorry i am so vague on details but i only have a few verifiable documents left.regards robert.

Hi Robert!

Have you tried this website http://www.yorkshirebmd.info/ which is a free search? It only aims to go up to 1950 but may assist in your search for the birth date. It also provides a link if you wish to apply for a copy of the birth certificate. I wonder whether you have a copy of the death certificate? Do you have a copy of your own birth certificate which should give your mother's maiden name?

Good luck with your search and please let us know whether or not you make progress.

Cheers Gillian

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''What will survive of us is love.''Philip Larkin

hi gillian, thanks for for the tip on the website, i will give that a go and let you know how i go. i do have a copy of my birth cert, but i was going to concetrate on my fathers side at this stage.I am not even sure of my fathers birth place so that makes it harder,i only have his death date and i have been out of touch with relatives for so long i dont know where any are to ask, so at this stage it is all a bit hit and miss, but thank you so much for your help. regards roberts

Hi Robert, sounds like you have a challenge to solve. Don't downplay the information you can get on your father's side of the family by working through your mother's information.

When and where were they married?

Did they know each other as adolescents?

Did she have any siblings who might be able to provide information?

Are there cousins?

Happy hunting J

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Don

Hi Robert

Yes, I agree with Don. It is possible to learn a lot by searching 'sideways' so to speak. Coming at something from a different angle may be very revealing. It is always good to work with the facts in your hand rather than just chasing shadows, if you see what I mean. Gillian

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''What will survive of us is love.''Philip Larkin

Subject: Re: Jack Smith b c1914 d.1968 possibly Sheffield Fri 1 Aug 2008 - 0:12

thank you Don for your encouragement i just have to keep trying till i understand what i am doing so please bear with me, as i said before all this is new to me . again many thanks regards robert.

Subject: Re: Jack Smith b c1914 d.1968 possibly Sheffield Sat 2 Aug 2008 - 16:05

Robert, two additional thoughts.

First, you indicate your father died on 27/12/1968, possibly in Sheffield. Is there an obituary in the local paper? Obituaries occasionally provide useful information. I would suggest looking at a span of about three days following his death. (I could be longer; I don't know what the practice is for posting obituaries is in England).

Second, was your father in the military during the war? If so and you can get access to his service record, you will have a trove of useful data.

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Don

Subject: Re: Jack Smith b c1914 d.1968 possibly Sheffield Sat 2 Aug 2008 - 22:15

hi don thanks again, good idea on the obituary columns i will give that a go, but the military service idea i have tried and seem to come up against a brick wall, my father served in the raf as air crew but i can find no clue any ideas? also when he left the service he trained as a school teacher in cumberland uk could this be any help to me? regards robert

Subject: Re: Jack Smith b c1914 d.1968 possibly Sheffield Sun 3 Aug 2008 - 12:02

Hi Robert!

Just a thought!.... Are you sure that your father was named Jack on his birth certificate? Could he in fact have been John? and Jack used as a familial name?
Also, could he have had another first name which preceded Jack/John on the certificate?

I mention these because they could account for any brick wall you have encountered.

If you are certain of his name and date of death then you should be able to find and purchase a copy of his death certificate.
From that you should be able to confirm his age at death and thus his year of birth. If you then purchase the birth certifacate you will be making a good start!!

I hope this is clear and gives you an idea how to get going.

Pleas tell us how you get on and ask again if you want more ideas.

Cheers for now Gillian

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''What will survive of us is love.''Philip Larkin

Subject: Re: Jack Smith b c1914 d.1968 possibly Sheffield Sun 3 Aug 2008 - 23:49

hi gillian my father was jack on MY birth certificate ,but as you said there is the chance he could have been a john or something else. so i will obtain a copy of the death certificate as you suggest and go from there. again many thanks, regards robert.

Subject: Re: Jack Smith b c1914 d.1968 possibly Sheffield Mon 4 Aug 2008 - 14:43

Robert,

Both of my grandfathers chose to use their middle names. My paternal grandfather birth name was Walter D. Allen. He went by Dorr W. Allen and all documents indicated such. My maternal grandfather changed his name from William J. Evans to John W. Evans.

Keep digging.

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Don

Hi Robert,

I was just wondering how you're going on with all this. Any success? Do you know for sure yet whether your father's family were from Sheffield area? Because if so, and if we haven't done already - I think we ought to put a copy of your message on our West Riding Yorkshire Board - where it might be picked up more readily by others researching Smiths of Sheffield area.

Look forward to catching up with you Robert, and your research

Carole Very Happy

Copy of posts now transferred to new topic on the
West Riding Yorkshire Board. See Link below these quotes.
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17 Feb 2009, robert smith wrote:

hi carole

sorry to take so long to reply but we have been very busy the last few months trying to empty the nest, we have been successful in having two offspring married off, now only one more to go! now i can get back to chasing my family history.

in answer to you query i have had little luck in finding any info on my fathers side,but have dug up a little on my mother. I do know my father spent many years in the morley and wakefield areas of yorkshire,but he only spent his last 4 or 5 years in sheffield where he died. I do also know his father (my grandfather) died in kirton meers lincolnshire 11/3/1977. I also have a rather old(1978) solicitors letter informing me that i was a one quarter beneficiary of an estate from a mrs culiar smith who died at kirton meers on the 4/12/1969. I believe this lady to be my grandfathers wife but cannot confirm she is my fathers mother. there was always rumour that my father was illegitimate.

this is all the info i have on my fathers side, i would be happy for this to be put on any appropriate board.
regards robert

17 Feb 2009, Gillian wrote:

Hi Robert!

Good to hear from you! What a busy time you have been having with two family weddings!

About your family history. Have you ever considered the possibility that your father was adopted? However, if he was legally adopted (ie through the courts) a birth certificate should still be forthcoming. If it was a private arrangement all trace could be lost. In 1914 adoption was very different to nowadays. 'Family rumour' may end up being your best bet. The fact that Mrs Culiar Smith left you a share of her estate suggests that she took some responsibility for you and perhaps you might feel that is very important.

I believe that if you make enquiries about adoption the 'hundred year rule' applies ie 100 years must have elapsed since the date of an ancestors adoption (which may not have been at birth).

This may not sound very helpful but underlines the importance of following up every fact you have. One day you may 'hit the jackpot'.

Good luck! Gillian

18 Feb 2009, robert smith wrote:

hi gillian
i thank you for your input and must admit the adoption angle cannot be ignored i would not have dreamed of venturing down that path, though i would not have a clue how to start, any ideas for me ?
I did omit my grandfathers name in my last post (senior moment i'm afraid) anyway it was Charles Edward Smith.
once again thank you for your help,
regards robert

19 Feb 2009, Gillian wrote:

Robert, I think you need to 'rack your brains'!!

You obviously recall a suggestion that your father was illegitimate. Take that a step or two further.........Was there ever a suggestion of where/who he came from? Did anyone show a particular interest in him without apparent reason? Did he resemble anyone that he should not have resembled if he was legitimate? Do you remember clips of conversations which aroused your curiosity but meant little at the time?

You now need to become a detective and start to imagine who might have been his parents! Look at other family members who weren't married, including people from other areas. Does this help at all? A lot of family history research is starting with a 'hunch', exploring it and not being afraid to draw a blank/hit a brickwall. Then you just follow another 'hunch' untill, eventually, you find the answer! It isn't easy but it can be fascinating.

Keep at it, Gillian

Hi Robert and Gillian,

Your last original posts on this Topic (quoted above) have now been moved, along with copies of previous posts from this thread, to create new copy topic on the West Riding Yorkshire Board...
>> (copy)Jack Smith b c1914 d.1968 possibly Sheffield >>
- have written more to you on there.

Carole

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Carole, Smith Project/Smith Chat Admin
Nothing is too small to know, and nothing too big to attempt (William Van Horne)