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Bingo ! the index does say John J but the death certificate might show that it was really a T, you never know

although the age is different ( the index does say 43 ), but again there could be misreading ... but that would be a lot of misreading ...

he's from the right place though :-)

Births Sep 1901
Stevenson John James Loughbro' 7a 139

so he's a different person from the older John Thomas then

1911

STEVENSON JOHN JAMES 1902 9 Loughborough Leicestershire
STEVENSON JOSEPH 1878 33
STEVENSON MARY ANN 1879 32 ( Smith, married 1901 Loughborough )
STEVENSON EDITH MAY F 1903 8

no marriage for that name 1918 to 1944 in Leicestershire ... or anywhere near ... could be father of child registered in mother's name ... except there isn't such a birth ...

I have just trawled through the 1901 Census for Barrow on the Barrow website. There were a comparatively small number of Stevensons in the village then.
John J came to light by searching on surname and location only. The numbers were again small.
The way this is going I can see mother and father having the same surname married or not. What a coincidence that would be!!! (would use emoticoms but mine stopped working weeks ago)

Perchino why are you resistant to the idea that Jack Stevenson simply did not exist ?

we have all seen case after case on these boards of people who invented fathers when they gave the information for their marriage certificates

children of unmarried parents who had their mother's surname, and there have been many of them over the years and decades, commonly did several things

named no father
named their real father ( with a surname different from theirs )
named their stepfather ( with a surname different from theirs )
named their maternal grandfather
named someone who did not exist, for example
... their stepfather's given name and occupation with their own ( their mother's ) surname
... their real father's given name and occupation with their own ( their mother's ) surname
... a completely invented person with their own ( their mother's ) surname

when we have a case like this where there just is no Leonard Stevenson with a father named Stevenson anywhere to be found ... there are three obvious possibilities

... Stevenson was his mother's surname and his birth was registered in that name

... Stevenson was his mother's surname and his birth was registered in his father's ( unknown ) surname

... Stevenson was his father's surname but his birth was registered in his mother's surname with no mention of his father

the only likely example we have of any of these possibilities is Leon (Bradley-) Stevenson whose mother was apparently not married

so in that case 'Jack Stevenson' would be an invention, possibly his real father was Jack, but not Stevenson ... etc


... I was just going to try another search for 'Leonard' births Q2 Q3 1936 to see whether any at all involved the name Stevenson in any way or were in a location thought to be likely ... but freebmd has gone down

it seemed though that Leon B/Bradley- Stevenson is the only likely candidate ... and I want to know what his date of birth was :-)

Well chrissiex it does take two to tango and I am not ready to give up yet. (LOL)!!!
Seriously, I do agree with you regarding Leon and it would not surprise me if the date of birth on the Service Medical Record has a clerical error in it. Perhaps Santa will visit Kevin early and we will soon have more to work on.
I have a busy day and visitors but will return later.

Hi Kevin, I've been following this and Chrissie/Perchino have done a great job so far digging around. Some questions spring to mind though.

Back on your original post you had a birth certificate which you have now discounted. Where did the certificate come from - did you order it or was it in your fathers papers? Did the date of birth agree with your fathers, which made you think you had the right one? And what was the fathers name on the certificate?

Do you know what dates Leonard did his national service or if he have a passport?

Have you any of his pension records from when he achieved state pension age, or any personal pension records? The reason I ask is because to draw a personal pension you must supply your original birth certificate, and state pension is payable from your 65th birthday - so when did it come into payment.

I'm asuming the BoS marriage is correct (1961), did your mother know who your father was living with at the time?

The electoral rolls for BuS 1936-2002 are held at Loughborough (tel 01509 634612), I'm not sure how far this is for you but it could be worth a visit.

Leon B was reg BuS, and as it's not a very big place it may be easy to pinpoint his mother on the ER under the name of Bradley or Stevenson. Obviously a birth certificate would make this easier as it should quote an address - you could check out who lived there in 1937 and a couple of years either side.

Your fathers address was given on the marriage, it would be worth checking this address for 1961 and a few years before to see if it gives you anything.

Good luck in your search, doens't look like an easy one!

Hi Flip
The birth cert was got in the 80s for some reason, DOB didnt agree.It was the only one which matched his name and year, we assumed it was correct because of his dodgy past, army service from 54-56 ive ordered his record. Pension started from DOB got from birth cert, didnt have to show it though. The BOS marriage spot on (1961) , the birth you found is my brother, im in (1967). We will check out ER at Loughborough its not far,dad did have passport with DOB as per birth cert because we believed this to be his true birthday.
Thanks everbody Kevin

Hi Kevin,

That's interesting, if his national service started in 1954 the Leon B would have only been 17, and you had to be 18 to register for ns. So either Leon B added a year to his age, or possible he's the wrong one, but I'm not sure how thorough they were in checking ages.

I think the ERs may give you more, especially if you can find Gertrude Louise with any of the possible partners and before her marriage to Arthur Denby in 1945 - you may be able to find her with Jack Stevenson (or whatever he was really called)

Did your mother remember if Gertrude of John William (or William John) were around when they got married in 1961? It looks like they died after this if they are the right deaths at BoS.

Another possibility, if the Gertrude being looked at is the right one, she stated her father was Joseph Wells (deceased) when she married under the name of Cooke. The marriage Gertrude L Wells to Tommy Cooke in 1928 may have produced a daughter reg Loughborough in 1929 (Jean M) so I wonder what happened to her?

Looks like she may have stayed in Loughborough and married and had 1 son and 1 daughter. No death showing on Ancestry for her or her husbamd but the son seems to have married in Loughborough in 1970.

Shall I PM the details to Kevin?

oh that is an excellent explanation ... it is not unusual for older people ( say, people born in the early 1900s ) to be wrong about their year of birth, my grandmother was a year out until she had to get her birth certificate for her pension ... but someone born in the 30s that is more unusual

adding a year to his age to join up, that is a perfect explanation

at least it will be if the Leon Bradley-Stevenson birth certificate matches the birthday :-)

The daughter Susan L looks to have married in Loughborough, in 1966 so could also proove valuable if we are chasing the right family - Rootgatherer Pm the details to Kevin just in case he doesn't have access to them.

Hi all
Getting very confusing, Gert and John William were at mum and dads wedding in 1961. She was told Gert used to miscarry, hence somehow she ended up with me dad, the wedding in1945 as i was told by John Williams daughter who im still in contact with should have been between them. They both died in BOS, Gert in 65, John William in 71 threy are in BOS cemetery.

Kevin,

Another thought, I know you're still local and your BuS library has micofilm of marriage records - so rather than get your parents marriage certificate you will be able to look at it there - check who were the witnesses to see if it gives you a further clue. We know their addresses from the BoS online records, but seeing the original may give more.

The same library has burial records on film, they also give more info than the transcripts - maybe something more to find there, I know burial records usually record who bought the plot and sometimes state person resposable for the burial..

atb
Flip

added - I think we cross-posted here!

The Dept of Work and Pension had a system of decoding National Insurance numbers into date of birth. Do you still have Leonard's National Insurance number? If so, please do not post it on here but pm me.

Edit:
This may not still be the case but certainly was for the era we are looking at.

Hi all,
I will check records next week at the library, have ordered Bradley Stevenson birth cert. Interesting to find Gert had married Arthur E Denby in 1945 BOS,They were both working at Loughborough hospital, she was a nurse, and living in the same house where my dad grew up? Does someone want to do a recap on what records and people im checking for please.
Thank you all,
Kevin

things you are checking for

the Bradley-Stevenson birth cert, ordered
( and I am eager to see ! ... but if no match had better not put details here )

Leonard Stevenson's marriage certificate ( or check at library ), for witnesses' names

Leonard's national insurance number for Perchino to decode birth date

anything else ?

Hi Chrissie,
I will let you know personally when birh cert turns up, have sent NI number, gonna have a beer now see ya.
Kevin

thank you, being so nosy is a curse :-)

I just want to put the stepfamily info together here because I have been so confused by it ...

Births Dec 1901
WELLS Gertrude Louisa Nottingham 7b 304

Marriages Mar 1928
COOKE Tommy Wells Loughbro' 7a 183
WELLS Gertrude L Coke Loughbro' 7a 183
- child 1929 Loughborough (no ? ... see below )

Marriages Dec 1945
Cooke Gertrude L Denby Barrow S. 7a 445
Denby Arthur E Cooke Barrow S. 7a 445
- no children

Marriages Sep 1951
COOKE Gertrude L SMITH Loughboro' 3a 2225
DENBY Gertrude L SMITH Loughboro' 3a 2225
SMITH William J DENBY Loughboro' 3a 2225
SMITH William J COOKE Loughboro' 3a 2225

1911 ?
COOKE TOMMY 1893 18 Loughborough Leicestershire

Births Dec 1892
Cooke Thomas Loughbro' 7a 122

ah, a death in 1943 in Leicestershire, I can't see details at Ancestry

interestingly there is also no birth for Arthur E Denby in England/Wales, was he from overseas, married WWII ?


living with Tommy Cooke in Loughborough in 1911 are

COOKE SARAH JANE 1862 49 Loughborough Leicestershire
COOKE THOMAS 1865 46
COOKE FREDDY 1897 14
> COOKE LEONARD 1901 10 died 1918
COOKE GEORGE HENRY 1906 5

our Leonard was born while Gertrude was married to Tommy Cooke, the name could come from that family ... I had thought that Leonard was a relatively unusual name but it is proving not to be !


hm, looks like Tommy Cooke's brother George Henry married Gertrude Well's's sister Florence ( she is on the 1911 census ) a few months earlier

Marriages Sep 1927
Cooke George H Wells Loughbro' 7a 410
WELLS Florence COOKE Loughbro' 7a 410
... the 1929 Cooke-Wells birth more likely that couple's ?

but nothing I can find would connect our Leonard with either spouse in that couple


Gertrude Wells's sister Ethel Wells 1910-1955? ... married a Brooks

Marriages Sep 1930
Brooks John G Wells Loughbro' 7a 396
Wells Ethel Brooks Loughbro' 7a 396

Births Dec 1908 ?
Brooks John George Mt.Bosworth. 7a 70


Beatrice Bradley-Stevenson's brother Leonard Bradley-Stevenson 1897-1978 ... married a Brooks

Marriages Mar 1923
Brooks Margaret Stevenson Loughbro' 7a 211
Stevenson Leonard B Brooks Loughbro' 7a 211
- one birth > Jun 1923

... well ... living with John George Brooks in 1911 was

BROOKS MARGARET ELIZABETH 1907 4 Market Bosworth
BROOKS JOHN GEORGE 1909 2 Market Bosworth

Births Mar 1907
BROOKS Margaret Elizabeth Mt. Bosworth 7a 64

married very young in 1923 ... because had to ? ...

if the marriage broke down ... she could have had a child named Bradley-Stevenson and used it as her own surname to avoid naming father ...


it's a long shot but it could be a connection

stepmother Gertrude Wells's sister Ethel was married to a Brooks

mother ? Beatrice Bradley-Stevenson's brother was married to a Brooks
... so Ethel Wells's husband 's sister Margaret Brooks could have been wife of Leonard Bradley-Stevenson the brother of Beatrice Bradley-Stevenson the mother of Leonard
... or ...
mother ? Margaret Brooks Bradley-Stevenson's brother was married to a Wells
... Ethel Wells's husband's sister Margaret Brooks Bradley-Stevenson could have been mother of Leonard


Leonard's surname was never changed so it was not a formal adoption, so a placement within the family certainly seems to be most likely

chrissiex, re Arthur Denby and possibility of an overseas birth there were American, Canadian and New Zealand Forces based in the vicinity during WW11. Other nationalities I would have to research.

NI number received by pm.

Wonder if Gertrude and Arthur divorced, there doesn't look like a death for him between 1945 and when she married John in 1951? The only Arthur E Denby death I can see is in Hendon 1959, and according to their marriage he gave an address in London. He could, of course, died abroad though.

Kevin, if you are going to the local library to check out the parish records, they may also have local electoral rolls which would save a trip to Loughborough.

added: Can't see the birth reg for Arthur E Denby, but he was on the 1901 census with father Arthur, mother Clara and sister Harriet (who was reg under mothers maiden name of Addleton in 1896) in Loughborough, and again in 1911 with a couple of younger siblings. both census say born Loughborough so I think we can rule out the overseas birth.

edit, his birth reg Loughborough Q1/1900 under the name Demby

Hi,
Having spoken to my mum, she says the Brooks , Stevenson B, Wells combination sounds very interesting. Bearing in mind it is said that Gert used to miscarry, and if these people were all family? And someone had a child they couldnt look after? She also said there was another sister in the Wells family Emma 1914?