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Kevin, I think the link will prove to be Gertrude if what your father was told was correct.

An accident would involve an inquest, I've already checked out National Archives & Leicestershire online archive catalogue but there is no trace of one in them. You may have more luck in the local newpaper archive - it may have been reported or there may be an obituary, local rags often had write-ups of local funerals some even naming all those attending. I've found a couple of them really useful in my research, but they sometimes appear up to a couple of weeks after the funeral.

Perchino, I think to get the pink slip to arrange a burial you had to show proof of death, I had a similar one when my father died in 1980 and remember taking the death cert to get it - but I have no idea if this was the case in the 1940s. And, I can sympathise with your computer problems, I work away from home all week and use a dongle - ruddy thing is so slow & looses connection repeatedly!

Hi Flip,
Found my 1930's papers for an accidental death. Order was:
a) Death
b) Inquest
c) Issue of death certificate on Coroner's findings
d) Burial

In the 1970's I attended a meeting with the Coroner's Sergeant due to a death in the ambulance on the way to hospital. Can remember the significance of the pink coloured form holding up proceedings. The Sergeant, whom by coincidence I had known since childhood, gave me some advice-never die in an ambulance as it complicates matters!! Haven't forgotten that one either.
Certainly looks as though the death certificate was required before burial.

I looked through the deaths from railway accidents a few days ago and did not see a Stevenson one. Could the death be a road accident or one at work?

Kevin, Does your family always use the same firm of undertakers? This is another source of records.

Hi all,
Im not sure anything ive been told is ever going to be 100%, over the years things get forgotten or twisted. But here goes another one, there was talk of some of Gertrudes sisters who didnt get on with her, i think she was the black sheep of the family. Maybe something to do with how she ended up with my dad? On the BOS site if you check on Florence Snrs death in 1962 age 88, it doesnt match with the1911 census age, otherwise it puts her and Joseph Snr both born in Barrow?

I wouldn't worry too much about the minor age variance, women (and men) do have habit of telling porkies when it comes to age.

On the 1911 census, Florence said she was 33, but in 1901 she was 25, on both she was born Quorn/Quornton, which at that time was in Barrow reg district. There is a birth reg Barrow q3/1873 for Florence Martin, which is only a year out from her death age and 2 years out from the 1901 census.

If she (Gertrude) was married, ran off with Jack, inherited his child, then yes, she may have been the black sheep, but it sounds like she looked after your dad and her mother - so she can't have been all bad.

I think you need to do some local homework on the newspapers and the electoral rolls to get much further - there's only so much can be done with just bmd to go on, once we get to the dates after 1911 there's no census info to back anything up. It shouldn't be too difficult to trace Gertrudes ancestry, but she is probably no relation, so it's Jack/John T you may need to research locally to get any further clues.

Hi all,
Dont know what undertakers they used, try to avoid funerals dont like them! Maybe Parish records will be able to help when they come through? John (Jack) ,this is from mum tonight, so im told worked with her dad at the Brush in Loughbro, but idont think there any records we can see?

Is this the firm you mean by "The Brush"?

Brush Traction - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Brush Traction is a manufacturer and maintainer of railway locomotives, part of the FKI group (now owned by Melrose plc), based at Loughborough in ...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brush_Traction - Similarto Brush Traction -

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Brush Electrical Machines - Wikipedia, the free ...
Brush Electrical Machines is a manufacturer of large generators for gas turbine and steam turbine drive applications, based at Loughborough in Leicestershire, ...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brush_Electrical_Machines

Yes, thats where he woked so im told, my mums dad worked there during the war. So i assume he must have? Another part of the mystery!

The Bush does give a tenuous clue to Derby as there was a carriage and wagon works (now Bombadier) and manufacturers of boilers etc such as International Combustion (taken over by Rolls Royce). Think there was a firm called Perkins Boilers but will have to look it up. E W Bliss was another engineering firm. Jack's occupation could have been an industrial painter as opposed to a decorator and he possibly originally moved to Derby in search of work in the 1930's. Logical to look in the Electoral Rolls for east side of Derby (say Alvaston, Allenton, Sinfin, Normanton) first near where these manufacturers were based.
There seems to be information on the internet about The Bush and worth persuing for historical infomation.

Kevin has sent me the birth certificate details ... birthdate is about 6 weeks too late ... but ... if Leonard had altered his age by a year in order to join the military, he also might have made it a few weeks earlier than his real birthday, if he joined between June and September 1954 say and was not yet quite 17 let alone 18

do you know the date he signed up ?

I still can't find a death with those given names ( or any leo* to fit in case of a different surname ) and birthdate ... although again the person could still be living ... or could have died before 1970, or could have emigrated ...



I wonder whether this is the mother

Births Dec 1909
Stevenson Nellie Winifred Loughbro' 7a 115

1911

STEVENSON NELLIE WINIFRED 1910 1 Barrow upon Soar Leicestershire
with parents Elizabeth and Thomas Israel


Marriages Jun 1930
Johnstone Hector H M Stevenson Barrow S. 7a 466
Stevenson Nellie W Johnstone Barrow S. 7a 466

Johnstone Stevenson births in Barrow upon Soar 1933, 1938, 1946

Nellie Winifred Johnstone died 1993 in Leicestershire


Hector HM Johnstone doesn't seem to exist apart from that marriage ( no birth ... and no birth for a Hector HM any surname in any area to fit 1890-1915 ) ... wonder whether he might have been called 'Jack' ...

Hector Harry M Nichols born 1909 Keynsham is the only one ... married 1934 Keynsham ... died 1991 Gloucestershire



a Hector Johnstone born in Ireland 1898 was in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in WWI, attested 1917 ...

http://data2.archives.ca/cef/gpc007/419604a.gif

here is his passage to Canada

JOHNSTONE Hector 1898 M 1914 Glasgow Canada Quebec

a possible if he stayed in England ( he was not a WWI casualty ) ...



this one in 1911 ...

JOHNSTONE HECTOR 1907 4 Ashby de la Zouch Leicestershire

Births Dec 1906
Johnstone Hector James M Ashby Z. 7a 106

died 1995 in Leicestershire ... no marriage ... wonder whether he married as Hector HM Johnstone or there was a typo in the index ...



but it doesn't seem this would be the same Nellie Stevenson ... married and having children with her husband during the time in question ... unless there was an estrangement ... a possibility, with the father being a Jack ... but also not seeing where the Bradley-Stevenson comes into it for Nellie

not seeing another Nellie Stevenson who fits though

Hi all,
I am still waiting to hear from the council about burial details, namely John Thomas Stevenson. When my dad went into the army he was conscripted, he was told when and where to report to. Heres a thought what database did they use? Because we cant find him registered under Leonard Stevenson 16/6/1936 but they got him. As we know that name to that birthday doesnt exist ! Probably voting lists ! So it just shows you can go through life and death under a different name and details, because he did. I had a letter from the army records office saying that it would be between 9-12 months before i got the records ! Something to do with the Historical Society. As to when he went into the army it was sometime after 13/JUL/1954 when he passed his medical (GRADE 1). John Thomas is the key to unlock the mystery.
Kevin

were people conscripted in 1954 ??

I am too young to remember :-D

but at age 18 he would not have been on a voting list would he ? the voting age was only lowered to 18 in 1970

I am just going to throw in another possible for Nellie Bradley-Stevenson

Births Mar 1900
Stevenson Violet Ellen Loughbro' 7a 143

called Violet Helen Bradly Stevenson in the 1911 census ( with brother Leonard William Bradly Stevenson )

Marriages Jun 1923
Stevenson Violet E B Wright Loughbro' 7a 383
Wright Harold B P Stevenson Loughbro' 7a 383

he was Harold Baden Powell Wright, born 1900 ... I find no subsequent marriage or death for him ... also none for Violet Ellen Bradley Wright

only one birth to the marriage, Loughborough Sep quarter 1923 ... a shotgun wedding possibly followed by estrangement

there is a death in 1985 for a Violet Ellen B Wiggins born in 1898 that Ancestry shows twice for some reason ... there is no Violet Ellen B birth in 1898 ... no Violet E B marriage to a Wiggins but possible Violet E marriages ...

I am not giving up on Leon 1937 yet :-)

People were conscripted in 1954, everyone had to register when they were 18, so the registration could have had the wrong dob. Many dodged conscription by simply not registering.

Men were also given the chance to put off national service if they were in an apprenticeship until after they "came out of their time".

We don't know what was on that birth certificate you've only PM'd the details to Chrissie - was there a father named? But from what Chrissie posted I doubt it's the right one, wrong year and wrong birth date. I think Leonard is more likely to have been registered under his mother's name - whatever that was.

I know I've said this before, but still think you need to check the electoral rolls for Gertrude to see who she was living with from 1937 (ish) to her marriage in 1944.

And, yes Kevin, it was quite easy to go through life under a different name - even up until the 1990s you could get a passport under a name you weren't born with!

no father on birth certificate, dob in September, Flick

I guess I was the one obsessed with Leon :-) ... would still like to know where he got to, possibly somewhere under a stepfather's surname

this is our complete list of Leonards registered in June quarter 1936 in Leicestershire

BATES Leonard Billesdon
BRADSHAW Leonard A Shardlow
Bromley Leonard E Mt.Harbro'
BURLEY Leonard E Atherstone
DUNKLEY Leonard A Leicester
JACKSON Leonard Nuneaton
Jones Leonard H Leicester
Summers Leonard Ashby Z.
WHITEHEAD Leonard R Nuneaton

I've left out mother's surnames and registration details since the births are relatively recent

only one has same surname as mother's surname, Jones, I believe he would be Leonard Hodgeson Jones died 1997 Leicestershire

but a child of unmarried parents could have been registered under the father's surname

a search for Leonards born in Derbyshire that quarter ( there was mention of Derby, I haven't quite grasped it ) shows

ASHLEY Leonard Mansfield
BRADSHAW Leonard A Shardlow
CORRALL Leonard Mansfield
EDMUNDS Leonard J Mansfield
HARVEY Leonard Basford
Lamb Leonard J Basford
MARSH Leonard W Mansfield
Newcombe Leonard Basford
PAYNE Leonard G Belper
RENSHAW Leonard Mansfield
SKINNER Leonard F Basford
Summers Leonard Ashby Z.
TUNSTILL Leonard Rotherham
WHITE Leonard G Belper

none showing unmarried mother

no Leonard S in either list ( which could suggest father's surname starting with S used as middle name )

there was no Stevenson ( or birth with mother Stevenson ) with middle initial L registered in Leicestershire in that quarter

for Derbyshire ... Maurice L Stevenson ( with mother Stevenson ) ... died same year in London it seems ... actually that is the only middle initial L Stevenson birth anywhere in that quarter

it would probably be worth looking for marriages and deaths for each of the Leonards in those lists to try to rule them out definitively ... I no longer have an Ancestry subscription to do this easily

But is this relavent? Lets go back to the orriginal quest - find Leonard Stevenson (?niot birth name) and his father Jack.

Some other thoughts to throw into the "pot":
1) The NI number is showing a birth in the 3rd quarter.
2) "The Bush" reduced its workforce by 1,000 in the 1930's so employment would have been difficult and Jack could have moved to Derby in search of work.
3) Which school/s did Leonard attend?

sorry Flick is what relevant, the Leonard etc info I posted ?

if we are looking for a Leonard born in 1936 I would say it's the most relevant information there is :-)

did you mean my query about where Leon Bradley-Stevenson got to ? well if there is a chance that he actually is Leonard then I would say that is relevant too ...

the Bradley-Stevensons were native to Loughborough where the stepmother is from, Leon was born in Barrow upon Soar which is tied in with the stepmother, there is a possible ( if slightly remote ) family connection between the stepmother and the Bradley-Stevenson family ...


Perchino very interesting about a birth in 3rd quarter ... Leon B-S was born in the 3rd quarter :-) ... does it indicate the year or just the quarter ?


I am still a little confused, are we thinking it is possible that Gertrude is actually Leonard's mother ......... ? or I see, that she and 'Jack' were partners maybe and when he died she was left with his child ... but what would have happened to the child's mother ?

Hi all,
I think you are all doing a great job, its hard to rule out anything. Because the people who knew the truth took it with them to there graves! I can only be sure of one school he went to in BOS, Gert would never speak about his mother so im told. And I cant be sure how old he was when he first appeared in BOS, but i think (Jack) John Thomas Stevenson is his real dad. Going to try and find out more about him, hes a bit of a mystery also! Anything anybody wants to know just ask me.
Thank You
Kevin

Has anyone looked at this marriage:

Name John T Stevenson
Year of Marriage 1934
Quarter of Marriage Oct-Nov-Dec
Registration District Derby
Registration County Derbyshire
Spouse's Surname Swift
Volume Number 7B
Volume Page 1472

or this birth:

Name John Stevenson
Year of Registration 1900
Quarter of Registration Apr-May-Jun
Registration District Derby
Registration County Derbyshire
Mother's maiden name
Volume Number 7B
Volume Page 570

or this 1901 Census:

1901 Census Household Record Address 1 New Works
Civil Parish Staveley
Rural District Chesterfield
Town or Village or Hamlet Staveley
Ecclesiastical Parish Staveley St John The Baptist
Parliamentary Borough or Division North East Derbyshire
County Borough, Municipal Borough or Urban District
Administrative County Derbyshire

Householder 1
Name George Cookes
Relation to Head of Family F In Law
Condition as to Marriage Widower
Age Last Birthday 62
Sex Male
Profession or Occupation General Labourer
Employment Status
Where Born Derbyshire Staveley
Language
Infirmity

Householder 2
Name Florence Stevenson
Relation to Head of Family Wife
Condition as to Marriage Married
Age Last Birthday 23
Sex Female
Profession or Occupation
Employment Status
Where Born Derbyshire Staveley
Language
Infirmity

Householder 3
Name John Stevenson
Relation to Head of Family Son
Condition as to Marriage
Age Last Birthday 4
Sex Male
Profession or Occupation
Employment Status
Where Born Derbyshire Staveley
Language
Infirmity

Householder 4
Name John Hz Stevenson
Relation to Head of Family Head
Condition as to Marriage Married
Age Last Birthday 36
Sex Male
Profession or Occupation Horsekeeper
Employment Status
Where Born Derbyshire Brimington
Language
Infirmity



chrissiex, there is a way of matching the year of birth in early NI numbers but it will take some time for me to work out the formula as it is several years since I last did this.

Hi all,
I went to Loughborough Library today, ER s for Barrow are kept at another place nr Leicester. Had a look through the local paper for anything on John Thomas in 1944 but didnt see anything. Still waiting to hear from the Parish Council for any new info about JT.