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My gt grandfather is a mystery. Supposedly Reginald Charles Eugene O'Brien - Irish/Canadian Irish (Kilkenny in Ireland was always mentioned as a family home).
Died supposedly in the Great War around 1914/15. He doesn't figure in the Commonwealth Graves Commission archives. I wonder if the names are jumbled up but I don't think so. He supposedly married my gt grandmother Jessie (?) Killick from Sussex and their daughter Ruth Muggeridge was born in 1915 in Sussex. Maybe Ruth birth's certificate says father?
Jessie and possible he were at Robert's Heights in South Africa, a garrison town, at some point pre WW1.
Anyone know how to search servicemen who DIDN'T die on service?
Any help gratefully received for Reggie and anything else!

Thanks a lot... Rupert

Births Jun 1915 (>99%)
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Killick Ruth O'B Killick Steyning 2b 389

You will need to purchase the cert but it does not look like a father is named apart from the middle name of O'B

It does not look like they married

birth found

http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl

Ruths marriage

Marriages Jun 1934 (>99%)
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Muggeridge George R O'Brien E.Grinstead 2b 338
O'Brien Ruth Muggeridge E.Grinstead 2b 338

So she took her fathers name

This looks like him ..... from ancestry

I suggest that you take out a free trial in ancestry to view these records, and download them

British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920 about Reginald Eugene Charles O'Brien

Name: Reginald Eugene Charles O'Brien
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1888
Age at enlistment: 14
Birth County: Devonshire
Document Year: 1902
Regimental Number: 19605
Regiment Name: Army ??
Number of images: 15

Attended 1st Due of Yorks Royal Military School, Chelsea
Musician

Enlisted 30 August 1902

Next of Kin:-
Mrs O'Brien, 81 Shortlands Rd, Kingston on Thames, then changed to:-
Mrs White, c/o S M White, 1st Royal Canadian Regiment, Hoodlsey Braacks, London, Ontario Canada

(assume mother re-married)

Younger brother Basil - address as mother

Service
UK u30-8-1902 to 29-1-1912,
South Africa 30-01-1912 to 19-9-1914
UK 20-9-1914 to 4-10-1914
Expeditionary Force S Africa 5-8-1914 to 19-9-1914
UK 20-9-1914 to 4-10-1914
Expeditionary Force France 5-10-1914 to 6-1-1916
UK 7-1-1916 to 3-10-1916
Overseas 4-10-1916 to 26-9-1917
UK 28-9-1917 to 10-2-1919
Cl-2-A-R 11-2-1919 to 31-3-1920
Discharged 31-3-1920


He deserted at least once, in 1910, and had several other mis-deeds



sylvia

???? Reginald in 1901

1901 census

Name: Reginald Eugene Obrien
Age: 12
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1889
Relation: School Boy
Gender: Male
Where born: Plymouth, Devon, England

Civil parish: Chelsea
Ecclesiastical parish: Holy Trinity and St Jude
County/Island: London
Country: England

Registration district: Chelsea
Sub-registration district: Chelsea, South
ED, institution, or vessel: Duke Of Yorks Royal Military Asylum


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Reginald Eugene Obrien 12
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.




and in 1911????

1911 Census

Name: Reginald Eugene Obrien
Age in 1911: 23
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1888
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Plymouth Devon
Civil parish: Woolwich
County/Island: London
Country: England
Marital Status: Single
Occupation: Servant And Groom
Registration district: Woolwich
Registration District Number: 30
Sub-registration district: Woolwich
ED, institution, or vessel: 24-33
Piece: 02881

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Reginald Eugene Obrien 23 Driver
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In the Army Service Corp, Woolwich Barracks




sylvia

???????????? birth registration


England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915 about Reginald Eugene C O'brien

Name: Reginald Eugene C O'brien
Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1888
Registration district: Plymouth
Inferred County: Devon
Volume: 5b
Page: 257




sylvia

?? death

Name: Reginald E C O'brien
Birth Date: abt 1889
Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1967
Age at Death: 78
Registration district: Wolverhampton
Inferred County: Staffordshire
Volume: 9b
Page: 911

???? marriage

but not to Jessie Killick


Name: Reginald E C O'brien
Spouse Surname: Gray
Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1919
Registration district: Kingston
Inferred County: Surrey
Volume Number: 2a
Page Number: 951
Find Spouse: Ethel C C Gray


maybe, or again maybe not

There is this Reginald on Incoming Passengers:-

UK Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960 about Reginald Obrien

Name: Reginald Obrien
Birth Date: abt 1887
Age: 34
Port of departure: Quebec, Canada
Arrival Date: 8 Nov 1921
Port of arrival: Liverpool, England
Ship Name: Empress of Britain
Search Ship Database: View the 'Empress of Britain' in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
Shipping Line: Canadian Pacific Line
Official Number: 120940

Accompanied by:-
Ethel Obrien

Proposed Address in UK:- 72 Inkerman St, Wolverhampton
Occupation:- Carpenter
Country of Last Permanent Residence:- Canada
Country of Intended Permanent Residence:- England





sylvia

What a mess they've made of this transcription.

1891 England Census
Name: Reginald D Brien
Age: 2
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1889
Relation: Son of Armking [Should read son of occupier]
Gender: Male
Where born: Plymouth, Devon, England
Civil parish: Great Clacton
Ecclesiastical parish: St Paul
Town: Clacton on Sea
County/Island: Essex
Country: England
Street Address: Tobaccanist's shop

Occupation:

Registration district: Tendring
Sub-registration district: Thorpe
Piece: 1400
Folio: 74
Page Number: 45
Household Members: Name Age

This lot are the previous household
Alfred Ed Castle 43
Hannah Castle 46
Beatrice Castle 16
May Castle 12
Frank Castle 7
George Gibson 41

Then comes your man, first on the list.
Reginald D Brien 2 Reginald O Brien
Owen Kiepe 48 [Keefe] - Father-in-law of occupier; widowed; army pensioner; born Mallow, Ireland
Eugenie Kiepe 17 [Keefe] - Aunt of infant son; Housekeeper in charge; Shorncliff, Kent
John T Kiepe 12 [Keefe] - uncle of infant; newspaper boy; Chatham, Kent

Then next household, the Butcher's shop
Edith Butter 23
Aleathia Fairhead 19

wonder if this is the brother Basil mentioned on the army records????

same address anyway!!


1901 Census

Name: Basil Obrien
Age: 6
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1895
Relation: Nephew
Gender: Male
Where born: Clacton on Sea, Essex, England

Civil parish: Kingston on Thames
Ecclesiastical parish: Kingston Hill St Paul
Town: Kingston on Thames
County/Island: Surrey
Country: England

Registration district: Kingston
Sub-registration district: Kingston

Frederick Humm 43 b.ca 1858, Binchurch, Essex
Eugenie Humm 27 b.ca 1874, Shornclif, Kent
Eileen Humm 3
Basil Obrien 6

Address:- 81 Shortlands Road



Marriages Dec 1894 (>99%)

Humm Frederick Tendring 4a 879
O'Keeffe Eugenie Tendring 4a 879





sylvia

All fitting together, Sylvia.

First Eugenie, then Clacton on Sea.

crikey Ozi


no wonder I couldn't find him!!!!





sylvia

and here's Owen in 1881 ..... unfortunately not with his family!!


1881 Census

Name: Owen Keefe
Age: 36
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1845
Gender: Male
Where born: Cork Co Mallow

Civil parish: Vessels
County/Island: Devon
Country: England

Street Address: "HMS Dapper"
Condition as to marriage: Married

Occupation: Captains Cook Assist

Registration district: Totnes
Sub-registration district: Dartmouth
ED, institution, or vessel: Britannia




sylvia

Births Dec 1878
KEEFFE John Medway 2a 530

Births Sep 1873
KEEFFE Eugenia Elham 2a 863

?????? Owen in 1871, with family?????

1871 Census

Name: Owen Keefe
Age: 30
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1841
Relation: Soldier
Gender: Male
Where born: Ireland
Civil parish: Carisbrooke
Town: Parkhurst
County/Island: Hampshire
Country: England
Registration district: Isle Of Wight
Sub-registration district: Newport
ED, institution, or vessel: Parkhurst Barracks, Hospital, and Barracks Enclosure

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Owen Keefe 30 Private, 99th Regiment
Mary Keefe 31 b.ca 1841, Ireland
Anne Keefe 4 b.ca 1867, Cape of Good Hope
Orontes Keefe 1 b.ca 1870, On the Sea, Daughter
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sylvia

Probably born on the "Orontes", poor soul.

Ozi

This is all amazing everyone - thanks so much. Sylvia, when you say 'he' deserted and his service history - you mean Reginald, not his brother Basil, right?

Service
UK u30-8-1902 to 29-1-1912,
South Africa 30-01-1912 to 19-9-1914
UK 20-9-1914 to 4-10-1914
Expeditionary Force S Africa 5-8-1914 to 19-9-1914
UK 20-9-1914 to 4-10-1914
Expeditionary Force France 5-10-1914 to 6-1-1916
UK 7-1-1916 to 3-10-1916
Overseas 4-10-1916 to 26-9-1917
UK 28-9-1917 to 10-2-1919
Cl-2-A-R 11-2-1919 to 31-3-1920
Discharged 31-3-1920


He deserted at least once, in 1910, and had several other mis-deeds

Hi Rupert

yes .... that was all Reginald.


I didn't actually look for records for Basil

I think Basil might have been Basil Francis O'Brien ........... but I ahven't followed that up.




I've been trying to find momma!

I've been thinking it might be Anne Keefe/Keeffe/O'keefe ......... but I can't find a marriage to an O'Brien

nor vave I been able to find an Ann/e/ie O'Brien/OBrien on a census.




sylvia

This might be Basil's birth registration:-

England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915 about Basil Francis O'brien

Name: Basil Francis O'brien
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1894
Registration district: Tendring
Inferred County: Essex
Volume: 4a
Page: 585






sylvia

??????????????

London, England, Electoral Registers, 1835-1965 about Francis Basil O'Brien

Name: Francis Basil O'Brien
Electoral Year: 1937
County or Borough: Enfield
Parliamentary Division: Enfield



maybe NOT ....... there is a Francis B O'Brien born in Lancashire ca 1893