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Hi,

I am looking for any info on my grandfather (my mother's father).

On my mother's birth certificate, her father's name is listed as "Keith Lawrence" from Wonthaggi, Victoria. BUT he went by the name of George Alfred Lane, from Leicester England.

I've been told his birth date is 26 July 1920 and date of death is 16 January 1995.

The only definite info I have is a register entry from Point Claire Cemetery (NSW) for George Alfred Lane, died 16 January 1995.

I am 99% certain this is him because I remember visiting him when he was alive in a suburb near this cemetery.

According to info I have, my mother, Suzanne Lawrence, is his only child to his marriage to June Phyllis Grace Werner (born 1932 in Carlton, Melbourne).

BUT I have also been told that Keith Lawrence (aka George Alfred Lane) is from Leicester, England - had a wife and children there - but he just up and disappeared, and came to Australia on the "10 Pound Pom" scheme - I can not find anything on either name on the 10 Pound passenger lists - and I have no names / dates for this family in England he is supposed to have left behind.

If anyone has any information, I would be extremely grateful.

Do you have the marriage cert for George & June? It may list his parents.

The only Leicester birth for a George A Lane is a couple of years out:

Births Sep 1922 (>99%)
Lane George A Sills Leicester 7a 341 Scan available - click to view

Did he have any siblings that you know of???

You need your grandfather's marriage certificate to get you started.

I cannot see an obvious death for George Alfred Lane born 1922 - but he could still be alive, or died after 2005.

This could be his marriage:

England & Wales, Marriage Index, 1916-2005
George A Lane
Spouse Surname: Perkins (Edna M)
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1946
Registration district: Leicester
Inferred County: Leicestershire
Volume Number: 3a Page Number: 1535

and this might be her birth
Births Jun 1925
Perkins Edna M Comery Leicester 7a 472

So you could try contacting anyone who has either of them in their trees on here.

There are other Lane/Perkins marriages, but no obvious birth for a child in Leicester.
Also no obvious second marriage for Edna.

When had your grandfather definitely arrived in Australia?

Thank-you

I know he was in Australia from the 1950s onwards because my mother was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1952 - and he died in Australia in 1995.

The issue I have is that there was a lot of secrecy around who he actually was. He would tell people different stories.

On my mother's birth certificate, he is listed as Keith Lawrence, but he went by the name George Alfred Lane.

My mother doesn't have his birth certificate - she has never seen it - so we don't have any more information - which is why I asked here if anyone knew anything.

We don't even know the date he was supposed to have arrived. He claimed to come over here on the 10 Pound scheme, but my mother's birth certificate has him listed as being born in Australia.

He told different stories about where he was from (no history of mental illness on that side of the family) so we don't know what is true and what is not as far as his details go.

I am capable of doing internet searches myself - but thanks anyways.

Sarah, so what exactly does it say on his marriage certificate re: his parents?

Sarah, did you do your internet searches on the National Archives of Australia where immigration records are recorded?

I quickly found this:

Item details for: A1877, LANE G A

Title: LANE George Alfred born 26 July 1922; departing UK under the Assisted Passage Migration Scheme

Contents date range: 1948 - 1950
Series number: A1877

Control symbol: LANE G A
Item barcode: 8046482
Location: Canberra
Access status: Not yet examined
Physical format: PAPER FILES AND DOCUMENTS (allocated at series level)
Records authority class number: 1021672
Date registered: 15 Jul 2004

The record (which should be quite extensive) hasn't yet been digitised so you will have to request a copy. The process is explained on the site.

The immigration record possibly ties with this outward passenger list:

UK, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960

Name: Mr G A Lane
Gender: Male
Age: 28
Birth Date: abt 1922
Departure Date: 15 Dec 1950
Port of Departure: London, England
Destination Port: Melbourne, Australia
Ship Name: Orion
Shipping line: Orient Line
Official Number: 164493
Master: N A Whinfield

He's a coppersmith and was travelling with Mrs E M Lane, age 21.

Then there's this:

Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980
Name: George Alfred Lane
Gender: Male
Electoral Year: 1954
State: Victoria
District: Isaacs
Subdistrict: St Kilda

A Coppersmith, living 15 Beach ave, S3. No Mrs "E M" at that address.

Sarah, you say he "went by" the name of George Alfred Lane. Is that the name his marriage and death were registered in?

ADDED: What was the occupation of Keith Lawrence on your mum's birth certificate?

I don't have a marriage certificate for Keith Lawrence / George Alfred Lane - that is why I do not have his parents' details. My mother doesn't have their marriage certificate either.

Keith Lawrence is the name on my mother's birth certificate. My mother was born in 1952 - and her birth certificate says he was 32 - this would make his birth year 1920 - not 1922.

His death was registered in the name of George Alfred Lane - he died on 16 January 1995.

He used both names (Keith Lawrence and George Alfred Lane) whilst living in Australia - usually George though.

I don't have his marriage certificate though so I do not know what name is on it.

He was not a coppersmith - he was an electrician. And there is no E M Lane. My his wife at the time - my grandmother - was June Phyllis Grace Werner.

And yes I checked the National Archives site. And the one born in 1922 is not him. He was in Australia earlier than 1950. I have a record of him living in Albert Park in Melbourne in 1949.

Sarah, don't mention it - you're welcome.

You obviously have preconceptions which no amount of facts we post are going to change.

Ask yourself is it really a coincidence that there are two George Alfred Lanes being born 26th July? You only say you were told that he was born 1920 - do you have hard evidence to back that up? Don't rely on parents ages on birth certificates as being totally accurate - they are not always 100%. If he gave a different name he could have given a different age.

You say he was from Leicester and had a wife - who's to say the wife didn't come over with him and then return to England?

How do you know the immigration isn't him - have you been given access to the record?

Here's the George Alfred Lane in Albert Park, Melbourne:

Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980
Name: George Alfred Lane
Gender: Male
Electoral Year: 1949
State: Victoria
District: Melbourne Ports
Subdistrict: Albert Park

Living 6 Queens Road, SC2. Occupation = CLERK

I do not understand the meaning of this:

'I am capable of doing internet searches myself - but thanks anyways.'

I was looking to see if we could definitely rule out the 1922 George Alfred Lane.

I posted a possible marriage for him, to E M Perkins.

I could not find obvious children for them, and wondered if she might have travelled out to Australia, but did not have time to look.
I also wondered if she married again, either in England, or even in Australia.
As she would be only 89, then she could still be alive.

If he was capable of using 2 names, he is quite capable of altering his actual age by a few years.

You say there is no E M Lane.

I would suggest that that is precisely who Edna M Perkins became.

This looks like E M Lane returning:

UK, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960
E M Lane Birth Date: abt 1929 Age: 22
Port of Departure: Sydney, Australia
Arrival Date: 3 Aug 1951
Port of Arrival: London, England
Ports of Voyage: Sydney
[Melbourne] [Adelaide] [Colombo] [Suez]
Ship Name: Oronsay
Shipping line: Orient Steam Navigation Company Ltd
Official Number: 184415

going to 89, Ravenshurst Road, Braunstone, Leicester, she is a printer, English.

Added:
Silly me, this will be her birth, to fit with age on shipping and 'Braunstone'

Births Mar 1929
Perkins Edna M Drewery Blaby 7a 65

So, fairly young when she married, and only 85 now.

http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/NameSearch/Interface/ItemsListing.aspx


Item details for: A1877, LANE G A


LANE George Alfred born 26 July 1922; departing UK under the Assisted Passage Migration Scheme

Contents date range
1948 - 1950

Series number
A1877

Control symbol LANE G A

Item barcode 8046482

Location Canberra

Access status
Not yet examined

Physical format
PAPER FILES AND DOCUMENTS (allocated at series level)

Records authority class number 1021672

Date registered 15 Jul 2004

Choccy, when I posted that record earlier Sarah said it couldn't be her George Alfred Lane.

Sorry MC, didn't see your posting, but will leave otherwise yours of 20.44 will appear nonsensical :-(

Nothing to be sorry for Choccy, shows we're consistent!

I do appreciate your help. I didn't mean to come across as rude or anything. I already had that info on the 1922 George Alfred Lane and gave it to my mother (who is George's daughter) and she seems to think it's not correct.

Having said that though, she did say there were a lot of inconsistencies with what he told people about himself - I put to my mother last night that perhaps the age on her birth certificate is wrong.

She did say that as far as she know, from what she's been told, her father left his wife behind in England with some kids - I suggested to her that this could also be wrong information based on the passenger records you posted - both inbound and outbound.

I don't know! I think I'll just investigate this person anyways and see what else I can find.

Thanks for the help. So far he is the only person on the tree no one in the family knows definite details about - apart from the date of his death.

Have you tried to find Keith Lawrence from Wonthaggi, Victoria?

(What was his occupation from your Mother's birth certificate?)

Have you found June on any ER's, and what surname was she using if found?

Have you got the names of June's parents?

Where was your Mother born (Street address?)