Find Ancestors

The ultimate challenge.
I have been trying to trace my partner's grandfather's history for over a decade with minimal success. I have been impressed by everyone's kindness and brilliance at finding things so please would you help me now.
This is all we know.
Thomas Ernest Clarke was probably born 20.1.1903 in Dudley or near it.
His father was also called Thomas Clarke and was a mineral water salesman.
He married on the 27.7.1955 Florence Froggatt but it says 'previous marriage dissolved' on the certificate.
He worked for GWR as a railway engineer (not a driver).
He died in 1974.
Please can someone use their superior knowledge of tracing things to find out something else? My partner would love to know something more of his own heritage. I'm very stuck.
Best regards. :-(

Possible death:

First name(s) THOMAS ERNEST
Last name CLARKE
Gender Male
Birth day 20th Jan 1900
Death quarter 1
Death year 1974
District BROMSGROVE
County Worcestershire
Volume 9D
Page 64
Country England

?????

First name(s) THOMAS ERNEST C
Last name CLARKE
Birth year 1904
Birth quarter 2
Registration month -
Mother's last name -
District DUDLEY
County Staffordshire
Country England
Volume 6C
Page 138
Record set England & Wales births 1837-2006
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Subcategory Births & baptisms
Collections from Great Britain
© brightsolid online publishing ltd

Wrong birth year but maybe


Edit. Wrong birth year as doesn't tie with death records

Not that one Shirley- he's on 1911 census with different father (Ernest George)

Possible: A year out from year of birth given on Death entry, but no mineral water salesman!-

Birth:
First name(s) THOMAS ERNEST
Last name CLARK
Birth year 1899
Birth quarter 1
District DUDLEY
County Staffordshire
Country England
Volume 6C
Page 56
Record set England & Wales births 1837-2006

1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Fearnlee Cottage, Whitehouse Street, Tipton, Dudley, Staffordshire, England
Thomas Clarke Head Married Male 30 1871 Carter At Iron Foundry Tipton, Staffordshire, England
Elizabeth Clarke Wife Married Female 26 1875 - Staffordshire, England
Miriam Clarke Daughter Single Female 4 1897 - Tipton, Staffordshire, England
Thos E Clarke Son Single Male 2 1899 - Tipton, Staffordshire, England
John H Clarke Nephew Single Male 19 1882 Moulder At Foundry Tipton, Staffordshire, England

hi
the only thomas ernest c clarke born in 1904 in dudley

and a marriage

Marriages Sep 1925 (>99%)
Clarke Thomas E C Whitlock W. Bromwich 6b 1705

Yvonne- that's likely to be the one listed with father Ernest George.

Do you know the date of his death- also this one in 1974:

Name: Thomas Ernest Clarke
Birth Date: 17 Jan 1897
Date of Registration: Sep 1974
Age at Death: 77
Registration district: Sandwell
Inferred County: West Midlands
Volume: 33
Page: 0895

Thanks again for all your hard work.
The date of his birth on his death cert in 1974 was a guess by his son as no one knew when he was born and apparently had great difficulty registering it as a result. We have his marriage cert where he states his age as 52 in 1955. That gave us 1903 but let me digest what you've all given me so far.
Best regards. :-|

Right, properly digested.
The Thomas Ernest Charles Clarke you've found from 1904 in Dudley Gritty is one I've found before too but he has brothers and sisters and Grandad Ernie had no family that anyone knew of except a sister who died when young. The death registered in Bromsgrove is our Thomas Ernest with the errors previously mentioned. Told you this was the ultimate challenge!
Thanks again to you, Yvonne, Gritty and Shirley. :-\

Auriel do you have an age for the sister who died young?

Sorry no, we don't even know her name. He only mentioned her once in his life when his daughter was thinking of names for my partner before he was born and he said no to one of them because it was his sister's name and he couldn't bear that. Not helpful for you is it?

Why was he called Grand dad Ernie and not Tom?

Sister's death? Age fits with above 1901 census

First name(s) MIRIAM
Last name CLARKE
Gender Female
Birth year 1896
Age 22
Death quarter 4
Death year 1918
District DUDLEY
County Staffordshire
Volume 6B
Page 2154
Country England
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Miriam in 1911?

Name: Miram Clarke
Age in 1911: 14
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1897
Relation to Head: Granddaughter
Birth Place: Burntree, Staffordshire
Civil Parish: Dudley
County/Island: Worcestershire
Street address: 9 Gammage St, Blowers Green, Dudley, Worcestershire
Occupation: school
Registration district: Dudley
Registration District Number: 372
Sub-registration district: Dudley
ED, institution, or vessel: 34
Household schedule number: 189
Piece: 17457

Abigail Watts 71
Elizabeth Clarke 37
Pheobe Annie Watts 32
Alice Malvina Watts 28
James William Watts 20
Miram Clarke 14
Horace Clarke 7

I only see one other possible sibling- Horace
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Thomas in 1911?
Name: Ernest Clarke
Age in 1911: 12
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1899
Relation to Head: Nephew
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Harts Hill Nr Brierley Hill, Worcestershire
Civil Parish: Dudley
County/Island: Worcestershire
Country: England
Street address: No 17 Vine St, Harts Hill Near Brierley Hill
Occupation: school
Registration district: Dudley
Registration District Number: 372
Sub-registration district: Dudley
ED, institution, or vessel: 33
Household schedule number: 103
Piece: 17456
Household Members:
Name Age
Joseph Watts 42
Mary Jane Watts 40
Ernest Clarke 12
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks Gritty
That links well with your data from 1901 census. He could have lied about being 52 on his marriage certificate in 1955 because his wife was 40 and he reduced the age difference a bit.
Glitterbaby I'm sorry but we just presume that he was called Ernest (Ernie) because his father was called Thomas to prevent confusion.
Thomas Clarke (his dad, the 'mineral water salesman') was listed as deceased on that marriage certificate.
Thanks again.

I have never seen the 1911 entry for Ernest Clarke with his uncle. That really links well with what you have found so far. I'm really impressed but have to go to bed. will pop back in the morning. Thank you very much Gritty. Have shown my partner what you have achieved and he's very excited. :-)
Goodnight.

Thomas Clarke
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1870
Registration Year: 1904
Registration Quarter: Jan-Feb-Mar
Age at Death: 34
Registration district: Dudley
Inferred County: Staffordshire
Volume: 6c
Page: 37

Horace Clarke
Birth Date: 30 Sep 1903
Date of Registration: Dec 1974
Age at Death: 71
Registration district: Dudley
Inferred County: Staffordshire, West Midlands
Volume: 33
Page: 0492


Maybe?

Horace Clarke
Spouse Surname: Taylor, Eva G
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1931
Registration district: Stourbridge
Inferred County: Worcestershire
Volume Number: 6c
Page Number: 12

Eva Graham Clarke
Birth Date: 10 Mar 1904
Date of Registration: Aug 1985
Age at Death: 81
Registration district: Coventry
Inferred County: Warwickshire
Volume: 33
Page: 125

Auriel- who were the witnesses on the marriage? Where is states 'previous marriage dissolved'- does it refer to Thomas E or Florence H?

Is father Thomas, mineral water salesman, listed as deceased on the marriage?

I'm now having some doubts on the info above- this looks to be the marriage of Elizabeth Watts- although her husband was listed as Thomas on the 1901 census, he is listed as John Thomas on his marriage:

Marriage:
Name: Elizabeth Watts
Gender: Female
Marital Status: Single
Age: 22
Birth Date: 1873
Marriage Date: 2 Nov 1895
Marriage Place: St. Edmund'S Dudley, Worcester, England
Father: John Watts
Spouse: John Thomas Clark
FHL Film Number: 992184
Reference ID: Yr 1895 P 148 No 295

Also- Elizabeth is listed as a widow in 1911- so not sure where the mineral water salesman would come into it?? I'll take another look at this later

If the Watts connection is correct...then this is the only marriage I can find that vaguely fits..

Marriages Dec 1895 (>99%)
Bate Charles Major Dudley 6c 42 Scan available - click to view
Clark John Thomas Dudley 6c 42 Scan available - click to view
Share Ann Jane Dudley 6c 42 Scan available - click to view
Watts Elizabeth Dudley 6c 42 Scan available - click to view

i.e. father saying he was John Thomas not Thomas Ernest!!

Jude

Sorry Jude- had just edited my post- SNAP!! Now having doubts on this one