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Hi, thank you for reading.......
I'm trying to help my dad locate his birth family. He was 2 years old when his father left (1952) after it was found he had committed bigamy. My dad was later adopted 1957 by his mothers new husband.
Several problems I have encountered -
There is no one left alive to give us any leads.
He has the most common surname - smith.

I have managed to get a copy of dads original birth certificate which shows a full name, and living at my grandmothers family address, and his occupation as a hawker.

Dad claims to have been told many years ago that his father was from Doncaster - so that's where my search starts. We have tried to get the adoption paperwork - but so far we are failing in getting this information.

My search has lead me to a couple of possible links to siblings for dad -
Any advice on how to approach this ??

We do appreciate that it is possible that birth dad has already passed away, but dad is curious to know more about him, and if he has any family (as he only has me and my brother left).

Any support or advice is gratefully received.
Thanks in anticipation :-S

did you know your dad's fathers name his mother must know

The birth certificate states that the fathers name is :
Alfred Derek Smith
My grans name was Rosemary Sparkling, she was from York

Thank you

can only see one with that name 1907 cardiff

I've found a Alfred Derek smith born 1924 in Doncaster, found that his parents were Alfred senior and Hilda Clark.

Really unsure of how I go about tracing someone who was so obviously having several lives on the go at one time.

Found a possible marriage to a Matilda Burke in Doncaster, and a Nancy Shepherd.

But where do I go now ? how do I find if we have any family members?? Sorry for asking and appreciate any help you can give

are you looking for your dads father's brothers or sisters

All of the above.
Assuming he was born 1924, he may have already passed.

However dad feels the need to know his identity, he'd like to know if he had siblings etc.

Dads just retired, and he's reflecting on his life, and the realisation that he has no other family other than me and my brother (none of us live near). Therefore making his search a meaningful exercise.

Hope that makes sense

Please excuse me for this evening. Early start at work in the morning. I'll get back asap. Thank you for your interest and any help, is as always, gratefully received. Thank you

found the marriage for alfred and hilda in 1912 trouble is there are other smith clark marriages so hard to tell how many children alfred and hilda had

Me too. I couldn't make head nor tail of who is who and if they relate to each other. Will look with fresh eyes tomorrow. Thank you

Was your dad's birth father prosecuted for bigamy? If he was there may be clues to any other family he may have had in any newspaper reports of the court case.

A few years ago I helped someone whose father had married her mother bigamously.
He was prosecuted and there was a newspaper article about the case which gave us his age and the fact that he was already married with 5 children. This came as a shock to the person I was helping. Her father was arrested before she was born and her mother went back to her family and registered the birth in her maiden name (as obviously the marriage was invalid).

If he was prosecuted you may find something in local papers.

Kath. x

Hi Kath.

Thanks for your message. Dad isn't sure about this. Do you know Where could I find this information ?
Funnily enough though, I can't find any record of grans marriage to Alfred. The certificate of second marriage states she's a spinster. Tbh we didn't know dad actually had a dad until we got the birth certificate. We were Getting prepared for it to say "father Unknown". But there was his name, and he had registered dads birth.
Great gran had let slip a few things to dad, mainly family in Doncaster and his dad was "Derek".

Thanks for your help.

I really must try sleep now, but these thoughts are keeping me awake ! Lol.

Thanks

Ruth x

There is this record on the 1939 Register. Alfred P probably reads Alfred D. He is described as a General Dealer. Joyce has presumably died as Clegg as her record is open.

Smith Household (9 People)
32 Cartwright Street , Doncaster C.B., Yorkshire (West Riding), England
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FIRST NAME(S) LAST NAME(S) DOB SEX OCCUPATION MARITAL STATUS SCHEDULE SCHEDULE SUB NUMBER

Alfred P Smith 31 Mar 1889 Male General Dealer Married 179 1
Hilda Smith 29 May 1895 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 179 2
Joyce M Clegg (Smith) 30 Jun 1920 Female Wrapping Machine Sugar Confectioner Single 179 3
Sorry, this record is officially closed. Check if you can open a closed record.
Sorry, this record is officially closed. Check if you can open a closed record.
Sorry, this record is officially closed. Check if you can open a closed record.
Sorry, this record is officially closed. Check if you can open a closed record.
Sorry, this record is officially closed. Check if you can open a closed record.
Sorry, this record is officially closed. Check if you can open a closed record.

The 6 closed records are hopefully in age order and very fortunately on Find My Past under Yorkshire baptisms, there are (including Joyce) 7 baptisms showing for children of Alfred Dennis Smith and his wife Hilda. They include an Alfred Derek in June1924 b April.
Father is variously described as Dealer/ General Dealer/Hawker/Farmer. Addresses include 8 Chancery Place, and 21 Baker Street.

You can find the births on FMP or freebmd looking from 1920 - 1932. There are 10 showing for Smith/Clark
You can discount the other 1920, the female 1924 and female 1925 by the looks of it.

Prior to 1920 there appear to be only 2 baptisms showing for the couple for a 1913 (Kathleen) and a 1916 birth

It's way past my bedtime, so am not able to check if any have died for sure so will not actually name them for now.

Bear with me and I can jot the names birth and baptism dates down tomorrow unless someone gets in there before me.

Wow. You've done so well. I'll look there when I get home from work. Thank you so much

I believe this would be Rosemary's birth:

Name: Rosemary F Sparling
Mother's Maiden Surname: Linfield
Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1926
Registration district: York
Inferred County: Yorkshire North Riding
Volume Number: 9d
Page Number: 40

NOTE that she is SPARLING not SparKling !!!

and this her parent's marriage:

Marriages Jun 1919 (>99%)
Linfield Rossie Sparling Horsham 2b 937
Sparling Harold S Linfield Horsham 2b 937

FMP has messed up the transcription here for 1939:

Sparling Household (4 People) 51 Shelton Street , York C.B., Yorkshire (West Riding), England
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First name(s) Last name(s) DOB Occupation
Peter H Sparling 26 Nov 1893 Unpaid Domestic Duti
Rosie Sparling 27 Jun 1887 Clerk Of Works
Sorry, this record is officially closed. Check if you can open a closed record.
Sorry, this record is officially closed. Check if you can open a closed record.

NB Peter H should be Harold S and 'he' is the Clerk of works born 27 June 1887 !

Rosie is the one on Unpaid Domestic Duties and born 26th November 1893.

Rosemary will be one of the blocked off ones and the other her older brother born in 1923 (won't post his details as he may be still alive?

The address is actually 57 Clifton !!!

Is the above correct please as it all helps for background details?

Dea x

Sorry it was predictive text. It is sparling.
Grandma passed as way in 2004, her brother Peter passed away many years previous in Bulawayo Zimbabwe

Thanks

I can only find Rosemary wedding to frank Vincent (who later adopted dad). Nothing for her wedding to Alfred. I believed even a bigamist wedding would stay in the registrar ??

Just curious about that second marriage cert - she married as 'Smith' - her 'married name', yet she stated that she was a spinster. - What surname did she give for her father - Smith or Sparling?

Just trying to work out if she did actually marry Mr. Smith, in the absence of a marriage. If there was one and we could find it, it could be very useful to us!!

Perhaps the bigamy had been committed with 2 other ladies and he did not actually 'marry' Rosemary ??

Dea x

Derek Alfred Smith
Year: 1949
Country: England
County: West Yorkshire
Parliamentary Division: Barkston Ash
Place of Abode: 199 Abbots Road
Reference Number: Barkston Ash

Also there Rosemary Frances Smith


Might be worth searching recent ERs using Derek as his first name.

I never found those details during my search. So that's fab.

Her wedding to frank - she was smith, and she'd put her father as "Harold smith". It's all so confusing