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Re his service record -
I'm sure it 's been said already in one or other thread, that huge numbers of WW1 records have not survived.

Link to the 2014 thread:

https://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards/board/genealogy_chat/thread/1344247

It's all very confusing.

I wish I knew how much of Susan's info is provably correct, and how much might have just been assumed to be correct, maybe from online searches or other people's trees.

There were so many John MacDonalds (and other spelling) born around that time -
and at any other time too.

When I used to work in a Scottish hospital, there were far and away more casenotes for men named John MacDonald than for any other name.

If he was definitely called John Henderson M*Donald, and definitely born in Scotland, then the 1889 birth in Tarbert is the only one.

The change to the 1939 register is not necessarily correct.

He is on the 1891 census ….see the 2014 thread which can be found by putting’Thorncliffe’ in advanced search

A correction to a date or other detail just depends on when the authorities became aware of a mistake in the original info.

As it was done in 1945, maybe it's something to do with his army record - just a guess/suggestion.

If John's daughter knows about the Cleethorpes hotel from family information, then I suppose that must be the right man!
The hotel name is only partly visible on the 1939 image, as a bit of the page has been torn off.
It was in Grimsby Road.

When did he die? Might be helpful in establishing his YOB - though age info at death is only as good as the informant's knowledge.

ErikaH- Thank you .

Quick resume.....

1915 Marries Florence in September of this year
1915 Listed as 2nd Canadian Contingent on Marriage Cert
1921 Birmingham working in Brewery
1939 Hotel Manager, Cleethorpes

I wonder if this is one of those " the husband went abroad with intentions to call for the wife in old country later" scenario's

In 1921, he is in Birmingham with first wife Florence…….employed by Mitchell & Butlers (Brewery)

ErikaH- OP tells me John is her father and that he was divorced from the 1915 bride by 1939 and had taken up Hotel Mangagement. She even identified the Hotel by name.

I can only go with what I'm told......

Don't know anything about the second marriage. My only interest was the Military aspect of her request for information.

What was his declared occupation when he married in 1940 in Hull district

You refer to a post-war record showing him to be divorced, but I can’t see one………perhaps I need Specsavers

Would a motor mechanic realistically change to hotel management?

ErikaH- thank you for the head's up...

AG- Would you mind checking the Canada Incoming record for the alternative DOB from the 1939 Register? Thank you.

You may benefit from reading through the 2014 thread……………..

Erika H - you are correct re GR member .Regarding adding info to original request, I had hoped Ancestry would have returned one simple result. DOB matched Name . That would have been the end of my quest....

AG- The 1939 Register you spoke of is the record referenced. Thank you for interpreting the alteration on the record. Could you school me on why the alteration would have taken 6 years before it was changed?? I will have to enquire re Birth Cert

Wouldn’t it have been better to add this to the original request?

There was a thread in 2014 posted by Susan who cancelled her membership, and another more recent one, by Susan Macdonald who ignored request to return to her thread. Thorncliffe rang very loud bells with me. I suspect there was another thread…..now deleted as there is no mention of Thorncliffe in Susan Macdonald’s post mentioned above

EDITED

I can answer one of my own questions……he was said on 2014 thread to be a motor mechan

While looking for John MacDonalds earlier this morning, I found that 1939 entry, but discounted it because of the middle initial which you hadn't mentioned before.

However - now posting for helpers' benefit:

John H Macdonald
in the 1939 England and Wales Register
Name John H Macdonald
Gender Male
Marital Status Married <<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Birth Date 26 May 1889 [26 May 1895]
Residence Date 1939
Address ??leys Hotel Grinby St. [ Grimsby Road on image ]
Residence Place Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire (Parts of Lindsey), England
Occupation Hotel Manager
Line Number 35
Schedule Number 40
Sub Schedule Number 1
Enumeration District Tmdn
Borough Cleethorpes
Registration district 422a-1
Household Members (Name) Gender Birth Year
John H Macdonald Male 1889
This record is officially closed.
[Plus several unrelated hotel guests ]

It should be noted that the image shows that the DOB was altered/corrected in 1945, to 26 May 1895.

What DOB does the birth cert show?


If altered DOB is correct, there's this possible birth for the man in Cleethorpes:

MACDONALD
JOHN HAMILTON
M
1895
685 / 4 / 109
St Giles

I am trying to help out a GR member who has previously asked for help locating a military record in Canada for JOHN HENDERSON MACDONALD Dob as given.

The GR member has the family history , it's only the Military record they would like resolved.

I have Ancestry (Non-Worldwide) Find My Past and Fold3 subs.

I have looked at this record for MacDonalds and variations, including a DOB search incase the spelling(s) was incorrect. There was no exact match.

https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Home/Search?DataSource=Genealogy|Military|PfFww&LastName=MacDonald&

I think with certainty that the GR member's relation IS NOT

MACDONALD John Henderson
SS/123784
51351/ N/N
1/N/7404

This man was Royal Navy from Edinburgh.

GR members relation has a marriage certificate which reads" Private, second Canadian contingent. Dibgate barracks, Thorncliffe". He was married in September 1915, by 1939 he is divorced (see Post war entry below)

So the theory being, the Canadian reference on his marriage certificate means he was serving with them and not attached to them as a member of UK forces.
Googling Dibgate shows this to a staging/training area for Canadian forces before deployment.

Post war John MacDonald is a Hotel Manager in Cleethorpes on the 1939 Register.

His movements apart from the Canadian aspect are known to the GR member as is his Birth,Death, Marriage etc etc

There is no information as to whether he was alone or not when he travelled

I have found records of the following man

MacDonald, John H
Regiment
Royal Garrison Artillery, Labour Corps
Regiment Number
102736, 447663

and
National Archives
WO 372/12/214857
(same soldier as above)

and (again below)

First name(s) J H
Disharge date 24 Oct 1918
Last name Macdonald
Archive The National Archives
Birth year 1885
Series description War Office: First World War Representative Medical Records of Servicemen
Age 33
Piece MH 106/995
Admission year 1918
Register type Hospital admission and discharge registers
Admission date 16 Oct 1918
Description British other ranks, Royal Marines, Chinese Labour Corps, Royal Naval Division and operations.
Hospital 2nd General Hospital
Record year range 1918 Sept. 23-Oct. 18
Company / squadron 94 Div

GR member confirms John's WW1 are lost so there is no way of confirming his Service number from the British War Medal 1914-1920 and the Victory Medal 1914-1919.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AG- My result page lists several John ( with and without middle names and letters) MacDonald on the All Canada, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1865-1935.

The result headers are listed , as posted, and the results are all redacted/obscured

ErikaH- Born Scotland DOB as given
GR member;s Marriage Certificate 1915 is the last documentary evidence she
spoke of regarding John's presence in the UK

I had considered John would have been @26 yrs old in 1915. The 1st Canadian Division (the first CEF soldiers in battle ) went to France early in 1915. He was Second Contingent.


Consideration was given to the following:
Likelyhood that he could have been permitted leave to marry in England, if serving, whilst living in Canada? Not very likely.

Could he have been in England, training, and was married before he left for the Front? This seems more probable. Short romance???

British officer attached to 2 CEF (as mentioned earlier). Officer weren't given Service numbers and there would still be a UK service record (potentially)

I haven't found a WW1 service for John in the UK and I am aware of the WO 363 Burnt Document records and the 40% losses incurred in the 1940 bombing.


I had hoped a nice easy single hit (result) from the Incoming Passenger list, would have saved from an RSI typing (not likely) !!!!!

To those contributors past and future, thank you for your assitance as it is much appreciated.

Where was he born?

When and where is the last DEFINITE sighting of him in the UK?

When - or even why - was he thought to have emigrated?

Would he have been alone?

If adult, what was his occupation ?

I don't see any immigration record for a John Macdonald (or other spelling) with that specific DOB on Ancestry.

Does it actually give the DOB on the record you're looking at?


EDIT:
Ah, I suppose it doesn't, as you say," I was hoping the result page would match the Birth Date exactly".

What exactly does the result you're looking at say?

Shirley
Thank you. I have an Ancestry sub, but it does not allow me to access Worldwide records.(blurred results) The result page I am looking at has the following sub-headings

View Record Name Birth Date Arrival Date Final Destination View Images

I don't require any other research completed on this person otherwise. I was hoping the result page would match the Birth Date exactly and make for a quick turnaround.