Find Ancestors

Hi there You wonderful lot. All is still not clear to me - but the result stands, success!! I am so pleased for you Wanda, I do hope you are on the way to recovery. One of you should write the story up. It would make a great article. Kind regards Jennifer

I would just like to add that Janice is acting rather modestly here.....if it wasnt for her finding the national roll entry we would still be looking for Thomas Mitchell. Let alone all the other hours she has spent looking for births etc. It was all team work, and what a great team they are!

Hey Paul It takes time to read as it as taken time to track, so No Worries, nice to know you were successful as I am sure Wanda will agree. Janice xx

Maybe I should read all pages before opening my stupid mouth I'm made up for you Paul

Hey Paul Who's disheartened, WE ARE OVER THE MOON. Janice x

DON'T get disheatened I didn't know my Grandparents names or where they come from but thanks to the kind Genes people I now know them and generations before them just give them your details someone will come good Paul

Bless you Janice,just saw your reply and Jennifer it just wasnt Thomas Mitchell they found but also my grandad who Mary Ellen was with after Thomas.I have so much to look forward to and through this have traced my family back to the 1841 census,something I never thought I could achieve.I have been ill as Janice said,I had a heart attack last week so all this news has really made my day.Was due to go on my hols but ended up in coronary care.The team work on this has been fantastic and I said to Willow how good it would have been for all the exchanges of info to have been on here but as she said no one would have been able to keep up!!.Thank you for following it.Glad it was of interest to you.Love Wanda.xx

Hi Jennifer Excuse me replying for Wanda, but she has been ill. Yes, he is buried in Scotland, and Denis is going to take photographs of the grave for Wanda. He did not die in Gallipolli although the ROLL shows him as doing so. Just one of those things where information is misconstrued. Willow located records which positvely identify Thomas Mitchell as the first Husband of Mary Ellen. Everything has now fallen into place and Wanda is Over the Moon. Willow & Denis have worked hard to verify the information on Thomas Mitchell which I found. A great result. Janice xx

I have followed this and have just seen the 'thankyou' from Wanda. The outcome was not clear to me - who was the right soldier? Was there only one, was he from Hulme, was he buried in Scotland? I would love to know!! It was fascinating and yes, you were all wonderful. Very well done and congratulations. Jennifer

Hi Wanda Just to bring this back up the board and say that Wanda has now brought a new thread of update to the board. Harold Brierley Records now located at Kew BY Willow. Thomas Mitchell records also found by Willow and thanks to Denis photographs of the place where he is laid to rest will soon be with Wanda. A Wonderful result and success at the end of the day, and Wanda now has many documents of information to confirm her ancestry and solve the mystery. So pleased the result is so good. Janice x

Hi Wanda Denis has been busy checking the FORUMS for expert advise and has been kind enough to keep me in the picture and I am sure he has been keeping you informed as well. We are pinning our hopes on Willow at Kew to turn up some news to solve this mystery. So we have not gone off the boil or forgotten you. Denis is still racking his brains. Love Janice xx

Denis you say that family will have submitted this info.Was this something they had to do or was it a voluntary thing.Where would they have got the details to send it to or was it a form that was sent to all bereaved families.Would Mary Ellen as the widow have done this and would there be a record of her submission somewhere not just the entry on the National Roll? Sorry for all the questions but I am mesmerized by this.Wanda.x Update..Just seen on page 4 where you say entries by subscription...is that now or has it always been...

Willow If you check page four I think it is of this thread, you will see we looked at Census for Thomas Mitchell & his Parents John & Mary. There is a match for his family with him aged nine years on page four. Which is probably what Denis meant by throwing a Spanner in the Works with the Thomas Mitchell records with Father listed as Edwin. I have looked at CWGC site and see what both you and Denis are battling against locating Thomas Mitchell death in 1915 listed as residing at 8 Back Pump Street, Hulme, Manchester. Also understand what Denis means about Family submitting the information, it is there because the family probably submitted it. None the less, he is dead, and they would not have submitted this information if he was not? So somewhere there must be an official record of his death, and what happened to him after death, where he was buried etc? Still hoping that you and Denis can locate something further to clear up this Mystery. Janice x

Thomas Mitchells father was John Mitchell deceased on the marraige cert in 1914.Just looked at the daughter Marys birth cert as she was born April 1914 a month after they got married.Thomas Mitchells occupation is now general labourer(he was a newsagent on marraige cert) Just thought Id mention it.Wanda.x

Hiya, Yep I have asked for help on here and various other boards, but have not been able to locate him, he is very elusive and doesnt wish to be found. He was a theatre person, so perhaps that adds to the problems. regards, Siobhan P.S I hope you find your grandfather

Hi Wanda Did you say you had the marriage certificate for Mary and Thomas Mitchell? if so does it state what Thomas's fathers name is? Also have you heard anymore from the home?

Siobhan,The people on here are miracle workers thats all I can say.Having the war records checked so that is the next goal.I was going round in circles and perhaps worded it wrong everytime I tried to get help.I just thought what the heck and asked about the proffesional help and got so much positve feedback from the people on here and assurance that there is a way.Have you tried to ask them for help for your g.grandfather cos believe me if anyone can find them they can! Good luck with your search and thanks for responding.Wanda.x

I wouldn't rule out professional help altogether. Although they do have access to the same records as us, they have years of experience behind them and may know where to look where you perhaps may not have tried and don't forget that not every record is online. Some you do have to go to record offices and libraries etc for. If you do decide to go down the professional route though, I would suggest you make sure that they are a reputable source. Anthony Adolph does researching for difficult to find ancestors. Not sure on what he's fees are, but if you contact him, I am sure he will give you an approximate quote. It really depends on how long you have been stuck for, if you are prepared to wait a while a research a little bit longer, you may actually find him yourself. If you have however been searching for years with still no luck, then the professional approach might be for you. I have been trying to find my great grandfather for years now, and have still not go any closer to finding him, so I know how frustrating it is. I may just have to get a professional researcher myself. As I cannot think of any other avenues to look into. regards, Siobhan

Hi,not ignoring you Dennis and Willow but as I said I know nothing of the military side of things.Have looked at the sites myself but find it a bit confusing,only through time and patience will I probably understand.Please continue and help me on this.If there is a muddle of records then fine.Did wonder if Thomas Mitchell was injured and was brought back to die at home??? Only guesswork...Thank you both for this and have sent Janice medal card and Leos Birth cert so she can see the address is the same.If you require ANY info off me just ask and I will send.THANKS.Wanda.xx

Hi again Having looked further at the Medal Card and taken other views on what it reveals it is clear that Thomas (ie died 1916, buried Glasgow) served in the Gallipoli area (ie code 2b). It looks as though he arrived there just as the Gallipoli campaign was called off (end of 1915). Perhaps he returned to the Carlisle Depot then. Or was he taken ill, injured or whatever at some point in the period between end of December 1915 and June 1916 and died in one of the big Glasgow Military Hospitals? I agree with Janice that all the evidence points to Thomas (d1915) being the right one. What I mean by that is that whoever paid to have that entry placed in the National Roll and chose that wording intended it to refer to the Thomas we are looking for. Whether the information contained in the entry is accurate is quite another matter. I have seen other entries in the same publication described as fiction. The fact that there is no official death record nor any commemoration by the CWGC places a big question mark over this entry. Not many other places left to look now but I would like to try to take this a little further if possible. Denis.