Military Chat

Is it possible for someone to help regarding the item below. I wondered if WO97 is a service number. Can’t find a date of death for him.
Many thanks


Alexander Nightingale
British Army Service Records
Collections from
Great Britain, England
Birth Year
1881
Birth Country
England
Birth Parish
Preston
Regiment
Hussars
Series
WO 97

No that's the archive number but I have found this info. with his army number 5361

First Name Alexander
Last name Nightingale
Birth year 1881
Birth parish Preston
Birth town Preston
Birth county Lancashire
Birth country England
Service number 5361
Regiment Hussars
Year 1900
Attestation date 11 Sep 1900
Attestation age years 19
Attestation service number 5361
Attestation corps Hussars
Discharge corps Hussars
Document type Attestation
Series Wo 97 - Chelsea Pensioners British Army Service Records 1760-1913
Archive
The National Archives
Archive reference WO 97


Attestation papers are in Fold 3 Ancestry. I don't have a subscription to Fold 3 - sorry. More info about him in the document if you can get to read it. May be free weekends coming up to allow you to see the document.

Name: Alexander Nightingale
Enlistment Age: 19
Birth Date: abt 1881
Birth Place: Preston Lore
Enlistment Year: 1900
Regiment: Hrs of the Line
Regimental Number: 18h/5361
Attestation Paper: Yes

WW1 is this the same person??????Difficult to say if this is the same person, ? transferred or reenlisted at the start of WW1 or a different person? Trouble is over 70% of the WW1 service documents destroyed in the bombing of WW2.

First name(s) Alexander
Last name Nightingale
Year 1914-20
Service number L/8344
Rank Sergeant
Regiment Royal Field Artillery
Service record Soldier Number: L/8344, Rank: Sergeant, Corps: Royal Field Artillery
Image link
Country Great Britain
Medal type British Army Medal Index Cards, 1914-1920
Archive reference WO372/14

Entitled to all 3 medals in France in 1915

EDIT found this

Name: Alexander Nightingale
Gender: Male
Birth Date: abt 1884
Enlistment Age: 31
Marriage Date: 1 Jan 1905
Marriage Place: Fulwood Ch Preston
Document Year: 1915
Residence Place: 12 Hillside Avenue, Darwen
Regimental Number: L8344
Regiment Name: Royal Field Artillery
Number of Images: 27
Form Title: Short Service Attestation


Family Members:
Name Relation to Soldier
Alexander Nightingale Self (Head)
??Y Ward Spouse
Mark Nightingale Child

Badly burned attestation papers so not is Fold 3 - not been in the the services prior to February 1915 so a different Alexander

another WW1 Alexander Nightingale

rst name(s) Alexander
Last name Nightingale
Year 1914-20
Service number 119547
Rank Gunner
Regiment Royal Garrison Artillery
Service record Soldier Number: 119547, Rank: Gunner, Corps: Royal Garrison Artillery
Image link
Country Great Britain
Medal type British Army Medal Index Cards, 1914-1920
Archive reference WO372/14

re opening post
father martin
mother margaret
address 133 brook street preston

dischared 14/12/00 looks like he lied about his age

Alexander
Last name Nightingale
Birth year 1881
Birth parish Preston
Birth town Preston
Birth county Lancashire
Birth country England
Service number 5361
Regiment Hussars
Year 1900
Attestation date 11 Sep 1900
Attestation age years 19
Attestation service number 5361
Attestation corps Hussars
Discharge corps Hussars
Document type Attestation

Record Transcription:
1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census

133, Brook Street, Preston, Lancashire, England

Members that resided in the household at the time of the census.
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Sex Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
Mark Nightingale Head Married Male 45 1856 Grocer Preston, Lancashire, England
Margaret Nightingale Wife Married Female 46 1855 - Preston, Lancashire, England
Mary Nightingale Daughter Single Female 21 1880 Grocer's Shop Assistant Preston, Lancashire, England
Alexander Nightingale Son Single Male 17 1884 Carter On Farm Preston, Lancashire, England
Ann Nightingale Daughter - Female 13 1888 - Preston, Lancashire, England
Margaret Nightingale Daughter - Female 7 1894 - Preston, Lancashire, England

Alexander
Last name Nightingale
Gender Male
Birth year -
Birth place -
Baptism year 1883
Baptism date 14 Oct 1883
Residence Preston, Lancashire, England
Place Preston
County Lancashire
Country England
Father's first name(s) Mark
Father's last name Nightingale
Mother's first name(s) Margaret

ALEXANDER
Last name NIGHTINGALE
Gender Male
Birth day 13
Birth month 9
Birth year 1883
Age -
Death quarter 2
Death year 1971
District Blackburn
County Lancashire
Volume 10B
Page 836

In that case the 2nd looks the correct info. He may have lied about trying to sign up before. His DOB is abt 1884 so could be 1883.

Check out the 2nd one as he has a son Mark your Alexander had father Mark, and if yours died near Blackburn then the 2nd Alexander came from that area.

As I see it Alexander tried to get in the army, failed because of age but later joined and went through WW1 from Feb. 1915 attaining the rank of Sgt. and earning Pip, Squeak and Wilfred medals, nicknames given to three WWI campaign medals: the 1914-15 Star; the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

following on from PatinPuss
1911
Name: Alexander Nightingale
Age in 1911: 27
Estimated birth year: abt 1884
Relation to Head: Head
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Preston, Lancashire, England
Civil Parish: Darwen
Search Photos: Search for 'Darwen' in the UK City, Town and Village Photos collection
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England
Street address: 12 Hillside Avenue Darwen Lancs England
Marital status: Married ----- 6 years
Occupation: Goods Carter
Registration district: Blackburn
Registration District Number: 474
Sub-registration district: Darwen
ED, institution, or vessel: 25
Piece: 25162
Household Members:
Name Age
Alexander Nightingale 27
Mary Nightingale 25
Elsie Nightingale 5
Mark Nightingale 4
Agnes Ward 51 ------ mother in law

NIGHTINGALE, MARK WARD
GRO Reference: 1907 M Quarter in BLACKBURN Volume 08E Page 445

1939
Name: Alexander Nightingale
Gender: Male
Marital status: Married
Birth Date: 13 Sep 1882
Residence Year: 1939
Address: 94
Residence Place: Darwen, Lancashire, England
Occupation: Heavy Motor Driver
Schedule Number: 62
Sub Schedule Number: 1
Enumeration District: NUFN
Registration district: 474 A 4
Inferred Spouse: Mary Nightingale
Inferred Children: Amy Nightingale
Household Members:
Name
Alexander Nightingale
Mary Nightingale
Amy Nightingale

Name: Amy Nightingale
Registration Date: Oct 1919
[Nov 1919]
[Dec 1919]
Registration Quarter: Oct-Nov-Dec
Registration district: Blackburn
Inferred County: Lancashire
Mother's Maiden Name: Ward
Volume Number: 8e
Page Number: 728

Thank you both for your replies. Unfortunately I’m not sure if any of them belong to me.
Alexander was the son of Joseph Nightingale and Mary (nee Barnes) who married in Preston Lancashire 1870.

The marriage in 1905 is for an Alexander Nightingale and Mary Ward at Christ Church, Fulwood. Although he lived in Darwen, Fulwood had and still has a large army barracks. According to the records he was born in 1884. I know that birth dates often vary by a few years which can be confusing.

The name Alexander Nightingale was quite a common name in the area at the time. Why, oh why didn’t parents give all children a second Christian name. It would be much easier for the likes of us.

Very grateful that you took time to look for me.

Alexander
Last name Nightingale
Gender Male
Birth year -
Birth place -
Baptism year 1880
Baptism date 10 Oct 1880
Residence Preston, Lancashire, England
Place Preston
County Lancashire
Country England
Father's first name(s) Joseph
Father's last name Nightingale
Mother's first name(s) Mary
Mother's last name -

Drapers Shop, 56, Brook Street, Preston, Lancashire, England

First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Sex Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
Joseph Nightingale Head Married Male 34 1847 Hosier & Draper Preston, Lancashire, England
Mary Nightingale Wife Married Female 32 1849 - Preston, Lancashire, England
Mary Nightingale Daughter Single Female 9 1872 Scholar Preston, Lancashire, England
William Henry Nightingale Son Single Male 6 1875 Scholar Preston, Lancashire, England
Martha Nightingale Daughter Single Female 3 1878 Scholar Preston, Lancashire, England
Alexander Nightingale Son Single Male 0 1881 - Preston, Lancashire, England

1939
Wells household
(6 people)
First name(s) Last name(s) DOB Sex Occupation Marital status Schedule Schedule Sub Number
Leonard William Wells 11 May 1905 Male Decorator Married 17 1
Edith Alice Wells 11 Dec 1904 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 17 2
Alexander Nightingale 08 Sep 1880 Male Decorator Widowed 17 3
Sidney Stopford 21 Aug 1904 Male Progress Clerk Married 17 4
Margaret Stoppard 17 Mar 1908 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 17 5
Marian Margaret Crowther (Stoppard) 25 Mar 1935 Female Under School Age Single 17 6

Name: Alexander Nightingale
Death Date: 21 Mar 1950
Death Place: Lancashire, England
Probate Date: 7 Jun 1950
Probate Registry: Lancaster, England

beneficeries are Margaret Stoppard and Edith Alice Wells

OR
1939
Name: Alexander Nightingale
Gender: Male
Marital status: Married
Birth Date: 9 Oct 1877
Residence Year: 1939
Address: 66
Residence Place: Preston, Lancashire, England
Occupation: Traffic Manager Engineer
Schedule Number: 370
Sub Schedule Number: 1
Enumeration District: NMOD
Registration district: 476/2
Inferred Spouse: Elizabeth Nightingale
Inferred Children: William Nightingale
Household Members:
Name
Alexander Nightingale
Elizabeth Nightingale born 1885
William Nightingale born 1909

nothing comes up under military for birth 1880 / 81 except for the person in the openng post

1911

13 Garden Walk Ashton on Ribble Preston Lancashire, Preston, Lancashire, England

First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Sex Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
Alexander Nightingale Head Married Male 33 1878 Clerk Employed By Electric Tramcar Builders Preston County of Lancaster
Elizabeth Nightingale Wife Married Female 25 1886 - Preston County of Lancaster
William Clifford Nightingale Son - Male 2 1909 - Preston County of Lancaster

married elizabeth Bull / Balll 1907

1881
Alexander Nightingale
Relationship to Head: Son
Father: Joseph Nightingale
Mother: Mary Nightingale
Gender: Male
Where born: Preston, Lancashire, England
Civil Parish: Preston
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England
Street address: 56 Brook St Drapers Shop
Education:

Employment status:

View image
Registration district: Preston
Sub registration district: St Peter
ED, institution, or vessel: 2
Neighbors:
Piece: 4232
Folio: 77
Page Number: 45
Household Members:
Name Age
Joseph Nightingale 34
Mary Nightingale 32
Mary Nightingale 9
William Henry Nightingale 6
Martha Nightingale 3
Alexander Nightingale

Thanks for all the information. You’ve worked hard.

The 1881 census is the right Alexander as it also mentions his siblings and the address 56, Brook Street, Preston is in the area I would expect it to be.

The 1911 census shows an Alexander born 1878 but according the Lancashire records no one registered that year only 1876, 77 and 79 plus my Alexander in 1880 so I’m still not sure.

The 1939 record for the Wells family might be him as Edith Alice Wells was nee Nightingale and I thought he might be living with his daughter and son in law plus the year of birth is correct.
Edith Alices mother was Eva nee Winnett and she married Alexander in Garstang Lancashire 1903.
According to records Eva died in 1936 in Preston so that would fit in with the 1939 register.

Still not sure but getting nearer.

to sum up

christened 1880 preston to joseph and mary
1881 living at brook street with parents
1891 living with parents at brook street
1901 living at durban house broughton with parents, house painter
1911 with wife eva
Alexander Nightingale
Age in 1911: 30
Estimated birth year: abt 1881
Relation to Head: Head
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Preston, Lancashire, England
Civil Parish: Preston
Search Photos: Search for 'Preston' in the UK City, Town and Village Photos collection
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England
Street address: 19 Eldon Street Preston
Marital status: Married
Occupation: Master Painter (House) ---------------
Registration district: Preston
Registration District Number: 476
Sub-registration district: North Preston
ED, institution, or vessel: 9
Piece: 25282
Household Members:
Name Age
Alexander Nightingale 30
Eva Nightingale 33
Edith Alice Nightingale 6
Margaret Nightingale 3
Elizabeth Raby 68

1939 as above with married daughter Edith Alice

and probate as above

Name: Alexander Nightingale
Death Age: 69
Birth Date: abt 1881
Registration Date: Jan 1950
[Feb 1950]
[Mar 1950]
Registration Quarter: Jan-Feb-Mar
Registration district: Amounderness
Inferred County: Lancashire
Volume: 10b
Page: 62

hope that makes sense

You are brilliant. Yes it does make sense.

Im sure that the Margaret Stoppard in 1939 should read Margaret Stopford as she was Edith Alice’s sister and married Sydney or Sidney Stopford in 1933 at Preston.
Whoever transcribed the 1939 register must have made a mistake.
The parents of Sydney or Sidney were George Stopford and Mary Green who married in Preston 1902.

At last I feel I have the right family.
Many thanks

:-)