How can I discover more about my German ancestors and why they came to England?
Can you tell me anything about these two soldiers?
QMy family originally fled from Prussia. I have a birth certificate for Margaret Dorothy Amaly, born 30 August 1895 at 57 Market Street, Watford, Hertfordshire. Her father was Adolf Emil Edward Weller, a wine and spirit merchant, and her mother Gertrude Bertha Weller, formerly Rosensteil. I also have a Watford Cemetery deed for a grave space dated 29 June 1898. Where can I find out more?
Zoe Dye
AI found this family in the 1901 census at 8 Market Street, Watford: Gertrude Weller, 43, widow, wine and spirit merchant, born Germany, naturalised British Subject; Clara, 18, and Hans, 13, born Germany; and Margaret, 5, born Watford. Adolf must have died. As Gertrude was a naturalised British Subject, I found the certificate on Ancestry ( ancestry.co.uk). It was granted on 12 January 1897 to Adolphus Emil Weller of 57 Market Street, Watford. He was born in Potsdam, near Berlin, son of John Albrecht and Dorothea Fredericke Weller, both of Prussia. Adolphus was 40, a wine merchant and married with three children living with him – Clara, 14; Hans, nine; and Margaret, one.
To apply to be naturalised, Adolf must have been resident in the UK since 1891. Since the two oldest children were born in Germany, the family probably left there after 1888. So it seems they were not forced to flee; probably they thought that prospects were brighter in England. More information will be in his Home Office file: HO144/399/B21996 at The National Archives in Kew.
Adolf did not have long to enjoy his new status, as he died on 8 May 1898, aged 42. That fits well with his widow’s purchase of the burial plot in June. I also found Gertrude’s will, dated 28 August 1934.
I checked on Ancestry and found the certificate of their marriage in Berlin on 3 March 1879 listing Adolph Eduard Emil Weller, born 15 Novemer 1855, son of Johann Albrecht Weller and Louise Dorothee Friedericke Weller, married Bertha Gertrude Rosensteil, born 2 April 1857, daughter of Adolph and Adelheid Rosensteil.
QI’m looking for advice in the search for my great great grandfather Daniel Melville Crawford, born 21 November 1881 in Greenock, Scotland. He married Catherine Barclay on 29 August 1913 in Greenock. He appears to have gone AWOL sometime after 1915 after the birth of their third child (his name is on the birth certificate). I have already tried the Commonwealth War Graves Commission ( org) and the ScotlandsPeople website ( scotlandspeople.gov.uk). Ian Stables
AScotlandsPeople reveals that Catherine Barclay and Daniel Melville Crawford had a son after the war named Daniel Melville Crawford, born at 4.15am on 27 September 1919 at 77 Regent Street, Greenock, with his father noted as a plumber by trade and Daniel’s mother registering the birth. This is the correct couple, as the record notes their marriage in West Greenock on 29 August 1913. Catherine died on 27 August 1954 at 7 Cardross Road, Greenock, and was noted in her death record as being married to Daniel Melville Crawford, plumber, which seems to confirm that he was still alive – or at least as far as the informant to the registrar believed.
In 1919, Catherine was resident at 77 Regent Street. In the 1920 valuation roll a year later (also on ScotlandsPeople) no trace of a Daniel Crawford can be found on that street, or indeed anywhere in Renfrewshire. A record of a Catherine Crawford is noted at 25 Regent Street, and as a widow, but the 1915 valuation roll shows that she is similarly designated at the same address, which would seem to eliminate her as Daniel’s wife.
Three other Catherine Crawfords are listed in Greenock on the 1920 roll, which may be worth consulting, and the 1921 census will hopefully provide further information on Catherine when released on ScotlandsPeople in 2021. Post Office directories for Greenock for 1923–1924, 1930, 1938 and 1940 (available at archive.org/details/ scottishdirectories) equally show no sign of Daniel.
The British Newspaper Archive
Below: Daniel and Catherine got married in 1913 Bottom: it appears that Daniel was still alive when his wife died in 1954
( britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk – also available via findmypast.co.uk) yields no further information on Daniel after 1919, but the Greenock Telegraph from 29 November 1901 notes that he was involved in an accident as a plumber, losing the sight in one eye after a bolt flew up and struck him. The article notes that he worked for Messrs Scott & Co, and that he resided at 22 Inverkip Street. Records for Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Co Ltd, Greenock, are in the Scottish Business Archive at the University of Glasgow Archive Services ( gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/ archivespecialcollections), which may be worth contacting. Holdings are described at gla.ac.uk/media/ Media_60314_smxx.pdf.
If Daniel continued to work in shipbuilding, he may have travelled to other centres such as Belfast or Barrowin-Furness so check for death records from the respective General Register Offices for Northern Ireland ( geni. nidirect.gov.uk) and England ( https:// www.gro.gov.uk). It is also possible that Daniel travelled overseas to seek work, in which case it would be worth exploring the ‘UK and Ireland, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890–1960’ collection on Ancestry ( ancestry.co.uk).
If Catherine was abandoned by Daniel, she may have sought poor relief, but Poor Law records for Greenock have sadly not survived. If her children made applications elsewhere, however, these may yield further information on Daniel.
Finally, Greenock hospital records may be worth consulting at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Archives ( gla.ac.uk/ myglasgow/archivespecialcollections/ nhsgreaterglasgowandclyde). Chris Paton
QCan you help me with some photographs in an old family album? Two are of soldiers. If I knew the regiments and approximate year it might help me work out who they are. Janet Jacob
AThese photographs depict two Welsh Regiment soldiers, both photographed in a studio, but at least a generation apart. The earlier one, with the spiked helmet, dates from the 1880s and is probably a Rifle Volunteer. The other dates from approximately the First World War.
The earlier soldier is probably a member of V Company, 2nd Admin Battalion, the Glamorganshire Volunteers (originally formed as the 19th Company in Pontypridd). In 1887 the battalion became 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion, Welsh Regiment. Volunteer soldier records are sparse (many were destroyed in 1940 in the big fire in London), but nominal rolls and other material may survive locally in record offices, or with the Regimental Museum of the Royal Welsh at Brecon ( royalwelsh.org.uk) into which the Welsh Regiment was amalgamated. Local newspapers often covered the Volunteers (good for local sales!) so an online search, or checking copies in local libraries, may prove fruitful. The second soldier is a Welsh (later Welch) Regiment corporal. He looks very smart and hasn’t removed the stiffeners from his cap, suggesting that he has yet to go on active service. If you have a name, try searching for it and “Welsh Regiment” in quotation marks using the online catalogue of The National Archives (TNA) at Kew: discovery. nationalarchives.gov.uk. You can use the regimental number(s) located to find his Medal Index Card and medal roll(s) on Ancestry ( ancestry.co.uk) and look for further information, such as battalion and (occasionally) a home address.
Phil Tomaselli
1 CAP BADGE
This shows the Prince of Wales’ feathers above a crown with a scroll saying “Ich Dien” around it and a scroll beneath with the words “The Welsh”. It seems to be white metal, so he may be a former Volunteer serving in the Territorial Force.
2 STRIPES
His corporal’s stripes are visible, but he has something on a chain (a whistle?) in his breast pocket indicating authority.
3 HELMET
The dark-blue pointed helmet was introduced in 1878. The spike indicates he’s an infantryman. By the 1880s, the Volunteers were associated with the local regiment and the badge should indicate which, but unfortunately it isn’t clear.
4 CUFFS AND COLLAR
The jacket cuffs and collar are white, worn by English and Welsh regiments. The pointed cuff, with Austrian knot visible above, indicates a Volunteer part-time soldier.
5 PHOTOGRAPHER
As part-timers, Volunteers lived at home. This means that the photographer was probably local.