Genealogy Chat

Help! We are stuck up a gum tree trying to trace my wife's grandfather, James Henry Hayes. Willian Henry Hayes (d1972) always told his wife and daughter that his father's name was James Henry. WH also said that his father had at some time changed his (JH's) name some time after immigration into this country from Germany. Further, WH always said that JH was killed in 1916 at the battle of the Somme during WW1. JH's name does not appear on WH's birth certificate, but is on WH's marriage certificate. The story is further complicated by the fact that JH married one Alic Hayes, an odd but not unknown coincidence to marry someone of the same surname. We have not been able to confirm or deny this marriage. We have only two poor quality photographs of JH, both in uniform, but no amount of playing with the scanned images has revealed JH's regiment. Now the CWGC site has revealed one JH Hayes, of the Royal Artillery, killed at Ypres in 1917. Where do we go? National Record office to find his service record? But what if his record does not exist, since a significant number of such records were lost during WW2.

If the father's name is not on WH's birth cert, then this would generally indicate that his parents were not married at the time. Might also explain why the mother's maiden name was the same as his name (Hayes) - i.e. if he was illegitimate, he would have been registered under his mother's name. Quite often, a father was ''invented'' when a marriage cert was filled in, so as not to have to admit to being illegitimate. Not saying that this was necessarily the case in this instance, but is something that you should investigate. Richard

You can search the WW1 medal cards at the National Archives online at http://www.documentsonline.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ but there are hundreds of James Hayes on there, and about a dozen James Henry Hayes and about another dozen James H Hayes. Still, if you went to the National Archives I think that is where you would have to start anyway. Good luck! Kate.

Were you thinking that the marriage between JH and Alice took place after your wife's father's birth? It would be very unusual for his name to be missing from your father-in-law's birth certificate if they were a married couple. What is the exact wording for the mother's details on the birth certificate? Sarah

Ian I have a marrage certificate where the father's name was definately invented. The groom's birth certificate shows him registered under his mothers name, born in the workhouse and no details of father given. Yet on his marriage certificate a fictitious name is provided for father, made up of his mothers maiden name & the surname of the man his mother later married. Also, have a look at www*1914-1918*net. There seems to be quite a lot of info & I have had really good response to queries on their message boards - I had limited info from CWGC & someone looked up on the SDGW CD & was able to tell me when they enlisted, where they were born & next of kin. Hope you're lucky, Helen