I'm not giving up!

[Dizzi R.I.P.]

VERY LONG SHOT

COULD HE REALY BE
ERNEST WILLIAM HEARGRAVES

[Mary in Oz]

Eric.. Found in the 1911 census a Ernest Hargraves age 27 married to a Mary Hargraves age 26 living Haslinton Lancs, They have Ernests mother living with them and she is a Mary and a widow,age 48..I know he said he was born Linc. but Linc and lanc are nearly the same and the record clerk might have got it wrong.

Now Ernest and wife Mary have been married 5 years and had 4 children who all died.. I am wondering if this might be our Ernest and he might have taken off to Australia leaving wife and mother to fend for themselves. His marriage cert showes his name as just Ernest without the Macquillan bit so he might have added that later, in case he didnt get a divorce from his first wife and could be up for bigamy.A good reason to change your name. Sure it wouldnt be the first time this was done.
Just something else to ponder on.. pity he didnt have a really strange name and it would be a lot easier to sort him out..

A tree on Ancestry has a copy of the marriage cert.

[Dizzi R.I.P.]

TRY TO MAKE THIS AS SIMPLE AS ME BUT DONT HOLD YOUR BREATH

FOUNDA REF TO A HARGREAVES FAMILY WHO WERE FROM LINCON
HAD A BUILDING FIRM AND A SON WENT TO AMERICA WITH FAMILY
WANTED TO COME BACK BUT HAD NO MONEY,BUT STAYEDAND WAS SUCSEFULL
NOW THERES A LOT OF HARGREAVES AND MCQUILIAMS THERE
COULD HEHAVEBEEN A AMERICAN VIA LINCON
CAN YOU UNDERSTAND ALL THAT LOL

[erich]

Thanks for those thoughts. The trouble is, there are a lot of Hargraves and Hargreaves in Yorkshire and Lancashire, but not with the right parents, nothing to link them to my Grandfather, and no reason why he'd retain the Hargraves name but change his parents names. In the end, a connection with the only Francis Hargrave and Mary McQuillan I can find seems to be the strongest lead. But I never mind getting ideas in case something gels somewhere. Thanks again.

[erich]

Hello everyone, I haven't had much to say for a while, because .... well. I haven't had anything to say!

But I thought I'd share some news with anyone who remembers my previous visits here, regarding my mysterious grandfather. I haven't found out much more about him, but I have got in contact with his daughter by his second marriage (hence my aunt) and one of her grandchildren (hence my second cousin once removed, I think). My aunt lives overseas, but I had a good phone conversation with her, and I am now in email contact with the second cousin.

Whether all this leads to any new information remains to be seen, but at least, for the first time, I have a photo of my grandfather, and I have some "new" relatives.

Hope everyone is going well. Thanks for your help over the years.

Eric

[Mary in Oz]

Hi Eric... Good to see you pop in.. and great news on your find...it is always good to find more family and to get a photo as well is a big bonus.. I hope they are able to fill in some gaps for you...You have made great progress, so keep it up...
Remember if we can help in any way just holla....

[Q]

Great news Eric. Thats the thing with FH, you never know what will turn up.
New relatives are always a bonus.
All the best for Christmas.

[JALimestone Plains]

Hello Eric, so pleased to see you again and hear that you are in contact with an Aunt and a Cousin - the latter being 1st half cousin to my reckoning - was the Aunt the schoolteacher we found many moons ago on the electoral rolls? Great to get a photo of your elusive grandfather - I wonder if there are any family papers which could shed a light on grandfather's background.
Blessings wished for you and your family

[erich]

Hi Mary, Suzy & JAL, thanks for your encouragement. I hope to get more information about the photo, and the family, shortly.

No JAL, the Aunt you mention I knew about, but this was my Grandfather's daughter from his second marriage, and while I knew about her, I didn't know if she was still alive (she is now 86) nor where she now lived - I knew she had travelled to UK in 1949, married there in 1953, and travelled to South Africa and on to Southern Rhodesia in 1956, but that was the end of the trail. Turns out she is still in Zimbabwe.

After Christmas, I hope to get more information from her and her cousin (not the cousin I mentioned, but a cousin that is not related to me).

Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year to you all!