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I cannot find the birth or parents for William John WHITTEN born 1925 according to his death record in 1977

He married an Edna TERRELL in 1945 in district of Llanelli

Any help or advice is welcome please.

Do you have a copy of the marriage cert? Does it give his father's name?

You've given your thread the title "Whitten family of Llanelli". Does that mean you know he belonged to Llanelli - or his ancestors did?

Who is the informant on the death cert? Is it a relative, or could it be someone who might not have known his correct age, perhaps?

Do you know anything at all about him other than what you've told us so far?
Or did you only find his name through researching Edna?

Several trees on Ancestry record his birth as in Canada

This seems to be Edna shortly after they married travelling to Canada with daughter Ruth (5 months old)- it says they're intending to reside in New Foundland (though she didn't remain there):

First name(s) EDNA
Last name WHITTEN
Gender Female
Age 19
Birth year 1927
Occupation NONE
Departure year 1946
Departure day 18
Departure month 3
Departure port LIVERPOOL
Destination port HALIFAX
Destination HALIFAX
Country CANADA
Destination country CANADA
Ship name SCYTHIA
Ship official number 143730
Ship master's first name T A
Ship master's last name FRASER
Shipping line CUNARD WHITE STAR LIMITED
City LIVERPOOL
Ship destination port HALIFAX
Ship destination country CANADA
--------------------------------------

It may be easier to buy the marriage certificate which will hopefully give his father's name.

By those trees he was born 24/06/1925 in St John's, Newfoundland.

One tree says he was the son of Theodore Whitten and Susanna (no surname given).
Another says his parents were Henry Joseph Whitten and Catherine Ashmon.
A third says his father was Hurbert Charles Whitten.

No proof given for any of it.


Several other trees give a slightly different son for Theodore and Susanna - John Wheeler Whitten, born 26/06/1925, who lived and died in Newfoundland, and married a Mildred!

Married in 1945 could he have been a Canadian serviceman ??


Marriages Sep 1945
Terrell Edna Whitten Llanelly 11a 2938
Whitten William J Terrell Llanelli. 11a. 2938

The cert will give his occ and fathers name ,if known

So must have returned from Canada at some time


First name(s) WILLIAM JOHN
Last name WHITTEN
Gender Male
Birth day 24
Birth month 6
Birth year 1925
Age -
Death quarter 4
Death year 1977
District LLANELLY
County Carmarthenshire
Volume 24
Page 2218
Country Wales

???


Royal Artillery attestations 1883-1942 Transcription
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First name(s) William John
Last name Whitten
Age -
Birth year -
Birth place -
Attestation year 1943
Service number 1158347
Former service number -
Record set Royal Artillery attestations

Looking on freebmd they seem to have had several children to 1958 all Llanelly reg district

First name(s) EDNA
Last name WHITTEN
Gender Female
Birth day 1
Birth month 11
Birth year 1926
Age -
Death quarter 1
Death year 2002
District LLANELLY
District number 8201A
Register number A41E
Entry number 053
Date of registration mm/yy 0102
County Carmarthenshire
Country Wales
Record set England & Wales deaths 1837-2007

Photo of them here:

https://www.peoplescollection.wales/items/44773

Bill and Edna Whitten from Bwlch y Gwynt, Llanelli who were contestants on the "Mr & Mrs" show in 1966

I am beginning my search of my grandfather, William John Whittenof 32 Carters Hill, St. John's Newfoundland, Canada; born June 24, 1925. He had 6 brothers and 4 sisters.He married Edna Terrell, born 1 November 1926, and they had 8 daughters and 3 sons, at 3 Sea View Terrace, Bwlch Y Gwynt, Machynys, Llanelli, South Wales

http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/e/d/w/Sonia-L-Edwards/index.html

(above from google search)

Chris :)

Edits ('Mr & Mrs' show, I remember that!, not 1966 though, lol)

Googling Whitten, Bwlch y Gwynt, brings up a few results - though none throw any light on William's origins.

Familysearch has Newfoundland census1935 with a William Whitten aged 10 living with a Henry and Catherine (family on two pages of the census)

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9FX-F9HM-1?i=841&cc=2246711

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9FX-F9H9-B?i=842&cc=2246711

Name William Whitten
Event Type Census
Event Date 1935
Event Place , St. John's West, Newfoundland, Canada
Gender Male
Age 10
Relationship to Head of Household Son
Birth Year (Estimated) 1925
Birthplace Newfoundland
Page 821

No middle initial recorded. Religion is Roman Catholic


Henry Whitten Head M 49 Newfoundland
Catherine Whitten Wife F 50 Newfoundland
Pauline Obrien Daughter F 31 Newfoundland
Annie Dowden Daughter F 30 Newfoundland
George Dowden Son-in-law M 28 Newfoundland
Peter Whitten Son M 17 Newfoundland
Robert Whitten Son M 14 Newfoundland
Clara Whitten Daughter F 12 Newfoundland
William Whitten Son M 10 Newfoundland<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Ruth O Brien Granddaughter F 10 Newfoundland
Citing this Record

"Newfoundland Census, 1935," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK9Z-C251 : 22 April 2015), William Whitten in household of Henry Whitten, 25 Moore Street, St. John's West, Newfoundland, Canada; citing St. John's West District, p. 821, household ID 156, reference ID , Department of Tourism, Culture, and Recreation, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador; FHL microfilm 2,166,828.

Seems the Royal Artillery (see Shirley's post)took in and trained men from Newfoundland:

http://www.heritage.nf.ca/articles/politics/royal-artillery.php

"Instead, Britain’s Royal Artillery (RA) recruited and trained some 2,343 volunteers from Newfoundland and Labrador at its own expense. These men formed two battalions – the 57th and 59th (Newfoundland) Heavy Regiments. The former fought in North Africa and Italy, while the latter defended Britain’s coasts for three years before fighting in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany."

The same William John Whitten Service number 1158347 that Shirely mentions, is listed as being part of this Newfoundland group:

http://ngb.chebucto.org/NFREG/WWII/ww2-arty-W-surname.shtml

EDIT: Apologies, didn't see this had already been posted, however last address of Bwlch Gwynt Llanelli does seem to confirm it as the right Edna.

19 yr old Edna going out to Canada in 1946:

First name(s) EDNA
Last name WHITTEN
Gender Female
Age 19
Birth year 1927
Occupation NONE
Departure year 1946
Departure day 18
Departure month 3
Departure port LIVERPOOL
Destination port HALIFAX
Destination HALIFAX
Country CANADA
Destination country CANADA
Ship name SCYTHIA
Ship official number 143730
Ship master's first name T A
Ship master's last name FRASER
Shipping line CUNARD WHITE STAR LIMITED
City LIVERPOOL
Ship destination port HALIFAX

She has 5 month old Ruth Whitten travelling with her and their last address was Bwlch Gwynt Llanelli