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I am trying to find my husband birth father it was a very long time ago and I don't expect he is still alive but it's my husbands children and his grandchildren who want to know their roots. He may have had other children who may know the history.
My husband was born December 30th 1945 to May Ethal Legg in Christchurch Dorset. She would never disclose who his father was and he always thought his brothers father was his as well and it wasn't till he went to get married that he found out he wasn't, my husbands name is Robert Keeplng his brothers name is Micheal.
His mum brought him up in the workhouse in Christchurch. I'm writing this in case he has any half siblings that might of known anything. The name Bob rings a bell as his brother remembered a lodger called Bob so that maybe where my husband got his name.

Has he taken a DNA test like the ones from Ancestry or 23andMe?

That might be his best bet.

Rose

Looks like she was actually Ethel May Legg. Her names are in that order on her marriages and birth.

Rose

She had actually married a Walter L A Keeping in 1937 and he is reg as Keeping as that was her name still

Is there no father named on his birth cert ?

What happened to Walter Keeping ?


There are other births Keeping/Legg Bournemouth. But there is also another marriage for a Keeping /Legg so could be children of that couple

Cant see a birth for a Walter L A Keeping

Is this them on the 1939 reg


Name: Ethel M Keeping
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Married
Birth Date: 8 Nov 1894
Residence Year: 1939
Address: 64
Residence Place: Ringwood and Fordingbridge, Hampshire, England
Occupation: Unpaid Domestic Duties
Schedule Number: 109
Sub Schedule Number: 2
Enumeration District: EERB
Registration district: 95/1
Household Members:
Name
Arthur Keeping dob 27.6.1882
Ethel M Keeping

No closed records though that should be Michael born 1937

Deaths Sep 1948
Keeping Arthur 66 Christchurch 6b 178

So if they weren't together anymore wonder who the informant was


Looks like his birth

Births Sep 1882
Keeping Arthur Ringwood 2b 676

No births for a Walter L A !!!


Arthur left a will and admin was granted to Ellen Keeping widow and Rose Saunders wife of George Saunders

Can't see any marriage to an Ellen

His address was Surrey Lodge Brockrnhurst which seems to be a private house
He left over £3000 which was quite a sum then

That must be them on the 1939 reg as it ties with her dob on her death cert

Deaths Mar 1973
KEEPING ETHEL MAY 8NO1894 Christchurch 6b 852

So she was 51 when she had your hubby.


There was no electoral rolls taken in the war but it may be worth looking at them for post www2
They will be at the main library for the area . But are searched by address so you would need a starting point

He served in ww1 and was still single then

View British Army WWI Pension Records 1914-1920

Name: Arthur Keeping
Gender: Male
Birth Date: abt 1882
Age: 34
Document Year: 1916
Residence Place: Crowe Hill, Ringwood
Regimental Number: 24395
Regiment Name: S Light Infantry
Form Title: Short Service Attestation
Number of Images: 10
Other Records: Search for 'Arthur Keeping' in other WWI collections
Family Members:
Name Relation to Soldier
Arthur Keeping Self (Head)
John Keeping Father


So the marriage to. Ethel was a late marriage for him

As hubby's mum wouldn't give a dads name then his best bet is to do a DNA test

Shirley,

Walter was born in 1919:

Births Dec 1919
Keeping Walter L A Clark Alverstoke 2b 1028

So this is probably Ethel:

Births Sep 1920
Legg Ethel M Meatyard Christchurch 2b 1312

Both went on to marry again.

Rose

Name: Ethel May Lockyer
Event Type: Death
Registration Quarter: Apr-May-Jun
Registration Year: 2005
Registration District: Bournemouth
County: Dorset
Event Place: Bournemouth, Dorset, England
Birth Date (available after June quarter 1969): 04 Jul 1920
Volume: 4271A
Page: A32D

Rose

So who are the two on the 1939 register then
Seems to a coincidence with names and in Hampshire too

Couldn't find them on the 1939 register either only picked up the arthur record

You would think he would show on the 1939

England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 No Image
Text-only collection
Order death certificate for Walter Lewis A Keeping
Add Alternative Information
Report issue
Name: Walter Lewis A Keeping
Death Age: 69
Birth Date: 26 Sep 1919
Registration Date: May 1989
Registration district: Salisbury
Inferred County: Wiltshire
Volume: 23
Page: 1951


Back to the drawing board :-\

If Walter was in the army he wouldn't appear on the 1939 register.

Then as Michael is still alive, and if Ethel's fairly recent death hasn't been picked up, none of them would show up on the register.

(Though I don't see any kind of military record for Walter, I must admit.)

This is the couple Shirley found on the 1939 register :

Marriages Jun 1918 (>99%)
Brinton Ethel M Keeping Christchurch 2b 1481
Keeping Arthur Brinton Christchurch 2b 1481

this is the birth of ethel m legg who died in 2005

Births Sep 1920 (>99%)
Legg Ethel M Meatyard Christchurch 2b 1312

marriage
Marriages Sep 1951 (>99%)
LEGG Ethel M LOCKYER Bournemouth 6b 474

looks like Walter re-married in 1949 in Dorset, not finding a death for second wife, but there are 2 children from this marriage b1950 and 1951. If that's any help

But it would seem that Walter wasn't the father and mum wouldn't say the name

Think a DNA test may be the way to go

I did the ancestry one and I have my tree on there and have connected with some cousins umpteen times removed

The latest is the grandaughter of my paternal grans sister who lives in Australia

Both grans were born early 1880,s

The sister married twice and went with her second husband to Australia in the early 1900's .
The grandaughters mum was from the second marriage

We are now busy exchanging family research on that part of the family

So it can work

This looks like Ethel's parents and siblings in 1911.


1911 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
9 Fairmile Road Christchurch, Christchurch, Hampshire & Dorset, England

Tom Legg Head Married Male 28 1883 Dorset Wareham Bricklayers Labourer
Louisa Legg Wife Married Female 29 1882 Dorset Henstridge Parish -
Tom John Legg Son - Male 2 1909 Hampshire Town Christchurch -
James H Legg Son - Male 5 1906 Hampshire Town Christchurch -
Lilian G P Metyard Daughter - Female 10 1901 Hampshire Town Christchurch Schooll


Married 6 years, 3 children born and still living.


Have you tried finding cousins of your husband as they may have some knowledge to help please?

Your husband's maternal grandparents?

1939 REGISTER TRANSCRIPTION
Legg Household (3 People)
1 Firgate Cottages Hurn Road , Christchurch M.B., Hampshire, England

Louisa Legg
DOB 02 Jun 1882
SEX Female
OCCUPATION Domestic Duties Unpaid
MARITAL STATUS Married
SCHEDULE 214
SCHEDULE SUB NUMBER 2

Tom Legg
DOB 06 Apr 1883
SEX Male
OCCUPATION Bricklayer Heavy Worker
MARITAL STATUS Married
SCHEDULE 214
SCHEDULE SUB NUMBER 1

Winifred J Keeping (Legg)
DOB 15 Jul 1922
SEX Female
OCCUPATION Hand Laundry Heavy Worker
MARITAL STATUS Single
SCHEDULE 214
SCHEDULE SUB NUMBER 3
Ref: RG101/2327J/018/09 Letter Code: EDFO
© Findmypast Ltd

Living next door, your husband's uncle


1939 REGISTER TRANSCRIPTION
Legg Household (3 People)
2 Firgate Cottages Hurn Road , Christchurch M.B., Hampshire, England

James Harry Legg
DOB 11 Jul 1905
SEX Male
OCCUPATION Bricklayers Labourer
MARITAL STATUS Married
SCHEDULE 215
SCHEDULE SUB NUMBER 1

Eveloyn G Legg
DOB 16 Dec 1907
SEX Female
OCCUPATION Domestic Duties Unpaid
MARITAL STATUS Married
SCHEDULE 215
SCHEDULE SUB NUMBER 2

Sorry, this record is officially closed. Check if you can open a closed record.