WDYTYA Live Requests

Rae Clarke seems to remember writing to a girl called Sylvia but we don't know how she fits into the family.

We believe James Clarke was living in Liverpool before he emigrated to Melbourne on 24th May 1923 and sailed from Liverpool on the SS Ballarat (P&O) as a crew member. He was born 6th July 1899 in Bradford, Yorkshire, and we believe he was previously married before he married Lillian Neate, in Australia.

They had a daughter called Rae who seems to remember writing to a girl called Sylvia (possibly one of James' brother's daughters), but we don't know exactly how she fits into the family.

It would be lovely to have some new information to share with my family in Australia. James Clarke was my grandfather's brother.

If you recognise the young girl in the photograph below, or have any new information to add to our family history, please leave a reply.

Photo here - http://i.imgur.com/a6luj0kl.jpg

Isn't it against GR's terms and conditions to include email addresses in posts?

Is this your James in 1911??

Household transcription
1911 census
Person: CLARKE, James
Address: 67 Marshall St Bradford

CLARKE, John Head Married17 years M 45 1866 Wool Warehouseman Bradford Yorkshire VIEW
CLARKE, Maria Alice Wife Married F 46 1865 Weaver Bradford Yorkshire VIEW
CLARKE, James Son Single M 11 1900 School Bradford Yorkshire VIEW
CLARKE, Henry Son Single M 9 1902 School Bradford Yorkshire VIEW
RG number: RG14
Piece: 26841
Reference: RG14PN26841 RG78PN1542 RD498 SD4 ED31 SN364
Registration District: Bradford
Sub District: Horton
Enumeration District: 31
Parish: Bradford
Address: 67 Marshall St Bradford
County: Yorkshire (West riding)
(2 children born and living)

What are the names of Jame's parents?

Birth record???- purchase from http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/ for £9.25 including P&P

James Clarke
Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1899
Registration district: Bradford
Inferred County: Yorkshire West Riding
Volume: 9b
Page: 10

A tree on Ancestry has his parents as
John Henry Clarke
1866-1913

Maria Alice Ambler Slinn (other trees has Amber as the maiden name, not Slinn)
1865-

1911 attached to that tree
James Clarke
Age in 1911: 11
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1900
Relation to Head: Son
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Bradford, Yorkshire, England
Civil parish: Bradford
County/Island: Yorkshire-West Riding
Country: England
Street Address: 67 Marshall Street Bradford Yorks
Marital Status: Single
Occupation: School
Registration district: Bradford
Name Age
John Clarke 45
Maria Alice Clarke 46 - married 17 years with 2 children born, both still alive
James Clarke 11
Henry Clarke 9

However, the linked 1901 gives

James Clarke
Age: 1
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1900
Relation: Son
Father's Name: John Clarke
Mother's name: Martha A Clarke
Gender: Male
Where born: Bradford, Lancashire, England
Civil parish: Bradford
Ecclesiastical parish: Horton All Saints
County/Island: Yorkshire
Country: England
Name Age
John Clarke 35
Martha A Clarke 36
John W Clarke 10
Maurice Clarke 9
James Clarke 1

The occupation matches up, so they may have assumed that the 'children born' question on the 1911 refers to those children living with them.

Try using the 'search all trees' function to make contact with anyone who has the brothers in their tree.

Is Sandra happy that her email address is being given on an open board? The T&C of the site say that personal information such as this shouldn't be posted.

2 children born and living on the 1911 which would indicate that John had been married before........

(Maria transcribed as Martha)

1901 England Census
about John Clarke
Name: John Clarke
Age: 35
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1866
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Martha A Clarke
Gender: Male
Where born: Bradford, Lancashire, England

Civil parish: Bradford
Ecclesiastical parish: Horton All Saints
County/Island: Yorkshire
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View image

Registration district: Bradford
Sub-registration district: Horton
ED, institution, or vessel: 37
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 135
Piece: 4168
Folio: 77
Page Number: 20
Household Members: Name Age
John Clarke 35 (Wool Warehouseman)
Martha A Clarke 36 (Cloth Weaver)
John W Clarke 10
Maurice Clarke 9
James Clarke 1

Thanks for the info so far! Hopefully she will see it when she checks back later on.

Sandra included the email address when she posted this, but we've given her the url of this thread now so I'll remove it. Cheers!

Australia Death Index, 1787-1985
James Clarke
Death Place: Hawthorn, Victoria
Age: 61
Father's Name: Henry John
Mother's name: Maria Alice Ambler
Registration Year: 1961
Registration Place: Victoria
Registration number: 6332
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1900

Marriages Dec 1894 (>99%)
Clarke John Henry Bradford Y 9b 243
Slinn Maria Alice Bradford, Y. 9b 243


1891 England Census
about John Clarke
Name: John Clarke
Age: 25
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1866
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Mary Clarke
Gender: Male
Where born: Bradford, Yorkshire, England

Civil parish: Manningham
Ecclesiastical parish: St Phillips
Town: Manningham
County/Island: Yorkshire
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View image

Registration district: Bradford
Sub-registration district: Bradford West End
ED, institution, or vessel: 61
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 3636
Folio: 88
Page Number: 34
Household Members: Name Age
John Clarke 25 (Wool Comber)
Mary Clarke 26
John Wm Clarke 7/12

Marriages Sep 1889 (>99%)
CLARKE John Bradford Y. 9b 376
SCULLY Mary Bradford 9b 376

Assuming Henry is your Grandfather?

It could be then that Sylvia was the Daughter of either John William or Maurice.

(What a lovely photograph.)


Struggling to find Maurice and John William in 1911!

Aren't Sandra and Rae descended from James 1899 as he is the person they have details for?

If that is the case possibly ancestors of Sylvia the person in the photo (hope this is right),

John W Clarke 1890
Maurice Clarke 1892
Henry Clarke 1909

Can we work out approx year of photo? !930's or 1940's? Sylvia looks to be about 10....unless there are other ideas?

Rae's OP reads........

"They had a daughter called Rae who seems to remember writing to a girl called Sylvia (possibly one of James' brother's daughters), but we don't know exactly how she fits into the family."

"Assuming" Henry is Rae's Grandfather.???......(And she would know if her Grandfather had a daughter called Sylvia) that leaves John Willam and Maurice.

Having said that..........maybe Sylvia was James's Daughter from his first marriage??

Rae...........when you say you were writing to Sylvia (Clarke??).........when was this?.......and where was Sylvia living?............and how old was she at the time?