Hello I’m new.

kozie · 22-12-2017, 12:56

Hi I found your forum on Google. I’m from Norfolk and unfortunately never been to Accrington.

The reason I am interested in Acrington is I recently found a box of old photos and postcards. I had 2 Great Uncles who like many were both killed in France WW1 in 1917. As it was the 100th Anniversary of Uncle George Brown on December 13th. I decided to look in the box and found photos of both brothers that I had never seen before.

I then decided to pull out the 200 odd postcards to see if anything was written on the back. I found about 10 from George. 2 from Frank. Plus a letter from George. I don’t want to bore anyone here. Cutting long story short, there was also sweetheart postcards about 5 from a Bertha. That’s all I have apart from two addresses that she had written on a couple.

30 Canal Street, Church

73 or 75 Catlow Hall Street, Oswaldtwhistle

I have looked at both addresses on the 1911 census and there is no Bertha there then. I realise it’s a while back now and that Bertha is probably no longer with us. I have no idea of her last name as no one had ever mentioned her. She has sent postcards with pictures from, drinking fountain, miller park, Preston. Ye towne pump Croston and another from Leyland. She talks about all the places. They are very moving and as we now know the fate of George, sad.

I would love of course to know who she was and does she have any living relatives?

I have heard of the Accrington Observer, that is it so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. If anyone is interested int the postcards I have scanned them.

I’m not sure what tags are so not added any sorry.

Merry Christmas to all and Thank you

cashman · 24-12-2017, 12:14

Hi Kozie welcome to the forum, hope you get some success in yer search. Retlaw may possibly be able to give yeh some info if he sees this hes got a weath of knowledge on ww1 accy soldiers, may be worth sending him a message,

hilleluk · 24-12-2017, 12:53

I also welcome you to the forum

davemac · 28-12-2017, 21:10

ow do and welcome

Retlaw · 29-12-2017, 14:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by kozie

Hi I found your forum on Google. I’m from Norfolk and unfortunately never been to Accrington.

The reason I am interested in Acrington is I recently found a box of old photos and postcards. I had 2 Great Uncles who like many were both killed in France WW1 in 1917. As it was the 100th Anniversary of Uncle George Brown on December 13th. I decided to look in the box and found photos of both brothers that I had never seen before.

I then decided to pull out the 200 odd postcards to see if anything was written on the back. I found about 10 from George. 2 from Frank. Plus a letter from George. I don’t want to bore anyone here. Cutting long story short, there was also sweetheart postcards about 5 from a Bertha. That’s all I have apart from two addresses that she had written on a couple.

30 Canal Street, Church

73 or 75 Catlow Hall Street, Oswaldtwhistle

I have looked at both addresses on the 1911 census and there is no Bertha there then. I realise it’s a while back now and that Bertha is probably no longer with us. I have no idea of her last name as no one had ever mentioned her. She has sent postcards with pictures from, drinking fountain, miller park, Preston. Ye towne pump Croston and another from Leyland. She talks about all the places. They are very moving and as we now know the fate of George, sad.

I would love of course to know who she was and does she have any living relatives?

I have heard of the Accrington Observer, that is it so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. If anyone is interested int the postcards I have scanned them.

I’m not sure what tags are so not added any sorry.

Merry Christmas to all and Thank you

Higher an welcome to the lunatic asylum, I'm te head nut case
I have 4 George Browns in my files but none of them lived at the address you quote nor died they die. as For the Accy fish and chip wrapper I photoed all the war articles in our local newspapers some 20 odd years back, which adds up to a few 1000 pictures, plus I indexed all the local voters lists.
I need as much info as possible to do a full search I've over 12500 men and women in these files

Bob Dobson · 29-12-2017, 17:39

Kozie - As you know the date of George Brown's death - what was his military number ? This may help Retlaw. I advise holding fire on the Observer until you've given Retlaw more inflammation.

Retlaw · 29-12-2017, 20:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Dobson

Kozie - As you know the date of George Brown's death - what was his military number ? This may help Retlaw. I advise holding fire on the Observer until you've given Retlaw more inflammation.

Yer thads wod a realy need inflamation
I've run a check on those adresses an so far nowt tallys
30 Canal St, is George Francis Bray, and
73 Catlow Hall St, is Wm. Peel Smith.

Retlaw · 29-12-2017, 21:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retlaw

Yer thads wod a realy need inflamation
I've run a check on those adresses an so far nowt tallys
30 Canal St, is George Francis Bray, and
73 Catlow Hall St, is Wm. Peel Smith.

Just done a check on the C.W. War Graves site, haven't been on there for a while, flamin Nori, they've improved their search engine so much that its now pure crap, now takes 5 times as long to do a simple search, any way finaly got to the bottom of it, and I'm sorry to say that there were NO George Brown's killed on Dec 13th 1917.

mallard · 30-12-2017, 18:39

Hello and welcome

kozie · 01-01-2018, 15:33

Hi thanks for looking but I know about George Brown he was from Great Yarmouth, he was in the Royal Irish Fusiliers and he was killed at Arras on April 11th. Sorry it was a typo Frank his brother died on 13th December. I get them muddled up sometimes.

It is Bertha I am looking for. Not much to go on I realise. Thanks for checking the two addresses maybe she was the daughter of either occupant?

Sorry for the confusion, I didn’t want to put too much info I was trying to keep it simple, sorry again for wasting your time.

Thank you

kozie · 01-01-2018, 19:30

Hi Bob

Thanks for the info. I have found George Francis Bray age 39 on the 1911 cwnsus at 27 Henry Street, Church, Kirk, Accrington. Along with his wife Ellen Tilet Bray 37 yrs and daughters Kate Elaine, Doris Ellen, Francis Suie and Bertha Annis age 9.

Bertha Annis married James P Morton in 1920. She died Bertha Morton 1975.

George Francis war records in 1915 show his address as 34 Canal St, Church, Kirk, Accrington.

Looks like this could be Bertha!

It would be great to know the date and source where you found the name at the address.

Thanks Very much

Bob Dobson · 01-01-2018, 19:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by kozie

Hi Bob

Thanks for the info. I have found George Francis Bray age 39 on the 1911 cwnsus at 27 Henry Street, Church, Kirk, Accrington. Along with his wife Ellen Tilet Bray 37 yrs and daughters Kate Elaine, Doris Ellen, Francis Suie and Bertha Annis age 9.

Bertha Annis married James P Morton in 1920. She died Bertha Morton 1975.

George Francis war records in 1915 show his address as 34 Canal St, Church, Kirk, Accrington.

Looks like this could be Bertha!

It would be great to know the date and source where you found the name at the address.

Thanks Very much

Not me you should be thanking.

kozie · 01-01-2018, 19:46

Hi all just a quick update I do know the details of George Brown from Great Yarmouth thank you he died April 11th at Arras. His brother Frank died December 13th and is buried at Villers Faucon. Sorry I muddled the dates with the names. It was Bertha who was from Accrington who I am looking for. Apologies if that was not clear. I tried to keep it as simple as I could so as not to confuse. Did not seem to have worked sorry again for any wasted time.

kozie · 01-01-2018, 19:50

Ok thanks no idea who posted the two names looked like you, obviously not.

kozie · 01-01-2018, 19:54

Thanks for the info. I have found George Francis Bray age 39 on the 1911 cwnsus at 27 Henry Street, Church, Kirk, Accrington. Along with his wife Ellen Tilet Bray 37 yrs and daughters Kate Elaine, Doris Ellen, Francis Suie and Bertha Annis age 9.

Bertha Annis married James P Morton in 1920. She died Bertha Morton 1975.

George Francis war records in 1915 show his address as 34 Canal St, Church, Kirk, Accrington.

Looks like this could be Bertha!

It would be great to know the date and source where you found the name at the address.

Thanks Very much