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Hilo Pitt- Dead Man's Penny Recipient.

C

CHINCH

master brummie
Hello, I wonder
if the good people on this forum might be able to help?
In my local paper yesterday there was an article regarding the attempts to locate the relatives of a Dead Man's Penny recipient, Hilo Pitt.
The Dead Man's Penny was issued by the government, to families in the first world war who had lost members, as recognition of their sacrifice. The penny was found in a house which was about to be demolished, it is a 12cm disc cast in bronze gunmetal with Hilo Pitt's name inscribed on it.
Hilo Pitt was born in 1888 in Warwickshire and died aged 16 in 1914, presumably in battle, and is buried in La Ferte-sous-Jouarre memorial in France on the south bank of the river Marne. He was a sergeant in the 1st Bn; South Wales Borderers (SERVICE NO; 7800).
If anyone might be able to help , or if there are any relatives of Hilo Pitt out there, could you please contact Lesley by e-mailing, lesley-miller3451@gmail.com.
Thank you .
CHINCH
 
It appears he was illegitimate and was adopted by a family by the name of Tipton.

In 1891 he is living in Alma St, Smethwick with George Tipton, his wife Levinia (?) and daughter Emma.

In 1901 he is living he is living in Cranford St, Smethwick with his adopted sisters (?) Edith Alice Tipton and Emma.

It appears Edith marries Arthur Henry Parr in 1902.

Whilst Emma appears to marry Ernest George Anslow in 1910.

Edith and Arthur had 2 daughters, Olive and Hilda.

Emma and Ernest had 1 daughter, Mary.
 
Emma died in 1937. In 1939 Mary (b1911) was living in Smethwick with her father, and it indicates she marries am name Reynolds. She married Albert G Reynolds in 1964 Bham, too late to have children.
 
In 1939 Olive (b1903) was living in Smethwick with Edith and Arthur. She marries Leslie H Lee in 1957, again probably too late for children. She dies in 1996, registered Stourbridge.

Hilda (b1907) possibly married Harold Martin in 1932 and in 1939 is living in Aldridge. She dies in 1995, registered Gipping and Hartismere, Suffolk.

There are a number of Martin/Parr children registered, 2 in Smethwick. Denice G in 1937 and Roderick in 1942.
 
There's a possible marriage for Denice (or Denise) and if correct it appears she still alive.

There's no likely marriage for Roderick.
 
Obviously those are all Hilo's adopted family, to find his biological family (mother's anyway) you'd need his birth certificate at least.
 
There's also another adopted sister, Jenny, and she marries a James Andrews in 1899 Bham and has a number of children.
 
how sad...only 16 he would not have had a clue what to do...really hope his family are traced....looks like his service records did not survive but his medal card did and he was killed in action on 26.9.14
 
hi chinch probably a typo error on your part but just realised he would have been 26 not 16 when he was killed in action..his soldiers effects records are also on ancestry...joined up in birmingham in 1902..he was in the bedstead trade and his will was a in favour of his sister edith alice parr...i have also checked ancestry to see if there are any public members trees for hilo pitt but unfortunately not...

lyn
 
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Thank you all so much for your response to this query. I have been in touch with Lesley and he/she has ordered the birth certificate and said how brilliant this forum is. I happen to agree!! Hopefully the Dead Man's Penny will soon be with someone from Hilo's family where it belongs. Thank you again, everyone.
Kind regards, CHINCH
 
MWS said:
Obviously those are all Hilo's adopted family, to find his biological family (mother's anyway) you'd need his birth certificate at least.
Click to expand...
If his mother was an unmarried Pitt he might be related to me, because of my Pitt family roots, they were bedstead makers, some females I can't find a marriage for. Hilo is an unusual name, wonder if it's his real name. Hilo is Hawaian. I think the birth certificate would help. People did have a habit of being called by their middle name so his first name could be anything, and that makes it hard to trace on Ancestry etc.
 
bordesley bob said:
If his mother was an unmarried Pitt he might be related to me, because of my Pitt family roots, they were bedstead makers, some females I can't find a marriage for. Hilo is an unusual name, wonder if it's his real name. Hilo is Hawaian. I think the birth certificate would help. People did have a habit of being called by their middle name so his first name could be anything, and that makes it hard to trace on Ancestry etc.
Click to expand...
 
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Just an observation:
If he was born in 1888 and died in 1914 then he can't have died aged 16. He would have been 26 - surely?

Re-reading the trhead I think this was pointed out before. Sorry - must have missed it.
 
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I hope this is OK to post - I have 3 Pension Cards from the WFA website citing Jane claiming at different addresses

Cheers
Di
 

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There's a death for a Jane Pitt registered in Whitchurch (which includes Market Drayton) Dec 1939, age 73.

She appears to be listed on the 1939 register in the workhouse and single. There is a birth reg. for a Jane Pitt in Market Drayton 1866 and she is in various places on the censuses as a domestic (cook).
 
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