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william john dawson 1878 cannock

The marriage certificate will be interesting as it will show the name of Janes father.


1921 census 64 Upper Dudley Street , wednesbury

William Eli Dowen age 43 is a labourer working for Horton and sons ,Bolt cutters , Alma Works Darlaston.(Was it his father in laws business.)
 
Hopefully it will be Joseph. The name of the grandparent young Joseph is with on the 1921 census.
 
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I hope it’s the right connection. It’s quite exciting really. If it is correct and it’s the same Jane that had been previously married to William Dawson - then I wonder what ever happened to William! It’s like being a detective
 
I agree.
I need to do a bit more digging. I might have someone but I can't prove anything yet.
Just some coincidences.
 
What I am going to say now is a theory and I can't, at the moment, prove or disporve it. I have run the idea past MWS and Astoness who agreee it is possible but that is all. So I am putting it out as a suggestion - you can accept or reject the idea or research further.

I started from the idea that the marriage record in post 18 had correct info. So that William John's Father was called Stephen and was a bricklayer.
That was tricky as I had no idea of his date or place of birth. Then I came across a 1901 census record.
1739193740117.png
This interested me for 2 reasons - Stephen was born in Badley Hedge Staffordshire and he was a bricklayer. But ... no son called William.
Out of curiosity I clicked on John (roughly the right age) and was astonished to be led to a WW1 record with him listed as William John.
I thought it must be a mistake but it is a pension record with next of kin named.1739194125369.png

A check revealed that Eliza Kimberley was the married name of Eliza Dawson. Elizabeth Kings was the married name of Elizabeth Dawson and Jane was the younger sister - all on the 1901 census.

I wondered why it did not name Stepehn (then discovered he had died earlier in 1914). So why not Stephen's wife Jane - she was his second wife and not John's mother. His first wife died not long after the second son (Stephen) was born.
 
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So I am left wondering if John is actually our William John. He was only in the army a month or so before being invalided out with a heart condition.

So I await your thoughts.

(I did think he married as John but the marriage cert I have just found seems to be for someone else as the father's name is given as John as well). So I don't know what happened to him.
 
Gosh thank you so much to you all. I was out yesterday but after work tonight I will have a look at all the names etc., and see if I can find anything. It really is so exciting. I had previously seen a war record for a J Dawson which referred to a William John Dawson but never gave it a thought that it might relate to the same person. Are there any certificates that you think would help to find out whether it is the right William John that we are looking for? I am more than happy to order some if you could guide me in the right direction to what I might need.

The family tree that I had originally created looks like it was for the totally wrong William John Dawson whose father was a publican. It would appear that everybody researching this family name seems to have copied the same family tree (like I did) as they all have the publican listed as the father!

Thank you once again for all your help - I cannot express enough how grateful I am.
 
It is conjecture but it fits the marriage naming Stephen as father and a bricklayer.
The William with publican Father is the wrong age. That is why I ruled him out.
We need to try to find John/William after the marriage. Did he die? If so, registered as what first name?
 
I think there are at least 4 likely possibilities.

He died (as a civilian) before Jane's second marriage.
He died in WWI.
He abandoned Jane.
They divorced.

Can't see a likely death listed for a John or William Dawson in England or Wales.
There are many John, William, J and W Dawsons listed on the CWGC with no family details.
If he did abandon her he may have assumed a new name or emigrated which would make things difficult.
Possible but a divorce just seems unlikely.

I'd favour the military one. I know he was discharged as unfit but people tried to enlist again, my great grandfather did. Proving it may be difficult though.

As mentioned previously Jane's status on her second marriage is key. I suppose he may be a witness when his sister, Jane (1917), or his brother (1918) married which would show he was alive then but not what happened to him.

The descendants of his siblings may know what happened to him.
 
The marriage certificate arrived today and it looks like Jane was a widow and Joseph Henry Horton was her father. So William John Dawson must have died between 1916 and 1925. Do you think this is the correct link?
 

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I think you've got to assume she was telling the truth until you can prove that she wasn't.

But as we know so little about him for certain that might be nigh on impossible.

DNA may be the only way to find out who he was this time, though I wouldn't be surprised if he is the John Dawson in Janice's theory.
 
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