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To all the wonderful people who helped me a few months ago with trying to find anything about my grandfather, we might be getting close.
I have today received my mother's birth certificate from Canada. Her father is noted as James Hassall from Chester, England, aged 38, making him born in 1887/1888.
From previous research, I have his death cert which also indicates his birth year of 1887/1888.
We have found a few James Hassalls born at that time, one of whom was born in Chester. There are a few others born in nearby areas.
My query now is - am I safe in assuming the record of the James born in Chester is my James? Am I jumping to early conclusions?
I don't have anything else to go on - no family names etc. other than an elderly relative thought he was from up 'Chester way'. I do have his war medal and service number, but no record could be found.
I would like some feedback please from experience - is it safe for me to proceed with the James from Chester, and if so any listings showing him and his family would be greatly appreciated.

Many many thanks for all the help in getting me this far.
Kind regards, Carole

Hi Carole
Was he in WW1 ?
Have you searched ancestry for any info ?
Joan

So what about a marriage cert.,now you have parents names
Army numbers can we help to try a search for him

Carole
What is his regimental number ?
Joan

Yes Joan, have searched for that.
No marriage cert Janice, don't think they got married. My grandmother was married to someone else first and she and James went over to Canada 1922 to 1928. My mother was born in 1925 in Toronto. Don't think my grandmother was divorced.
Thank you both, Carole
PS army number 117949 GNR RA

Hi Carole....Beware assumptions.you have to get it right otherwise there is no point in doing it...There are TWO James Hassalls born 1887/8 on the 1891 Census...One os them at Saltney Chester. They are on Ancestry..Good luck

Derek

Thanks Derek, that is what I was worried about. Can you please give me any information on the two James you mentioned. I don't have access to ancestry.
Thank you, Carole
PS Sorted thank you Derek, I have the two census listings now.

Carole...have PM'd you.There is a regimental record for the James Hassall from Nantwich!!

Derek

Hopefully this will get rid of the Nantwich option, or even confirm it becasue you have the regimental Number for your man.
James Hassall b 1888 Royal Fusiliers No 16438 (WW1 Army Pensions 1914)
Deemed infit for further Service.

Any good?

Derek

Thank you Derek.
Yes I had this info a while ago therefore dismissing the 'Nantwich' James. I think from memory his mother Martha was noted as NOK, but I haven't found a record for the Nantwich James with mother Martha. The one we looked at last night was mother Fanny. So..... it gets confusing at times.
See pm also please.
Thanks again,
Carole

Where was your grandmother from? Where would she have met James?

Rose

Hi Carol,

Not sure if this will help..or if it is the correct one Shipping Record line Canadian Pacific
Ship name Montrose bound for Montreal

J Hassall C/o 22 Watergate Street Chester age 34
Departure May 5th 1922

Didn't know your grandmother's name to check on that.

Cheers Ali

Thank you Rose and Ali, I have just checked back in.
We have my grandmother's family info, no problem there. Don't know where they would have met???? She was living in Lytham at the time.
Ali, yes I do have that shipping record for James. I tried to check out Watergate St some months back with no luck (no Hassalls there). My grandmother travelled under the surname Wright a few months before James.
Thank you both for your input.
At this stage I'm banking on the James born in Saltney, Chester. Seems to be the only one joining all the dots. I think I will order his birth cert and see where it leads me.
Regards, Carole

can you narrow his birth months/year by working it out from dates /months when daughters birth /shipping date/his death date?

Hi Carol,

Looking back at the census for James 1891 in Cheshire age 3 he is living at 55 Chezon St with parents James & Ann.
1881they are living at 25 Chezon st her name is Sarah Ann on this Census.

Hope this helps
Ali

PS Where was in in 1901? Sorry haven't got census.

1901
Name: James Hassall
Age: 13
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1888
Relation: Son
Father's Name: James
Mother's Name: Ann
Gender: Male

Civil Parish: Chester
Ecclesiastical parish: Lache with Saltney
Sub registration district: Chester Castle

County/Island: Cheshire
Household Members: Name Age
Ann Hassall 54
Charles Hassall 23
James Hassall 47
James Hassall 13
Joseph H Hassall 18
William F Hassall 17


Country: England

Thank you Janice. Yes, at this stage the 'Chester' James fits in with the age shown on Mum's birth cert, his shipping record, and his death cert. The 'Chester' James is recorded as Sept quarter 1887. That is why I think I will order his birth cert and see what I find.
Thank you also for the 1901 census, I was interested in seeing that.
Regards,
Carole

Hi Alison.
Thank you again.
There is a possibility Ann and Sarah Ann are two different wives (a GR member has sent me that info)so I will have to try and find marriage records and look into it more.
Regards, Carole