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A friends parents passed within the last couple of years and I am trying to find her Dad's family. He was Ronald Alfred Wilson born 16th November 1938, she thought it could be Brighton , but not absolutely sure. His Mother was Florence but maiden name not known. i have looked through lots of records but can't find him.
Would it be possible to find him in the 1939 register with the little information available.. Thank you to anyone who could help

Won’t be an open record on 1939 as his death was so recent and the 100 year rule applies (Make a note)

Haven’t you looked at freebmd??????

GRO stops at 1934 for births

Her parents’ marriage cert will name his father……if known

Births Dec 1938 (>99%)
Wilson Ronald A Agate Hove 2b 331


1939 Register
63 Shirley Street, Hove, Hove M.B., Sussex, England
Charles A Wilson 01 Jun 1883 Male Motor Mechanic Married 79 1
Florence (E) Pearson (Wilson) 26 Mar 1899 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 79 2
The record for this person is officially closed.
Daisy Smith (Shorter) 08 Jun 1920 Female Packer Bakery Single 79 4
The record for this person is officially closed.
Henry Shorter ? ? 1929 Male At School Single 79 6
Peggie Ovey 03 Mar 1919 Female Laundress Sorter - 79 7
Joyce Tatley (Robinson) 12 Aug 1927 Female At School Single 79 8
Peter Robinson 26 Jan 1930 Male At School Single 79 9
Joyce Tatler (Robinson) 12 Aug 1927 Female At School Single 79 8

Marriages Jun 1945 (>99%)*******************************
Shorter Florence E Wilson Hove 2b 930
Wilson Charles A Shorter Hove 2b 930

Marriages Sep 1919 (>99%)
Agate Florence E Shorter Brighton 2b 687
Shorter William H Agate Brighton 2b 687

Marriages Mar 1973 (>99%)
PEARSON PERCY G WILSON HOVE 5H 619
PEARSON PETER G WILSON HOVE 5H 619
WILSON FLORENCE E PEARSON HOVE 5H 619
WILSON FLORENCE E PEARSON HOVE 5H 619

William H Shorter died in 1940………….

Hi,Iooked at Florence E Agate and then thought that wasn't the right one. Think I got myself a bit confused and couldn't see where I could go next!!

Hi ErikaH,
Am I being rather daft at the moment, but I have searched for Charles A Wilson, (think his name was Charles Alfred) in the 1891 and 1901 census but I can't find him at all.
I've got me head round the rest of it now, but really need him on the census records if possible.
Can you give further help please, sorry to be a pain in the backside so to speak!!
Thank you





:-S :-S

No way of knowing where he was born, so your best bet is to get copy marriage cert for father’s name
No birth reg on freebmd to match the DoB he gave in 1939

He may not have been 'Wilson' at birth

Thank you,
I have asked as to whether S has any papers from her parents, she is going to have a look so maybe we will be able to get a bit further back.

??? Possible death:

WILSON, CHARLES ALFRED 61
GRO Reference: 1948 S Quarter in HOVE Volume 05H Page 307

That would make his birth c1887 - but there's no corresponding birth for that year, either.
(Assuming 1st June to be correct, though of course it may not be - but 1939 Register often has the correct date and month even if the year is wrong.)

There's a nice photo of him on an Ancestry tree, leaning over a foreign car engine.
However, the tree only has the DOB given in 1939,and doesn't have his parents' names.

ADDED:
The photo may not be of him.
It's an Alamy photo, and on the Alamy site it's captioned "Expert discussion with the garage manager at the bonnet of a Ford Eifel, Germany 1930s."

He may have been born somewhere other than England/Wales.

Not born in Scotland 1880-90.

Just for info.........

1921 Census Of England & Wales
Beresford Manor Stable House, Plumpton Green, Plumpton, Sussex, England
William Shorter Head Male 1897 24 Berkshire, England Farm Labourer Mr Mitchell
Florence Shorter Wife Female 1899 22 Streat, Sussex, England Home Duties -
William Shorter Son Male 1919 2 Brighton, Sussex, England - -
Daisy Shorter Daughter Female 1920 1 Chailey, Sussex, England


Name William H Shorter
Gender Male
Marital Status Married
Birth Date 27 Dec 1895
Residence Date 1939
Residence Place Chailey, Sussex, England
Occupation Cowman
Line Number 33
Schedule Number 200
Sub Schedule Number 1
Enumeration District Ekgo
Borough Chailey

Name William Herbert Shorter
Death Age 43
Birth Date abt 1897
Death Date abt 1940
Burial Date 12 Aug 1940
Burial Place Plumpton, Sussex, England
Parish as it Appears Plumpton

Births Jun 1919 (>99%)
Agate Alfred W Agate Brighton 2b 25

Recorded on 1921 census as William Shorter

Name Alfred William Agate
Baptism Date 23 Apr 1919
Baptism Place Brighton St George, Sussex, England
Mother Florence Esther Agate, Chambermaid
Address 17 Paston Place


1939 Register
Heart Farm, Plumpton Green, Chailey R.D., Sussex, England
First name(s) Last name(s) Birth date Sex Occupation Marital status Schedule Schedule sub number
Hilary G Goodman 21 Jun 1905 Male Farmer Agricultural Cowman Married 219 1
Violet C Maber (Goodman) 21 Mar 1904 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 219 2
The record for this person is officially closed.
The record for this person is officially closed.
The record for this person is officially closed.
The record for this person is officially closed.
Eric N Goodman 24 Jan 1939 Male Under School Age Single 219 7
William A Shorter 08 Apr 1919 Male Lorry Driver Married 219 8
Marian A Shorter 27 Feb 1919 Female Housework Married 219 9

Name William A Shorter
Registration Date 1939
Registration Quarter Apr-May-Jun
Registration District Hailsham
Inferred County Sussex
Spouse Marian A Lane
Volume Number 2b
Page number 297

3 Children's births registered...see freebmd.

Name William Alfred Shorter
Death Age 86
Birth Date 8 Apr 1919
Registration Date May 2005
Registration District Haywards Heath
Inferred County West Sussex
Register Number 39A
District and Subdistrict 781/1A
Entry Number 89

Name Marian Annie Shorter
Death Age 87
Birth Date 27 Feb 1919
Registration Date Jun 2006
Registration District Brighton
Inferred County Sussex
Register Number B20B
District and Subdistrict 452/1B
Entry Number 061


The eldest of the three children
First name(s) Eric
Child's first name Michael, Robbie, Ealand
Last name Shorter
Sibling's first name(s) Henry, Helen
Sex Male
Working title Sussex express (Lewes, Ringmer, Chailey, Newick ed.)
Birth year 1947
Publication title Sussex Express
Age at death 51
Publication year 1998
Death year 1998
Publication date 06 Nov 1998
Death date 22 Oct 1998********************
Page number 4
Country New Zealand
Publication city Lewes
Other place South Chailey
Publication county Sussex
Other county Sussex
Publication region South East
Other country England
Publication country England
Spouse's first name(s) Jan
Record set British Newspaper Death & In Memoriam Notices***********
Father's first name(s) Bill
Category Newspapers & publications
Father's last name Shorter
Mother's first name(s) May
Collections from Great Britain, England, Australasia
Mother's last name Shorter
"Leaves widow Jan and two sons Michael & Robbie in New Zealand"

Name Eric Frederick Shorter
Gender Male
Birth Date 29 Oct 1946
Death Date 22 Oct 1998
Cemetery Pyes Pa Memorial Park
Burial or Cremation Place Tauranga, Tauranga City, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand

His widow is on NZ ER's through to 2010

Thank you for this extra information.

Deaths 1988 (>99%)
PEARSON FLORENCE ESTHER 26MR1899 HOVE 18 1054

Deaths 1989 (>99%)
PEARSON PERCY GAMBLE 23NO1922 HOVE 18 880

Percy is in a tree on Ancestry - complete with photograph

PEARSON, PERCY GAMBLE GAMBLE
GRO Reference: 1921 D Quarter in PRESCOT Volume 08B Page 1546

1939 Register
11 Clovelly Avenue, St Helens, St Helens C.B., Lancashire, England

Alfred Pearson 30 Jul 1882 Male Railway Wager Sheet Repairer Married 150 1
Elizabeth Pearson 29 May 1890 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 150 2
Elsie Colwell (Pearson) 14 Jun 1914 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties No Occupation Single 150 3
Elsie Walker (Pearson) 26 Apr 1918 Female Raiway Wager Sheet Metal Machinist Single 150 4
Percy G Pearson 23 Nov 1921 Male Junior Wager Sheet Repairer Single 150 5
Leslie R Pearson 14 Sep 1924 Male Errand Boy (Butcher) Single 150 6

His first marriage

Marriages Jun 1946 (>99%)
Evans Margaret J Pearson Llanelly 11a 2566
Pearson Peter G Evans Llanelly 11a 2566

Child of the marriage

Births Sep 1948 (>99%)
Pearson Barbara E Evans Prescot 10f 375
Sadly..........
Deaths Dec 1948 (>99%)
Pearson Barbara E 0 St.Helens 10f 431

2 further children according to Ancestry tree - both 'private'
The first wife is also a 'private' entry.

Thank you ErikaH