Find Ancestors

I have been trying for months to find any record at all of my G Grandfather and so far i am having no luck at all. All i know is that his name was John William Sparrow Preston, Born Oct 1880. We believe that he may have been from Leicester, however the only birth record that i can find is for Dec Quarter in Blackburn. Please can anyone help me find him on the census, as i don't know where else to look. Many thanks in advance Julie. P/S I have found an Abraham Sparrow Preston born in 1867 wolverhampton,I do think there is a connection but don't know where, as he was too young to be John's father and Abraham was illigitimate.

What was his mothers name?

Hi Marian, I really do not know who John's parents were. Abraham's mother was Elizabeth Preston born 1849 Wolverhampton, however she married John Carrington in 1868, the year after Abraham was born and had a boat load of children with him. Abraham reverted to his birth name in 1891 when he married Susannah Sergeant, She was born 1873 and they had quite a few children aswell, including a John W, however he was born in 1897, so he is definatly not my John W. Thanks for your help, Julie

Where did you get the John William Sparrow from? A marriage cert? And the date of birth, where is that from?

Julie..may i ask where your information for John had come from....just wondering how acurate it is .... Also do you know if John married ?...just that if he married the cert. would hopefully give a fathers name...or do you already have it ? Esta

Sorry to sound thick but is his surname Sparrow or Preston? Georgina.

do you have his marriage certificate?

Theres this one? The Sparrow bit may be an add on later - I would have thought? Name: John William Preston Year of Registration: 1879 Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun DISTRICT: Oakham County: Leicestershire, Rutland Volume: 7a Page: 316 (click to see others on page) Do you have his marriage cert? Obviously not, or youd know his fathers name. Ok, do you know the name of his wife please and where/when they married? And the names of their children in case there is an unusual one which will place the family

Hi Marian, No from my Grandfather's Birth cert, My Great Grandparent's were never married as far as we know... this is why i am having problems finding him. My G Grandmother was Sarah Meeds nee Sawyers, she was married however her 1st husband was killed in action in ww1, she was from Shoreham, Sussex. Thanks Julie x

Hi Georgina, The surname is both Sparrow-Preston, That is how it appears on the death cert and my grandad's birth cert. Julie x

And his birth date, who gave that? What was his occupation? Do you know if there were any siblings at all? Do you know if he fought in WW1 aswell?

Hi ya, His birth was i think 11th of Oct 1880. He died in Brighton 1955 aged 75. He was an engineers paint sprayer, however he was a staff sergeant in the army in WW1. My mum's cousin has given us quite a lot of info, but this is all we know. x

Did she find his military record do you know?

Theres nothing coming up for WW1 for either a Sparrow-Preston or John William Sparrow with Preston as the surname.

Hi Heather, Not as far as i know, I had a look on the National Archives, But there are so many Prestons, it is difficult to decipher which one is which, he was injured in the war, causing him to lose a leg, would i be able to trace him through medical records? Julie x

I googled Sparrow Preston - are you the Julie looking on GR for Abraham? I suppose so, shame, thought it may be a lead. I thought you said Sparrow-Preston was the way the surname was written? You see that strikes me as possibly someone born as Sparrow whose mother goes on to marry a Preston. May be, may be not? Oh just seen about his injury. Well, he would have got an army pension so hopefully Kew may hold his papers. But then, why isnt his medal card coming up on there???

Hi heather, Yes i was the one who added that, but have ruled that one out, because of the ages and also on Abrahams birth cert Sparrow is a Middle name, where as on John's death cert and my Grandad's Birth cert it is a double name... so quite confusing. Julie x

Sorry Julie, there are many many Prestons, but Im blowed if I can find a Sparrow-Preston. May be you could ask that relative how she knows about his army career as he isnt coming up on the WW1 medals site. Ask if she has any pictures and anything with his name on it anywhere. Was he in same corps as the man who died?

Hi Heather, I will ask regarding the Army, and see if i can find anymore info that way. As i said earlier, the only birth i could find in 1880 was for a John William Preston, born in Blackburn Dec Quarter, I have ordered the cert from gro and dispatch date is 19th of Dec.. Hopefully it wil have Sparrow on there as well, or Mothers Maiden name as Sparrow. I don't know what else to try. With war records my Grandad was in the Navy, I have his war medals card, his birth was registered as Sparrow Preston, but on medal cards it is only Preston. So that could also be a possibility for John. Thank you for your help.. I really do appreciate it. Julie x

I wouldnt trust a date of birth given by a relative Julie, they can be way out. Did you think that one in Leicester was a likely chance. Wait now til you get more info re the army service.