Trying to find JAMES WILSON - a.k.a. - JAMES FINBOW

christopherpm · Post by **christopherpm** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 11:15 am

I'm trying to find some history on my Grandfather. From what I can tell, he was born James Wilson, but later "adopted" the surname of Finbow which was his mothers Maiden surname.

I believe he was born between 1900 and 1902 because his marriage certificate has him at age 20 on 21st December 1921.

He was a bandsman in the 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders.

His father (according to the marriage certificate) was George Edward Wilson, and his mother Hannah Wilson, now Murrell, Maiden Surname Finbow.

He married Lily Barr - Father Archibald Barr, Mother Lily Barr (Maiden Surname McColl)

James led a bit of a "naughty" life, being jailed in Wormwood Scrubs for bigamy when he married my Grandmother Ellen Jenner in 1929. At the time of the marriage, he was using the surname of Finbow. From what I understand, he had another wife (I assume later on) and had a male child (still living, so I cannot mention the name).

Finally, I am led to believe that James died in 1964 in or around London.

I have not managed to find out any other information about James and his ancestry at all, and would love to hear from anyone who can add to the story...

Thanks

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 12:26 pm

Hi Christoher
and welcome to Talking Scot

Have you treid a seach for the marriage of his parents George Edward Wilson and Hannah Finbow? There cannot be too many results with that combination of names.
Do you believe they were married in Scotland and that your grandfather was born there? Where did your grandfather marry in 1921? What was the given occupation of his father at the time of Jame's marriage in 1921?

best wishes
Lesley

WilmaM · Post by **WilmaM** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 12:59 pm

Looking for a James Wilson in Scotland isn't going to be an easy task

Finbow isn't a common name but SP isn't throwing up anything for a Hannah/Ann Finbow so I'd guess she's from outwith Scotland.

Would finding an Army record help?

christopherpm · Post by **christopherpm** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 8:55 pm

LesleyB wrote:Hi Christoher
and welcome to Talking Scot

Have you treid a seach for the marriage of his parents George Edward Wilson and Hannah Finbow? There cannot be too many results with that combination of names.
Do you believe they were married in Scotland and that your grandfather was born there? Where did your grandfather marry in 1921? What was the given occupation of his father at the time of Jame's marriage in 1921?

best wishes
Lesley

Hi Lesley,

I cannot find any trace of George Edward Wilson and Hannah Finbow, but I can find the marriage of James Wilson and Lily Barr on Scotlands People - they were both living in Glasgow at the time of their marriage.

I don't honestly have any clue as to where he was born - my mother was very young when he was taken away and imprisoned - she doesn't remember anything about him, and so I'm told, my Grandmother refused to talk about him when she was alive - so none of her children know anything at all about him.

At the time of marriage, George Edward Wilson is listed as General Labourer (deceased), and Lily's father is listed as a cab driver.

Chris

christopherpm · Post by **christopherpm** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 8:58 pm

WilmaM wrote:Would finding an Army record help?

I have tried this. The Gordon Highlanders are no more, and the archive is run by volunteers. I was sent a photocopy of a possible photo, but it was pointed out by the archivist, that he was wearing a medal in the photograph that he shouldn't have been wearing if he was the same James Wilson that I was looking for (something to do with his age). I showed the picture to my mother, but she didn't recognise him - but as mentioned in my post above, she was very young when he was taken away....

Chris

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 9:38 pm

Hi Chris

A surname search for Finbow shows the following on SP:
Census 1891 - 1
Statutory Register Births 1855 - 2006 - 4
Statutory Register Deaths 1855 - 2006 - 2
so there are a few around.

The births were all well after 1910 so not what we are looking for.
Playing around with the search criteria, the 1891 Finbow is a George Finbow, aged 25, living in Roxburgh. Not sure this is any help, really...

Best wishes
Lesley

Post by **AndrewP** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 9:51 pm

Hi Chris,

From 1888 to 1959 there are 11 Fenbow births, all in the Dundee area. From 1913 to very recently there are 12 Fenbow deaths, mostly in the Dundee area. Could they be related? Apart from the very few Finbow people that Lesley mentioned above, Fenbow was all that was found by the wildcard search for F*nbo*.

All the best,

AndrewP

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 10:00 pm

After a Google I see the name can also turn up as Phinbow and no doubt Phenbow too....but none with those variations it seems in Scotland.

Best wishes
Lesley

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 11:37 pm

Hi Christopher
I found this post which seems to indicate that James was born 1901 in Lambeth.
http://boards.ancestry.myfamily.com/sur ... 21/mb.ashx
I'm guessing that chris15345 may be you?

And on Free BMD there does appear to be a likely birth:
Births Sep 1901
FINBOW James Lambeth 1d 413

Could this be your man? Beginning to wonder if there was a marriage for his parents, given the surname used here...

You would need to order up the cert to see parent details but it looks like it might just be worth it, again, given the rare surname. Cost is £7
http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/
..but maybe you have already followed this one up and he is not your grandfather?

Best wishes
Lesley

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Thu Aug 06, 2009 11:56 pm

A Hannah Finbow appears to marry a William G Murrell in Ipswich in the March quarter of 1913 (Free BMD). There really can't be that many Hannah Finbows marrying Murrells.... ....but that appears to make sense of the NOW Murrell in 1921.

From good ol' FreeBMD:
Marriages Mar 1913
Finbow Hannah Murrell Ipswich 4a 1653
Murrell William G Finbow Ipswich 4a 1653

I may be wrong, but my guess is that George & Hannah did not marry. This may explain why James is registered as Finbow, uses Finbow as a surname and why, when Hannah married in 1913 she is named as Finbow.
It may well be that if James was illegitimate that he, like many others in the same position, would fudge the situation a little at the time of his marriage.

But it may be an even mre complex story as in the post linked above, it states:

I believe his father was Robert George Finbow.

That 1913 marriage, if you believe it to be the correct Hannah, will give you her father's name. Ordering details as per post above.