Appeal for information on a soldier

Numanoid817

http://www.rmfa92.org/appeal-for-information/

enfield

Do us the courtesy of telling us what you know about this man so far. There are no words in your post just a link, spam, virus's, phishing etc is spread by this means. I am not curious enough to click it.

the_syco

Numanoid817 wrote: »

http://www.rmfa92.org/appeal-for-information/

If you want info, you need to suppply the question!

This photo is of Company Serjeant Major William George Harrison of The 2nd Battalion Royal Munster Fusiliers. He was born in Bandon in Co. Cork in 1887 and was the son of Serjeant Major George Harrison also of The Munsters. We are trying to contact a family member as we have found additional information which may be of interest to the family. Contact can be made through The Secretary

Numanoid817

Sorry for just supplying a link with no info. I'm looking for relatives of a soldier called William Harrison who I came upon while doing some research. The link is to the website of The Royal Munster Fusiliers Association website where there is more information plus contact details for relatives if they come forward.

Numanoid817

enfield wrote: »

Do us the courtesy of telling us what you know about this man so far. There are no words in your post just a link, spam, virus's, phishing etc is spread by this means. I am not curious enough to click it.

Sorry for the lack of words etc. it has already been posted in the FB page as I am the mod on the Munsters page.

enfield

No bother Jean.

Numanoid817

enfield wrote: »

No bother Jean.

Not jean - Adrian.

Jean has given as much info as possible on Harrison as she has. I'm just trying to track down anyone who may be related to him. I've come across some artefacts which may interest his family

Regards. Adrian.

enfield

Ok Adrian. Its a tricky one, trying to find living relatives. I hope it works out successfully for you.
Kind regards.
Tom

the_syco

Numanoid817 wrote: »

I'm looking for relatives of a soldier called William Harrison who I came upon while doing some research.

I'm on the way to bed, but since you're looking for living relatives, check out this forum http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1288 and click the links sticky. Since Harrison is an English name, and he lived in Cork, there may not be many of them down there, so locating his birth cert, or a census with his name on it may be easier than usual. Once you find it, you can go from there. Also look through the births and deaths registries of the local churches; they're good for that.

the_syco

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FBZ8-2Z5 confirms his place of birth. Doesn't state what religion he is, though. Any idea? I ask as some of them have their own archive (and some are very good).

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/ is timing out with 503 errors. This would be what you'd want access to, as it'd list who would be residing with William, and maybe more info.

johnny_doyle

if I have the right man, he appears to have 5 brothers and sisters (Lily, Clara, Eveline, Cecil and Ernest) but tracking down a family tree is proving elusive.

In the 1911 UK census he is listed as George Harrison, aged 23, in Jellalabad Barracks, Tidworth; a Musician/Corporal with the 2nd RMF.

He has 3 Medal Index Cards on Ancestry :

1 as G Harrison 7096 (CSM, 1914 Star, Clasp and Rose, Prisoner of War?). Cross reference to card below
1 as WG Harrison 7096 (CSM, WOII, 1914 Star, Clasp and Rose, Victory Medal and British War Medal) Cross reference to card above.
1 WG Harrison but with incorrect index showing number as 3/9076 rather than 7096. Mentioned in Dispatches (see London Gazette link below)

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/30441/supplements/13373/page.pdf

johnny_doyle

looks like the grandfather was also a Sgt Major going by the 1871 UK census. Appears to have had about 8 children, 4 born in Ireland, 1 x St Helena, 1 x Aldershot, 1 x Gosport, 1 x Warrington.

Information about descendants appears scarce at the moment.

The grandfather, William Harrison, is listed as living in the Isle of Man in 1911 (an army pensioner), born Sheffield, Yorkshire. The wife, Julia Harrison, is listed as born Fermoy, Co Cork, 11 children born in total, 6 still alive in 1911.


Did the father, George Harrison, get the DCM during the Boer War? Number 1516?

johnny_doyle

proving an elusive family.

the youngest brother, Ernest Edwin Harrison, appears to have emigrated to Canada in Sept 1922, aged 20, a motor mechanic. Gives a sister (Mrs Mahony) as a relative in area of departure (Queenstown) and another sister (married with a surname I can't read) with an address as 219 Riverdale Ave, Toronto.

Too young to be in WW1. Possibly too old for WW2?

His fiance Lillian Keefe travelled to Canada in 1930 to join him and gives his address as 129 Hogarth Ave, Toronto. 2 children both appear to have died at or just after birth (1932 and 1935). She gives her parents address as Mardyke, Cork.

Numanoid817

johnny_doyle wrote: »

looks like the grandfather was also a Sgt Major going by the 1871 UK census. Appears to have had about 8 children, 4 born in Ireland, 1 x St Helena, 1 x Aldershot, 1 x Gosport, 1 x Warrington.

Information about descendants appears scarce at the moment.

The grandfather, William Harrison, is listed as living in the Isle of Man in 1911 (an army pensioner), born Sheffield, Yorkshire. The wife, Julia Harrison, is listed as born Fermoy, Co Cork, 11 children born in total, 6 still alive in 1911.


Did the father, George Harrison, get the DCM during the Boer War? Number 1516?

Yes indeed. That's the man. I think it may have been awarded during the first Zulu war though.

johnny_doyle

the LG entry for the DCM is dated 1901

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/27359/pages/6328/page.pdf

The following is all that appears on the Anglo-Boer War website unfortunately :

Harrison George 1516 Sergeant Major LS&GC Medal 1 Jan 96
Source: DCM recipients

Numanoid817

Thanks to you all for providing so much information. You really have painted at least some of what seems to be a quite large picture. As it happens, and the reason why I'd like to find some family is that a good friend of mine picked up a fairly large family portrait of what was then an unknown family. After I done some research I am 100% sure that the portrait is of the Harrison family some time around 1905. The types of uniforms worn in the picture by Sgt Maj Harrison and his son give a good indication of the year. The idea of returning this portrait to the rightful family seems to me the right thing to do. I know it's a long shot but who knows??

johnny_doyle

any chance of uploading a photo of the picture?

Numanoid817

johnny_doyle wrote: »

any chance of uploading a photo of the picture?

Indeed. But I won't get near a pc before Sunday.

johnny_doyle

have you had any luck with information via any other sources?

Numanoid817

johnny_doyle wrote: »

have you had any luck with information via any other sources?

Unfortunately no help from any of the other sources i searched on. Lots of info from you guys though. Some i already had and some i didn't so thanks for that. The family were indeed Church of Ireland as stated in the 1911 census when the family were living in Blackrock, Cork. Incidentally, that's where i'm living now but none of the locals seem to remember any Harrisons living in the area at any time. The mother isn't on the 1911 census so i presume she may have died at some stage between 1907 (when her husband retired from the army) and 1911.

I've posted some of the documentation i have plus the family picture which is at the centre of my original inquiry..

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Cork/Blackrock/Knockrea/401656/

johnny_doyle

Numanoid817 wrote: »

Unfortunately no help from any of the other sources i searched on. Lots of info from you guys though. Some i already had and some i didn't so thanks for that. The family were indeed Church of Ireland as stated in the 1911 census when the family were living in Blackrock, Cork. Incidentally, that's where i'm living now but none of the locals seem to remember any Harrisons living in the area at any time. The mother isn't on the 1911 census so i presume she may have died at some stage between 1907 (when her husband retired from the army) and 1911.

I've posted some of the documentation i have plus the family picture which is at the centre of my original inquiry..

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Cork/Blackrock/Knockrea/401656/

that's a nice family photo.

The service record shows the DCM awarded in 1902. His Queen's South Africa medal has State Clasps (Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal) rather than battle clasps.

His wife is listed as Margaret Ann Keeffe. There is a death record for a Margaret Anne Harrison in Co Cork, 1911 after the census
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FRJ6-8MD

Possibly Margaret on the 1911 census? The number of years married, number of children born, children still alive is close to the data George put on the 1911 census record (plus George isn't listed as a widower)

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Cork/Templebreedy/Crosshaven/418639/

Possibly a family link between Margaret Keeffe and Lilian Keefe who married Ernest Harrison?

johnny_doyle

looks like the sister married in Canada was Clara Margaret Harrison to a Frederick William Drowley

Name: Frederick Wm Drowley
Birth Place: Ireland
Age: 23
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1891
Father Name: Fred Wm Drowley
Mother Name: Susan Proctor Drowley
Spouse Name: Clara Margaret Harrison
Spouse's Age: 20
Spouse Birth Year: abt 1894
Spouse Birth Place: Ireland
Spouse Father Name: George Harrison
Spouse Mother Name: Margaret Ann Kuffe Harrison
Marriage Date: 2 Jul 1914
Marriage County or District: York

The Drowleys appear to be from Co Cork according to Frederick Drowleys attestation papers

Birth record shows Clonakilty

johnny_doyle

F. W. DROWLEY

When he was fifteen F. W. Drowley left
the south shores of Ireland to begin his
career in Canada. The Canadian Ship-
building Company gave him his first oppor-
tunity. Later he joined other companies
from which he obtained valuable experi-
ence in machine shop practice and drafting.
In 1911 Mr. Drowley entered the service
of the Toronto Railway Company as a
trackman. In a short time he advanced
through the positions of timekeeper, drafts-
man, general foreman and assistant super-
intendent. When the Toronto Transporta-
tion Commission took over the electric
railways, he was appointed roadniaster.

Mr. Drowley served overseas in the
World War with the First Battalion,
Canadian Railway Troops.

http://archive.org/stream/electricrailwayj752mcgrrich/electricrailwayj752mcgrrich_djvu.txt

johnny_doyle

the Ellis Island website shows the Drowley family arriving in New York in April 1906. Note to say they are travelling onward to Toronto to the wife's cousin.

They appear on the 1901 census in Kinsale with the father as a Coastguard

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Cork/Kinsale_Urban/Hogans_Row/1122559/

His Coastguard record is available via the National Archives website


It would appear that Ernest and Lillian (nee Keefe) Harrison adopted a daughter

http://www.gsadoptionregistry.com/canada.html

Numanoid817

Thanks again for all this info. I'm going to start writing a letter to all the Harrisons in The 02 area phone book so hopefully that'll do some good.

celica00

im curious, u had any luck?

Numanoid817

Hi all,
Just a note to let you all know that i have made contact with a member of the Harrison family from Toronto and the information is being put together at the moment on a large family picture. Thank you all again for your invaluable help and for providing so much information.

cindyklh

Hello All,

Ernest Edwin Harrison and Lillian Jane Harrison were my grandparents. I just recently stumbled upon this discussion while researching my family tree. My father Brian was their son. I've asked around and no one in my family recalls being contacted re the photo so I'm more than curious what may have happened......