Matching prison records to own research

mindhorn

Edward and Lawrence Whelan - possible match.jpg

I stumbled across the attached today and I'm wondering if there's any other way of confirming if this is the same Whelan family I have been researching. I have a few records of Edward, Laurence and Joseph.

Edward - born 1890 on East Essex Street (not Foynes Street (?) - maybe that's Fownes Street - if so, that's just around the corner). He was a labourer up until at least 1916 and then listed as an ex-solider on his son's birth certificate in 1920. On the prison record it states that he was blind in his right eye so it would be a little unusual that he was able to enlist, no?

Laurence - born 1892 on Upper Abbey Street (matches the prison record). Married in 1925 so was single at the time.

Joseph - According to the prison record, their father was living in Selby, Yorkshire at the time. I have no record of this but he was in the army in 1916.

Is there enough there to confirm that this is the same family I'm researching? I'm always reluctant to add any records to my file unless I'm 100% sure.

Edit - seems difficult to make out the text in the .jpg attached so here's the Ancestry link: https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/3121715:61943?tid=171413345&pid=432222124989&hid=1047457890277

pinkypinky

Certainly looks promising.

Have you looked at newspapers to see if it was reported?

Regarding the father - army record would track his movements.

Have you traced the men forward?

And - are you related to them? Any DNA contenders you could compare with?

mindhorn

I forgot I still have an INA subscription so thanks for the prompt. Found an article from March 1914 that doesn't give their addresses but mentions the areas they were targetting (they lived off Pearse St so not a long walk to work).

As for the father, I have his service card but no mention of Selby/Yorkshire. And I have a few records for the sons after 1914 but I don't think these really help. I am related to them and have exhausted all connections up to now.

After finding the attached article I'm now 99% sure this is the same family.

pinkypinky

Great work!

Re: service records. Usually, if stationed in the UK, it just says 'home' for a period, but you can track the regimental movements online and find whereabouts. I did this with one of my military ancestors. His only non 'home' period was in Malta, but I know from looking into the Royal Munster Fusiliers that he was in Tralee, Pembrokeshire, Dover and Limerick.

mindhorn

Thanks. How do I go about tracking his movements? I've used Fold3 and searched the National Army Museum records in the past and found some records belonging to his sons but nothing for him.

pinkypinky

Google the regimental history (make sure you know which battalion because they're not always all together).