Where's Wally!

Elizabetha

Hi all, Im looking for a little help. I'm trying to find the birth place of my great great grandfather Walter Skerrett. He died in 1908 aged 38 in the adelaide hospital in Dublin. He joined the Dublin Fusiliers in 1885 apparently aged 18. He left the army in 1907. He was married in 1890 in kildare to Teresa Canavan. His dad was George and his grandmother was named anne of 5 st alban's road dublin on one of his army service sheets. I've ran out of places to look at this stage so any suggestions at all will be appreciated.

ath262

Ancestry has a Royal Hospital Chelsea / Fold3 result for a Walter Skerrett discharged from the Royal Dublin Fusiliers 1907 age 40, his place of birth is given as "St. Anne's Dublin"

You need a Fold3 subscription to see the actual record

added : marriage is Church of Ireland, an Ellen Skerrett is one of the witnesses, might be related...a sister ?

Hermy

Have you found Walter on the 1901 Ireland census?

He's in a barracks in Naas but his name has been mistranscribed as Sterrette.

There's a note on the return for his wife and children that the head of the family is returned on Form H (barracks return).

Elizabetha

Hi Hermy, thanks for your reply. I had seen that he was on form H but I cant see Sterrette, Where abouts is this?

Elizabetha

sorry hermy, missed your link, Ive got him. Thank you.

Elizabetha

Still no birth record though!

Hermy

No - and I can't find a birth or baptism for him either.

Nor can I find anything for his father George, the slater, either.

There are two other Skerrett slaters in Dublin - Henry in Cork Street and John from Liffey Street who married Anne Egan in 1854.

55Gem

This is the best I could come up with.

The Army records gives St. Anne's but the Census says Walter was born County Dublin.

There is no sign of George, no sign of a Walter birth and the marriage has an Ellen Skerrett as witness.

In 1882 a William Walter is born to Henry Skerrett (slater) and Jane Newman in Rathdown district, the family then move into the city and daughter Anne is born 1883 5 St. Albans Road. In 1911 Jane says she had 11 children 9 living. It would be interesting to see if any were Ellen.

this family seem to be in St. Catherine's rather than St. Anne's on the few records I looked at. Are they worth looking at some more?

William Walter 2026243.pdf (irishgenealogy.ie)

Anne 2006476.pdf (irishgenealogy.ie)

1911 National Archives: Census of Ireland 1911

Hermy

Good work Gem!

pinkypinky

Several more children in the Dublin South SRD to that couple but no Ellen. There's also a family belonging to Theophilus Skerrett & Bridget Keegan.

This name is absolutely ripe for mistranscription. Presume you have looked at Sherrett and variations on the number of Rs and Ts.

Elizabetha

Thanks Gem! I had seen that family already and assumed they were cousins of my missing George maybe. But I totally missed Anne being born and living at 5 St albans road. This is the address that Walter put down for his next of kin before he marred. He stated that his grandmother Anne Skerrett was living there. I have sent away for Walter Skerretts army service records, I gave them the little information I had including his service number 2301. They emailed me to say they have found the service number and will send me on what records they have, they did say however that the name they have attached to the service number is F Skerrett and not W Skerrett. I don't know what to make of that. Thank you so much everyone for your suggestions and help

55Gem

This looks like Walter is buried in Mount Jerome on IGP if I'm reading it correctly it appears his grave can't be found and the photographer is calling it a Wallis/Skerrett grave.

igp-web.com/IGPArchives/ire/dublin/photos/tombstones/1mj/mt-jerome-236.htm number 35193

euro_girl21

There are a number of Army records on FMP for Walter Skerrett, Royal Dublin Fusiliers in the British Army Records series. He attested 7 Nov 1885. There is a list of seven children in the records including exact dates and place of birth including William Charles 1892, Therese Marion 1894 etc. Have you accessed those? It would mean you dont have to wait for them.

55Gem

If Walter put his grandmother as his next of kin wouldn’t that indicate both his parents were dead before 1890.

Elizabetha

Hi Gem, yes I received the information about his grave last week. He is in an unmarked grave along with Elizabeth Wallis, she was previously married to james williams and was nee Skerrett. Edwin George Wallis, her second husband, Elizabeth Williams her daughter and Ella Wallis. Yes Im assuming Walters parents were dead, or in a different country? Yes Euro Girl Ive seen the online army records and I'm hoping that the records Im waiting for might have more information, another piece of the puzzle