Genealogy Chat

Parents' marriage:

Kate Cunningham
in the Ireland, Catholic Parish Registers, 1655-1915
Name Kate Cunningham
Gender Female
Event Type Marriage
Marriage Date Jun 1873
Marriage Place Mullingar, Ireland, Ireland
Parish Variants Gaynstown, Mullingar, Walshestown and Gaynstown, Walshestown
Diocese Meath
Spouse
John Clarke

A good find, Jink.

Here's the brother/NOK Charles:

Michael Charles Clarke
in the 1911 England Census
Name Michael Charles Clarke
Age in 1911 31
Estimated Birth Year abt 1880 [abt 1880]
Relation to Head Head
Gender Male
Birth Place Mullingar Meeth, Ireland <<<<<<<<<<<
Civil parish Trentham
County/Island Staffordshire
Country England
Street Address Ash Green, Trentham, Stoke On Trent, Staffs <<<<<<<<<
Marital Status Married
Occupation County Police Constable
Registration District Number 358
Sub-registration district Stone
ED, institution, or vessel 13
Piece 16378
Household Members (Name) Age Relationship
Michael Charles Clarke 31 Head
Margaret Clarke 31 Wife
Kathleen Millicent Clarke 2 Daughter
Constance Eileen Clarke 1


Michael Charles Clarke
in the 1921 England Census
Name Michael Charles Clarke
Gender Male
Marital Status Married
Age 41
Relation to Head Head
Estimated Birth Year 1880
Birth Place Mullingar, Westmeath, Ireland
Residence Date 1921
Residence Street Address 100 High St, Hanford Stoke on Trent
Residence Place Trentham, Staffordshire, England
Occupation Police Constable
Occupation Code 809/6
Employer The Staffs County & Constable
Employer Code 720
Place of Work Heversham Stoke on Trent
Number of Children Under 16 3
Inhabited Y
Parliamentary Division Staffordshire Pc, Stone Div.
Registration District Stone
Registration District Number 358
Sub registration district Stone
Sub Registration District Number 1
Respondent Mr Michael C Clarke
Enumeration District Name Stone Rd
Enumeration District 11
Schedule 243
Schedule Type Code E
Household Members (Name) Age Relationship
Michael Charles Clarke 41 Head
Margaret Clarke 41 Wife
Kathleen M Clarke 13 Daughter
Constance Ieleen Clarke 11 Daughter
Noreen Ann Elizabeth Clarke 9 Daughter



Michael Charles Clarke
in the Ireland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1620-1911
Name Michael Charles Clarke
Gender Male
Birth Date 10 Jun 1880
Birth Place Mullingar, Westmeath, Ireland
Father John Clarke [saddler]
Mother Kate Cunningham Clarke
FHL Film Number 256053

22 C.C.S was located at Boix-Leux-Au-Mont (Boisleux-au-Mont)

16 F.A was attached to 6th Division as was 459 Company RE

The War Diaries for 459 Coy are held at the National Archives website:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7352322

I'll post this, don't know if it's useful..

ArgyllGran 16 Feb 2026 18:03
1939 for our interest/reference:
John Clarke
Birth Date 24 May 1888

This lead me to


British Army World War I Service Records, 1914-1920

John Clarke
Sapper
Regiment Royal Engineers
Regiment Number 159870
Attested 19 Feb 1916
Age 28 yrs 8 months
Trade Steam pipe fitter
Born Mullinger
Birth date in margin reads 24/05/8(7?)
Residence 24 Holland St, Blackfriars SE

NOK listed Charles Clarke
Ashgreen ,Trentham, Staffs
Relationship (brother?)

Married
Minnie Sarah Ford
Register Office, Southwark, London
August 12th 1916

Home 19/02/1916- 03/11/1916
BEF 04/11/1916

Served with -
- 2nd Entrenching Battion 20/11/1916
- 459 Company 05/05/1917
Admitted to Hospital 23/05/1917
Admitted 16 Field Amb. 06/02/1918
Transferred to Transportation Branch RE 19/09/1918
and issued with new service number
WR 283873 WR refers to Waterways and Railways
- 4 Light Rail Company 08/11/1918
22 Casualty Clearing Station 28/11/1918

Unfortunately, the person with JJAC in her tree has NO info about him other than marriage and death

You need his marriage cert, in the hope that he knew his father and gave accurate info about him

ErikaH

Thank you i will do.

Why don’t you get in touch with the person on Ancestry who has him in his/her tree?

The additional forenames could be an affectation, as he didn’t use them when he married

Minnie’s MMN was Rix…….confirming the link shown on 1921 census

Re Johns birth -
that can only be his birth in May 1887 if his middle names Joseph Aloysius were added after registration - perhaps at baptism.

I can't find any John Clark(e) birth registered with those middle names.

You need his marriage cert to check his father's name.

Maureen -
Note the addition to my post above, showing that Florence Mercer was Minnie's cousin.

ADDED:

BUT NO! Bother! It was a good theory!

It looks as if Minnie's father Charles's sister may not be the right Elizabeth.
She was born in Langley, Bucks and her family was there - so why marry in Brixton?

Sadly, I think this is Charles's sister:

Elisabeth Ford
in the 1871 England Census
Name Elisabeth Ford
Age 22
Estimated Birth Year 1849
Gender Female
Where born Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England
Civil parish Hayes Norwood
Ecclesiastical parish Hayes
County/Island Middlesex
Country England
Registration District Uxbridge
Sub-registration district Hayes
ED, institution, or vessel The Hanwell Lunatic Asylum
Household schedule number 1
Piece 1311
Folio 116
Page number 8


???
Elizabeth Ford
in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915
Name Elizabeth Ford
Age 57
Estimated Birth Year abt 1851 [abt 1851]
Registration Quarter Apr-May-Jun
Death Registration Place Uxbridge, Middlesex, United Kingdom
Death Date Jun 1908
Inferred Death Place Middlesex, United Kingdom
Volume 3a
Page 17

ArgyllGran

thank you

I found this just now also, googled searched Horsham and this place in Sept 1939 was initially chosen as a reception area for evacuees from London, 3000 children by train from 1st Sept 1939. Agree this will be them,

I find that for some reason many of the 1939 dob are out by 1yr, I think i found John in Dublin registed 27th May 1887 only child born in the May.

Minnie with a closed record in 1939.
The closed record has a first name involving a tail below the line - presumably the Y in May.

Minnie S Clarke
in the 1939 England and Wales Register
Name Minnie S Clarke
Gender Female
Marital Status Married
Birth Date 5 Feb 1885
Residence Date 1939
Address Holly Bank
Residence Place Horsham, Sussex, England
Occupation Unpaid Domestic Duties
Line Number 26
Schedule Number 6
Sub Schedule Number 4
Enumeration District Engg
Borough Horsham
Registration District 81/2
Household Members (Name) Gender Birth Year
Frederick G Mercer Male 1880
Florence E Mercer Female 1878
Arthur J Mercer Male 1881
Minnie S Clarke Female 1885
This record is officially closed.


DOB would fit with her birth registration in 1st qr of 1885.

FORD, MINNIE SARAH mmn RIX
GRO Reference: 1885 M Quarter in HOLBORN Volume 01B Page 724


ADDED:
Florence Mercer (nee Jones) is Minnie's cousin

[ Well, I thought she was - but see my next post ]:

JONES, FLORENCE ELIZABETH mmn FORD
GRO Reference: 1879 M Quarter in BRENTFORD Volume 03A Page 111


Florence's parents (her marriage record gives father's name Charles):

Marriages Dec 1876 (>99%)
Ford Elizabeth Brentford 3a 118
Jones Charles Brentford 3a 118


In 1911 Minnie is at The Peacock with her aunt, as in 1921.

1891:

Charles Ford
in the 1891 England Census
Name Charles Ford
Gender Male
Age 35
Relationship Head
Birth Year 1856
Spouse
Mary Ann Ford
Child
Minnie L Ford
Charles W Ford
Birth Place Langley, Buckinghamshire, England
Civil parish Liberty of Saffron Hill
Residence Place London, Liberty of Saffron Hill, London, England
Registration District Holborn
Sub registration district Saffron Hill
ED, Institution or Vessel 3
Neighbors
Piece 221
Folio 62
Household Members (Name) Age Relationship
Charles Ford 35 Head
Mary Ann Ford 35 Wife
Minnie L Ford 6 Daughter <<<<<<<<<<<<
Charles W Ford 2 Son


Marriages Sep 1883 (>99%)
FORD Charles Eton 3a 775
RIX Mary Ann Eton 3a 775


Charles with his sister Elizabeth, the future Mrs Jones:

[ EDIT: NO! See my next post. ]

Charles Ford
in the 1861 England Census
Name Charles Ford
Gender Male
Age 4
Relation Son
Estimated Birth Year 1857
Father's Name William Ford
Mother's Name Jonah Ford
Where born Langley, Buckinghamshire, England
Civil parish Langley Marish
County/Island Buckinghamshire
Country England
Registration District Eton
Sub-registration district Iver
ED, institution, or vessel 11d
Neighbors
Household schedule number 108
Piece 851
Folio 84
Page number 20
Household Members (Name) Age Relationship
William Ford 46 Head
Jonah Ford 46 Wife
Martha Ford 19 Daughter
Henry Ford 16 Son
Sarah M Ford 12 Daughter
Elizabeth Ford 10 Daughter <<<<<<<<<<
Thomas Ford 8 Son
Charles Ford 4 Son

No sign of his birth on irishgenealogy.ie - at least not in the Dublin area.


1939 for our interest/reference:

John Clarke
in the 1939 England and Wales Register
Name John Clarke
Gender Male
Marital Status Married
Birth Date 24 May 1888
Residence Date 1939
Address 2 Ducie Street
Residence Place Lambeth, London, England
Occupation Sprinkler Erector Heavy Wo??
Line Number 37
Schedule Number 17
Sub Schedule Number 1
Enumeration District Anll
Borough Lambeth
Registration District 22/4
Household Members (Name) Gender Birth Year
John Clarke Male 1888


Minnie and May must be somewhere else - they're not with John on the 1939 Register, though Minnie is listed at that address on the ER.

According to a tree on Ancestry his full name was John Joseph Aloysius

You don’t need DoB to search Irish births…….just a year +/- 1 or 2

ErikaH

Using the ER register found them in Ducie Street Brixton (near Ferndale address) thank you now found John Clarke needed dob to search Iris Births.

Thank you ErikaH

On 1927 ER, they were at 114 Ferndale Road, Brixton

:-D :-D :-D

I don't see them in 1939. Perhaps they were in Ireland?

EDIT: Oops! Snap, ErikaH!

24 Holland Street does not appear on 1939 Register

Thank you all for your search, i thought maybe extra eyes could find them.