Genealogy Chat

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

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

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

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

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

???


Birth record for John Clarke
/ Mullingar
Name: John Clarke
Year of Birth: 1885
Group Registration ID: 10687403
SR District/Reg Area: Mullingar

John Joseph Clarke
15/5/1885
Parents John Clarke, saddler, and Kate, formerly Cunningham.

Another brother:


William Edmond Clarke
Ireland, Catholic Parish Registers, 1740-1900
Baptism May 1888 [ 20 May 1888 ]
Mullingar, County Westmeath, Ireland

Parents John Clarke [saddler] , Kate Cunningham




Birth record for William Clarke
/ Mullingar
Name: William Clarke [ William EDWARD Clarke ]
Year of Birth: 1888 [ 20 May 1888 ]
Group Registration ID: 11250843
SR District/Reg Area: Mullingar

???

John Joseph Clarke
in the Web: Ireland, Census, 1901
Name John Joseph Clarke
Gender Male
Marital Status Unmarried (Single)
Age 16
Birth Date abt 1885 [abt 1885]
Birth Place Co Westmeath
Residence Date 31 Mar 1901
House Number 52.7
Residence Place Amiens Street, North Dock, Dublin, Ireland
Relation to Head Nephew
Occupation Plumber's Apprentice
Religion Roman Catholic
Literacy Read and write
Household Members (Name) Age Relationship
James Peter Joseph Smyth 56 Head of Family (Head)
Mary Anne Smyth 58 Wife - Dublin
Isabella Smyth 28 Daughter
Lucy Smyth 18 Daughter
James L Smyth 20 Son
John Joseph Clarke 16 Nephew



Uncle & Aunt's marriage:

James Smyth
in the Ireland, Select Marriages, 1619-1898
Name James Smyth
Gender Male
Marital Status Single
Age 26
Birth Date 1839
Marriage Date 01 Nov 1865
Marriage Place St Michaels John, Dub, Ireland
Father Peter Smyth
Spouse Mary Anne Clarke [ 23]
FHL Film Number 101484
Reference ID 727

One of the witnesses: John Clarke.

Mary Anne's father: Patrick E Clarke, saddler.
Her address: 12 Great Longford Street

Possible baptism of Mary Anne ??? But a different church from the marriage. . . .


Baptism record for MARY ANNE CLARKE in 1842
Area - DUBLIN (RC), Parish/Church/Congregation - ST. ANDREW
Name: Mary Anne Clarke
Address:
Father: Patrick Clarke
Mother: Isabella


Therefore possible baptism of JJA's father John ???:


Baptism record for JOHN CLARKE in 1840
Area - DUBLIN (RC), Parish/Church/Congregation - ST. ANDREW
Name: John Clarke
Address:
Father: Patrick Clarke
Mother: Isabella

Great work Jink & AG.
Let's hope Maureen returns!!

Possibly Michael Charles in 1901 ???

Michael C Clarke
in the 1901 England Census
Name Michael C Clarke
Age 21
Estimated Birth Year abt 1880 [abt 1880]
Relation to Head Head
Gender Male
Birth Place Ireland
Civil parish Freshwater
Ecclesiastical parish Freshwater
County/Island Hampshire
Country England
Registration District Isle of Wight
Sub-registration district Calbourne
ED, institution, or vessel 11
Neighbors
Piece 1033
Folio 27
Page number 45
Household schedule number 243
Household Members (Name) Age Relationship
Michael C Clarke 21 Head

Address: The Redoubt Fort.

He's one of many gunners with the Royal Garrison Artillery.


Perhaps he's in this photo - although none of the people mentioned in the article are listed with him in 1901:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6f/Navy_and_Army_illustrated_1901-07-13.jpg
Captain Bray , in the article, was stationed at Sheerness at the time of the census.
If the photo was taken at Redoubt Fort, it must have been taken between 1st April and 25th June 1901.

Michael Charles's marriage:

Charles Michael Clarke
in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915
Name Charles Michael Clarke
Registration Year 1907 [1907]
Registration Quarter Apr-May-Jun
Registration District Stoke upon Trent
Inferred County Staffordshire
Volume 6b
Page 422
Records on Page (Name)
Charles Michael Clarke
Margaret Kelly

Please, could anyone with FMP look at "Royal Artillery Attestations 1883-1942"
for Michael C Clarke ? Thank you.

Jink20

Not seeing anything for Michael C. Four x Michael.

Do we have a service number anywhere?

Jude

NO Michael C

These are the results

Michael
Clarke
842424.....Attested 1934

Michael
Clarke
11001287 Attested 1940

Michael
Clarke
1123564 Attested 1940

Michael
Clarke
1157341 Attested 1942

Charles Edward Michael
Clarke
1116598 Attested 1940

Ancestry transcription of 1901 is inaccurate....there is NO second initial on the image.

1939 Register
52 Corporation Street, Stafford, Stafford M.B., Staffordshire, England
Michael C (H) Clarke 10 Jun 1880 Male County Court Bailiff Married 3 1
Margaret Clarke 06 Jul 1880 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 3 2
Constance E Gwilliam (Clarke) 12 Mar 1910 Female Typist Single 3 3
Noreen A E Chance (Clarke,White) 08 Jul 1911 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Single 3 4




Name Michael Charles Clarke
Death Age 74
Record Type Death
Birth Date abt 1880
Registration District Stoke-On-Trent
Death Date 1954
Death Place Staffordshire, England

A little additional info

John Clarke and Kate Cunningham married 18th June 1873.
Both of full age
He was a Saddler...his father Patrick (deceased) also a Saddler
Her father was Thomas Cunningham, a Labourer

Using a different search

First name(s) Michael
Attestation corps Dragoons
Last name Clarke
Discharge corps Dragoons
Birth year 1880
Document type Attestation
Birth parish Mullingar
Series WO 97
Birth town Mullingar
Series description Wo 97 - Chelsea Pensioners British Army Service Records 1760-1913
Birth county Westmeath
Archive reference WO 97/4535
Birth country Ireland
Box 4535
Service number 3864
Box record number 138
Regiment Dragoons
Country Ireland
Year 1898
Archive The National Archives
Attestation date 01 Mar 1898
Record set British Army Service Records
Attestation age years 18
Category Military, armed forces & conflict
Attestation age months 1
Subcategory Regimental & Service Records
Attestation service number 3864
Collections from Great Britain, UK Other

However, FMP links the above to the following

First name(s) Michael
Country Ireland
Last name Clarke
Volume 3
Birth year 1879
Page 126
Age 54
Record set Irish Deaths 1864 - 1958
Registration year 1933
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Registration quarter & year Jul - Sep 1933
Subcategory Civil Deaths & Burials
Registration district Mullingar
Collections from Ireland
County Westmeath

Accuracy of link depends on when in the year the man died

Looking at the images of the military record. the man was a Shoesmith on enlistment
Transferred to the Reserve April 1903, having served in S Africa from 10/99 to 10/02
N.O.K. Brothers - Patrick & Thomas Clarke, Dominick Street, Mullingar

Definitely NOT the man on IOW in 1901, but at least he's eliminated

@ HeyJudeB4Beatles - No we don't have a Service Number. I was hoping the Attestation record set would have been more productive, given the date span

@EH/ HJB4B- Thank you for looking