Genealogy Chat

Hi I have some 'love letters' that date from 1st WWar to a Great Aunt of mine. I would love to trace the family of the man who wrote them. They are all written in pencil and I can't make out his surname but his name and details appear to be: PRV Clarie S Cannell(?) but I DO have the following details: 191861 Signal Depot: R/6, Newport Pagnell. It seems, from the details of the letters, he trained at Newport Pagnell and Fenny Stratford before being sent to the front. Can I trace him anywhere by his army number and not his name as I just can't read it clearly to be sure. My sense is he sadly died in WW1 as letters and postcards abruptly stop. I've looked at War Graves site but can't find him amongst deceased? Army no may be my only hope of tracing his surviving family? Thanks for replies, can I look for a war medal card on line? Where do I look? Thanks!

Have you looked for a war medal card for him? you can put in a word or number and it looks for a match. for example if you know his is number in the army is wo/99999 you can look for a match UPDATED I think I've found him!!! www.documentsonline.nationalarchives.gov.uk Medal card of Cannell, Clarence D Corps: Royal Engineers Regiment No: 191861 Rank: Sapper Date: 1914-1920 Catalogue Ref: WO 372/4 It will cost you £3.50 to down load the medal card.

There is only one Clarence Cannell on the 1901 census Clarence Cannell 22 Lanc Liverpool Liverpool West Derby Postman

It appears to have been a substantial family! Info from Ancestry (without going to the images - could do if wanted): Name: Cannell, Thomas Clarence Record Type: Births Quarter: September Year: 1908 District: West Derby County: Lancashire Volume: 8b Page: 510 --- must be next generation! Too young for WW1. No other Clarences show up there - yet - without a much more intensive hunt to allow for mistranscriptions, anyway. In 1881: RG11/3711 222 Whitefield Rd, West Derby, Lancashire Thos. Cannell abt 1839 Isle of Man, Isle of Man Head Emma Cannell abt 1845 Isle of Man, Isle of Man Wife Alice M. Cannell abt 1863 Isle of Man, Isle of Man Niece Thos. A. Cannell abt 1864 West Derby, Lancashire, England Son Jno. W. Cannell abt 1866 Lpool, Lancashire, England Son Fredk. J. Cannell abt 1868 Isle of Man, Isle of Man Son Saml. W. Cannell abt 1870 Lpool, Lancashire, England Son Emma G. Cannell abt 1872 Lpool, Lancashire, England Daughter Hy. P. Cannell abt 1874 West Derby, Lancashire, England Son Frances M. Cannell abt 1877 West Derby, Lancashire, England Daughter Herbert Cannell abt 1878 West Derby, Lancashire, England Son ***Clarence D. Cannell abt 1879 West Derby, Lancashire, England Son Mona F. Cannell abt 1881 West Derby, Lancashire, England Daughter In 1891: RG12/2997 West Derby, Liverpool much the same family but adding: Cannell, Earnest F abt 1883 Liverpool, Lancashire Son Cannell, Lillian M abt 1883 Liverpool, Lancashire Daughter Cannell, Ethel R abt 1884 Liverpool, Lancashire Daughter Cannell, George A abt 1886 Liverpool, Lancashire Son Cannell, Daisy B abt 1888 Liverpool, Lancashire Daughter and the niece is now: Kewley, Alice Maud abt 1863 IOM Niece In 1901: RG13/3498 West Derby, Liverpool Clarence's middle initial is transcribed as 'B' new names (haven't cross-checked for which ones have left) Alfred H Cannell abt 1896 Liverpool, Lancashire, England Grandson Walter Cannell abt 1898 Birkenhead, Cheshire, England Grandson Found these on CWGC: No Surname Rank Service Date Of Death Age Regiment Nationality Grave/Memorial Ref. Cemetery/Memorial Name 1 CANNELL, CHARLES ALFRED Corporal 3623 21/08/1915 21 Lancashire Fusiliers United Kingdom Panel 58 to 72 or 218 to 219. HELLES MEMORIAL 2 CANNELL, C H Lance Corporal M2/080853 15/11/1918 0 Army Service Corps United Kingdom I. D. 4. CAUDRY BRITISH CEMETERY Looks like he made it through. You can find some of the marriages for this family on the LiverpoolBMD site (e.g. Mona F in 1908). Hope some of this is useful (had fun hunting it out!) Christine

Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness. What a wonderful thread to read: Julia's selfless quest to somehow get the letters to someone who would appreciate them, Lunar's skills on the MIC index and Christine's expertise through the censuses, CWGC etc. How heartwarming. Well there's more to do but it looks tractable: Julia please let us know how you get on. Good luck to you all. Stephen

I had another thought and looked him up in the London Gazette archive online. Didn't expect anyuthing but... THE LONDON GAZETTE, 23 JUNE, 1931 Cannell, Clarence Douglas, Sorting Clerk and Telegraphist, Liverpool. I reckon this is a very likely candidate for the family, at least - not only right name & initial, but those parents were born in Douglas, IoM, so may well have chosen Douglas as a second name. Having got that middle name... THE LONDON GAZETTE, JANUARY 21, 1902 Civil Service Commission, January 21, 1902 THE following Candidates have been certified by the Civil Service Commissioners as qualified for the appointments set against their respective names:— ... January 16, 1902. ... AFTER LIMITED COMPETITION. Post Office : Male Learners, William John Brown (Cardiff), Clarence Douglas Cannell (Liverpool), John Parker (Manchester), Thomas Edwin Rowlandson (Liverpool). *** The 1931 record was part of a long list which starts too late on that page to see the heading, which (I presume) would resemble the 1902 heading. Can't find any army record of him in the London Gazette. Christine

There is this marriage on LancashireBMD: Lancashire Marriage indexes for the years: 1929 Surname Forename(s) Surname Forename(s) Church / Register Office Registers At Reference CANNELL Charles D DOUGLAS Kate L Edge Hill, St. Cyprian Liverpool 2041WD/7/406 It could be a mistranscription from Clarence to Charles, but it's very possible they just haven't transcribed the relevant marriage records yet. Christine (The bride's surname would be quite a coincidence!)

The GRO reference for the marriage above: Septembre / 3rd quarter 1929, Liverpool 8b 46 Charles D Cannell to Kate L Douglass

Well things are looking good; some suggestions: Cannell family genealogy forum: http://genforum.genealogy.com/cannell/ Lots of Isle of Man! No Clarence Douglas Carnell that I can see, but Thomas Douglas Carnell for sure. 'A large number of Cannell in Lancs, Cheshire etc came over from the Isle of Man via Liverpool I believe.' Isle of Man genealogy http://www.isle-of-man.com/interests/genealogy/gedcom/ Cannell gedcoms Search on GR for Carnell Isle of Man or Liverpool and see the potential relatives - there's quite a lot but on first glance I don't see any perfect match... Look for Carnell births with mother's maiden surname as Douglas in BMD from 1930 onwards - then see if any are listed in the electoral roll today? Cheers, Stephen

Still really looking for a Clarence Douglas Cannell marriage, I guess. Can't assume that Charles is Clarence in disguise. But the hunting technique is still a viable one - if you can actually catch that marriage. He'd have retired about, when?, 1943? That sort of date, he might have been asked to stay on in the Post Office to free up younger men for The War. There might be PO archives for his service? Might give clues. There's certainly some Cannell stuff on A2A Greater Manchester County Record Office: Photographs related to the Cannell family 1884-1959 24 hit(s) - though it doesn't seem to link in quite directly - yet - though this line is intriguing: FILE - Walter and Mona Cannell, brother and sister of Harold Chester Cannell, husband of donor. - ref. 1329/2 - date: c1900 Mona looks like a family name (Clarence had a sister of that name) and there's a Walter who'd be Clarence's nephew in 1901 Census (or his son, I suppose). Background info to that bit - Creator(s): Cannell, Annie, b 1900, of Chorlton, Manchester [from Administrative History] Mrs. Annie Cannell lives in sheltered housing in Egerton Court where she is very happy. She has lived in Chorlton all her life. Mrs. Cannell was born in 1900 and has one child - Douglas Chester Cannell who is a company director. She married Mr. Harold Chester Cannell. Maybe there's enough of a link to try that family? Christine

This looks interesting in the 1861 IoM Census - RG9/4418 Conchan Isle of Man ***Thomas Cannell abt 1839 Douglas, Isle of Man, Isle of Man Visitor Eliza Carran abt 1854 Douglas, Isle of Man, Isle of Man Daughter Elizabeth Carran abt 1860 Douglas, Isle of Man, Isle of Man Daughter ***Emma Carran abt 1844 Douglas, Isle of Man, Isle of Man Daughter Frances Carran abt 1849 Douglas, Isle of Man, Isle of Man Daughter John Carran abt 1810 Douglas, Isle of Man, Isle of Man Head Margaret Carran abt 1818 Douglas, Isle of Man, Isle of Man Wife Margaret Carran abt 1851 Douglas, Isle of Man, Isle of Man Daughter Susan Corlett abt 1839 Douglas, Isle of Man, Isle of Man Daughter Must have a look for that marriage (if I've guessed right)! Christine

In 1871 census ('Douglass' has, rather quaintly, migrated South, as a result of mistranscription!): RG10/3815 58 Edinbugh St Everton Lancashire Emma Cannell abt 1845 Douglas, Isle of Wight Wife Thomas Cannell abt 1839 Douglass, Isle of Wight Head Albert Cannell abt 1864 Old Swan, Lancashire, England Son William Cannell abt 1866 Liverpool, Lancashire, England Son Frederick Cannell abt 1868 Douglass, Isle of Wight Son Thomas was a baker, by the way (or 'bread & flour dealer', per 1881) Christine

Any news on this? I had fun looking things up, but would be interested to know if it's borne any fruit. Christine

Thank you, thank you, thank you! So much help - I am overwhelmed and so grateful. Lots of digging now to do and I am a bit inexperienced in all this so progress may be a bit slow :) He was writing to: Miss Mabel Lunt, 38 Arkles Lane, Anfield, Liverpool - so the Liverpool connections etc spot on. As it looks like he made it through the war perhaps a lost love for other reasons! Lets home I can send copies of these letters to his surviving family and that they treasure them. Will keep you posted!

What a great thread to read. Just shows what skills there are out here. Regards to all Keith

Thanks for reassuring us that you'd seen it all! Look forward to an update in due course. Christine