Sarah Saunders - Brick Wall

[scott7saunders]

Hey,

I hope that someone far smarter than me can help with this little problem I am having with my family search.

My paternal Grandparents were James Thomas Luke Saunders and Sarah Melinda Ann Shute, they got married in Birmingham on 23rd May 1897 at St Johns in Ladywood.

They had children and one of them was Sarah Elizabeth Saunders - now this Sarah was born in 15/04/1904 and Baptised in 1906 along with her sister Alice.

All this was pretty straight forward etc until I started looking at the WW1 history and its totally thrown my off course now - let me explain.

James T L Saunders & Sarah Shute also had a son called James Charles Saunders who ended up going off to fight in WW1, his army number was 37789 and he unfortunately got killed on 22nd March 1918 in Flanders however on the official notification of his death, his mother was listed as Sarah Elizabeth Saunders not (Sarah Melinda Saunders) however the address of 164 Hospital Street is also listed and that is an address linked with the Saunders family further down the timeline. James's mother was Sarah Melinda Saunders, his younger sister was Sarah Elizabeth Saunders ..James Charles was the first child born between James TL Saunders and Sarah Shute

I seems that I am missing something here - on James army sign up papers which were dated 30/12/1915 they again show his next of kin as being his mother Sarah Elizabeth Saunders (why not Sarah Melinda Saunders? and where was James LT Saunders as he was still alive)

From my further research, I don't believe that James father (James Thomas Luke Saunders) died until approx 1926 but where was he during the time of James juniors short military stint.

So there you have it - I am totally lost and this Sarah mystery has pretty much thrown my research into chaos. Going to order the certs for her death however I obviously want to make sure that this is the correct person I am looking into now.

Can anyone offer some some help please?

Thanks

Scott Saunders

 

[davelambert271]

Just my thoughts.
James joined the 26 Middlesex Regiment of Foot on 30 December 1915. For some reason not stated he was discharged as not suitable on 23 May 1916.
His number was 4516. It is on these attestation papers that he supplied the information that his mother was Sarah Elizabeth. My thoughts are that as I presume you have confirmation that the person killed in 1918 is your James, that he managed to re-join the Army later on when selection was not so stringent. In 1915 he was just 18 and may not have known his mother's middle names, and believed it was Elizabeth. If so he could have still believed it was Elizabeth when he joined up again
Sorry can't be more helpful.
dave

 

[ptjw7]

Not found much to clarify but have found the 1911 census data


1911 census reference RG14PN18085 RG78PN1097 RD384 SD3 ED25 SN287

James Saunders Head Married Male 33 1878 Bristol Glos Fitters Labourer
Sarah Saunders Wife Married Female 32 1879 Stafford Staffs -
James Saunders Son - Male 12 1899 Birmingham Warwickshire School
Ernest Saunders Son - Male 10 1901 Birmingham Warwickshire -
Sarah Saunders Daughter - Female 6 1905 Birmingham Warwickshire -
Alice Saunders Daughter - Female 4 1907 Birmingham Warwickshire -
Andrew Saunders Son - Male 0 1911 Birmingham Warwickshire


Will keep on looking.

Peter

 

[barbarajoh]

Or it could have been a clerical error which just carried on through his service and would be on his records so would show in his death.

 

[ptjw7]

I think it is the same James Saunders as you have referred to 164 Hospital street as his address and that is the address of his brother Christopher on his marriage in 1941.
I don't think you will find any clearer evidence that it is the correct person, there are to many correct links to be otherwise!

Peter