The amusing bit first: John Thomas Holden seems to have adjusted his age to suit the current circumstances. he joins the Kings Royal Rifles in 1892 aged 18 years and 10 months i.e. born about 1873 and born in B'ham. Prior to this he served in the 3d Battalion Royal Warwicks which apparently was a kind of national service battalion i.e.compulsory back up for the regular army. In the 1911 census he is 31 i.e born1880. On being called up in 1914 he is 29 and 8 months which fits the 1873/4 date. On marrying in 1914, he states his age to be 30 i.e.born 1884. Was he just a rascal? However, JTH is not born in B'ham between 1873 and 1884 it would seem although he twice indicated he was born in Birmingham on his army papers. Then again, having discovered the names of his parents, a look up in the usual GRO register indicates no marriage of his parents William Holden and a Lucy at all , while Freebmd does show a marriage in Saddleworth in 1864 Dec So how reliable of GRO records?

Robert, Ancestry's version of the full GRO Index does show the marriage of a William HOLDEN and a Lucy BENTLEY in the December qtr 1864 at Saddleworth reg district, volume 9a, page 375 as well as in their FreeBMD version. There is also the marriage of a Sarah HOLDEN in the same qtr at Saddleworth, same vol no and page 369. Have you obtained the marriage certificate of your John Thomas HOLDEN and if so what occupation does it show for his father William. This might make it easier to trace your John in earlier census records and clarify both his age and place of birth. Janet ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert Holmes" <holmes@holmesr923.plus.com> To: <WARWICK-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, August 26, 2007 9:57 AM Subject: [WAR] in pursuit of john thomas holden.More of a tale. > The amusing bit first: John Thomas Holden seems to have adjusted his age > to suit the current circumstances. he joins the Kings Royal Rifles in 1892 > aged 18 years and 10 months i.e. born about 1873 and born in B'ham. > Prior to this he served in the 3d Battalion Royal Warwicks which > apparently was a kind of national service battalion i.e.compulsory back > up for the regular army. In the 1911 census he is 31 i.e born1880. > On being called up in 1914 he is 29 and 8 months which fits the 1873/4 > date. > On marrying in 1914, he states his age to be 30 i.e.born 1884. Was he just > a rascal? > However, JTH is not born in B'ham between 1873 and 1884 it would seem > although he twice indicated he was born in Birmingham on his army papers. > Then again, > having discovered the names of his parents, a look up in the usual GRO > register indicates no marriage of his parents William Holden and a Lucy > at all , while Freebmd does show a marriage in Saddleworth in 1864 Dec So > how reliable of GRO records? > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > WARWICK-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.484 / Virus Database: 269.12.8/973 - Release Date: 25/08/2007 > 17:00 > > -- I am using the free version of SPAMfighter for private users. It has removed 18467 spam emails to date. Paying users do not have this message in their emails. Get the free SPAMfighter here: http://www.spamfighter.com/len