William first appeared on the 1911 England census with his parents in Westhall, Suffolk County, England.  The next time I found him was when he died 73 years later.

William Frederick Aldous

Born: 8 MAY 1904 in Westhall, Suffolk County, England

Father: James Aldous (1868 to 1936)
Mother: Sarah Howes (1868 to 1904)

Spouse: Unknown

Married: Unknown

Children: Unknown

Died: 29 SEP 1984 in Oulton Broad, Suffolk County, England

Timeline:

1904 Death of mother, Sarah
1911 Westhall, Suffolk County, England
1936 Death of father, James
1951 Death of brother, Harry
1953 Death of brother, Edward
1984 Death and Burial

Occupation: unknown

Records:

1911 England Census Record
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2005
England & Scotland, Select Cemetery Registers, 1800-2016

Variations of Surname: None

The cremation register for William provided the full death date and his residence at the time of death. It also listed his marital status as married.

I was able to find William’s birth and death records. He also appears on the 1911 England census with his parents in Westhall.

Yet, there is a 73-year gap that I could not fill in. I had no luck finding William on the 1939 England and Wales Register. And, if he did get married, it was not in Westhall.

There are many reasons that you can “lose the trail” of an ancestor:

He may have enlisted in the British military.
He may have been a fisherman out to sea for months at a time.
He may have changed his name to avoid creditors.
He may have moved out of Suffolk County, England.
He may have immigrated to Canada like his brother, Edward.

At this moment, I must leave William’s profile incomplete. Maybe one of my Aldous relatives holds the key to solving this mystery.

Notes:

Here are some links to websites that helped with my Aldous family research:

Aldous.net (Aldous family history and family tree)
Ancestors of Tim Farr, Descendants of Stephen Farr (family tree)
Reid-Schroeder Genealogies (family tree)
The Tree of Us (family tree)
Family Search (family tree website)
The Internet Surname Database (surname meaning and origins)
House of Names (coat of arms)

Creating Your Family Tree

Interested in building a great family tree? Remember these important steps:

Look in your photo albums. You may have old pictures that your parents or grandparents gave you. Or, ask them for copies of photos that they have in their possession. Many people will write names and dates on the backs of photographs. Letters, diaries, and family bibles are also excellent sources for vital records.

Talk to your older relatives to find out about your ancestry. They may relate stories about an ancestor that you can add to your family tree. Family history is usually not found in newspapers. It is more of a verbal memory passed down from generation to generation.

Find the right family tree builder that suits your needs. You can choose one that has a paid subscription like Ancestry.com. There are also free sites like FamilySearch.org.

When you start building your family tree, add documentation to your ancestor’s profile. Records should include birth, marriage, death, census, military, city, and county directory listings. Any information that you can find will help create a life story about your ancestors.

If you have a unique surname, you may find databases on the internet that are useful in your search. I use SurnameDB.com for my English surnames. There are other websites on the internet for countries like Italy and Germany.

Genealogy is the study of a person’s “line of descent.” As you create your family tree, you would start with one individual and go “back into time.” You would add their parents, grandparents, and so on. There are also family trees that go “forward into time.” Many of these family trees start with a famous person, such as a president or royalty. They would then move forward into the present time. The purpose of this type of pedigree is to establish a person’s bloodline with that famous person.

There is no limit on how big your family tree can grow. The blank canvas is there for you to use. Cherish your family history, and it will be there for generations to come!