Archie’s wife, Diana, lost her first husband on 3 JUN 1917 during World War I. William Alfred George was killed aboard the HM Drifter George V from a mine explosion off the coast of Dover, England.

Archie George Oxborough

Born: 7 MAY 1891 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England

Father: George Oxborough (1860 to 1912)
Mother: Elizabeth Hammond (1858 to 1935)

Spouse: Diana Charlotte Jane Robjohn (1887 to 1973)

Married: 1918 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England

Children:

George W Oxborough (1918 to 30 DEC 2011)
Diana Elizabeth Oxborough (9 FEB 1920 to 31 OCT 1986)

Died: 1959 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England

Timeline:

1899 Death of sister, Edith
1901 Beccles, Suffolk County, England
1911 Beccles, Suffolk County, England
1912 Death of father, George
1918 Marriage to Diana
1918 Birth of son, George
1920 Birth of daughter, Diana
1935 Death of mother, Elizabeth
1939 Beccles, Suffolk County, England
1955 Death of sister, Elsie
1959 Death and Burial

Occupation: brass molder (1939)

Records:

1901 and 1911 England Census Records
1939 England and Wales Register
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
England & Wales, Marriage Index: 1916-2005
England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2005

Variations of Surname: None

Spouse:

Diana Charlotte Jane Robjohn:

Diana was born on 31 MAY 1887 in Islington, Middlesex County, England. She died in 1973 in Lowestoft, Suffolk County, England.

Diana’s father was John Robert Robjohns. He was born in 1860 in Islington, Middlesex County, England. He died in 1943 in Bromley, Kent County, England.

Diana’s mother was Diana Lincoln. She was born in1857 in Attleborough, Norfolk County, England. She died in 1887 in Islington, Middlesex County, England.

Diana’s mother most likely died in childbirth. Her death was recorded in the second quarter (Apr-May-Jun) of 1887. This is the same quarter that Diana’s birth was registered.

John then married Louisa Gower in 1890 in West Ham, Essex County, England. Four known children were born to this marriage:

Daisy L Robjohns (1890)
Eric Jack Robjohns (1895)
Gladys Lillian Robjohns (1897)
Dora Eva Robjohns (1899)

Louisa Gower was born in 1859 in Doncaster, West Yorkshire, England. She died in 1954 in Bromley, Kent County, England.

Before she married Archie, Diana had wed William Alfred George in 1904 in Weston, Suffolk County, England. Five known children were born to this marriage. The oldest child was born in Weston. The other children were born in Ringsfield.

Flora George (1907)
Violet George (1909)
William A George (1911)
Ivy D George (1913)
Sidney F J George (1915)

William Alfred George was born on 19 MAY 1882 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. William had served in the Royal Navy Reserve during World War I. He was killed in action on 3 JUN 1917 by a mine explosion off the coast of Dover. His body was not recovered for burial.

The HM Drifter George V was a hired net drifter. It used nets to remove mines from shipping lanes. On 3 JUN 1917, the ship caught an active mine in its nets. The bomb exploded and killed all nine crew members.

Daughter:

Diana Elizabeth Oxborough:

Diana was born on 9 FEB 1920 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. She died on 31 OCT 1986 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

Diana married Douglas Victor Dyer in 1941 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. One known child was born to this marriage:

Melvyn D Dyer (1946)

Douglas Victor Dyer was born on 20 FEB 1913 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. He died on 4 JAN 1992 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England.

Notes:

The surname, Oxborough, originated in Norfolk County, England. It appears in church registers as early as the mid-16th Century. As the world population grew, these Oxborough ancestors moved to other counties in England. By the late 19th Century, some had immigrated to Canada and Australia.

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!