In 1915, Frances’ first husband, Edward Crawford, enlisted with the Royal Dublin Fusiliers. In 1917, Edward was severely wounded in the Battle of Messines. He died in 1919 at the age of 33 years old.

Henry Oxborough

Born: 22 JUN 1885 in Stranton, Durham County, England

Father: Henry Oxborough (1854 to 1925)
Mother: Rebecca Elizabeth Baley (1850 to 1900)

Spouse: Frances Fitzpatrick (1885 to 1947)

Married: 1923 in West Hartlepool, Durham County, England

Children: None/Unknown

Died: 1963 in West Hartlepool, Durham County, England

Probate:

Timeline:

1891 Stranton, Durham County, England
1900 Death of mother, Rebecca
1901 West Hartlepool, Durham County, England
1902 Death of half-brother, Arthur Fisk
1911 West Hartlepool, Durham County, England
1923 Marriage to Frances
1925 Death of father, Henry
1930 Death of sister, Clarissa
1939 West Hartlepool, Durham County, England
1947 Death of wife, Frances
1957 Death of sister, Daisy
1961 Death of sister, Elizabeth
1963 Death and Burial

Occupation: hand sawyer (1911), dock laborer (1939)

Records:

1891 to 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
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1861-1941

Variations of Surname: none

Spouse:

Frances Fitzpatrick:

Frances was born on 1 JUL 1885 in Hartlepool, Durham County, England. She died in 1947 in Hartlepool, Durham County, England.

Frances’ father was Charles Bernard Fitzpatrick. He was born in 1856 in County Leitrim, Ireland. He died in 1888 in West Hartlepool, Durham County, England.

Frances’ mother was Bridget Adela Holder. She was born in 1859 in West Hartlepool, Durham County, England. She died in 1911 in West Hartlepool, Durham County, England.

Obituary:

Frances had four brothers and sisters:

Charles Fitzpatrick (1882)
Mary Fitzpatrick (1884)
William Fitzpatrick (1887 to 1891)
Ellen Fitzpatrick (1889)

Bridget gave birth to one child after her husband died:

William Fitzpatrick (1898)

Frances had previously married Edward Crawford in 1909 in West Hartlepool, Durham County, England. Two known children were born to this marriage:

Thomas Crawford (1909)
Irene Crawford (1914)

Edward Crawford was born in 1886 in West Hartlepool, Durham County, England. He died in 1919 in West Hartlepool, Durham County, England. Edward was 33 years old when he died.

Edward enlisted with the British Army on 25 JAN 1915. He served with the Royal Dublin Fusiliers. On 21 JUL 1917, he was discharged from service due to wounds he received in battle. Edward may have fought in the Battle of Messines Ridge which took place in June 1917.

There is a memorial page on Find A Grave for Edward showing that he was a private in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers. The memorial page listed his parents as Thomas and Ann Crawford of West Hartlepool, Durham 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 births, marriages, and deaths.

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 that is 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. The records can 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 ancestor.

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

Genealogy is the study of a person’s “line of descent.” As you create your family tree, you would typically 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, and 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!