My great-grandfather served in the Royal Navy Reserve in World War I from 1916 to 1918. These reservists worked on trawlers outfitted as minesweepers.

James Aldous

Born: 19 JAN 1887 in Hedenham, Norfolk County, England

Father: Leman Aldous (1851 to 1929)
Mother: Ann Moore (1855 to 1917)

Spouse: Alice Hannah Constance (1888 to 1979)

Married: 28 DEC 1910 in Linstead Parva, Suffolk County, England

Children:

Frederick William Aldous (16 SEP 1912 to 11 SEP 1955)
James Lemon Aldous (23 MAY 1914 to 14 JAN 1991)
Herbert John Aldous (4 SEP 1916 to 5 JAN 1999)
Reginald Harry Aldous (13 JUN 1918 to 1995)

Died: 31 MAR 1947 in Halesworth, Suffolk County, England

Probate:

Timeline:

1891 Ditchingham, Norfolk County, England
1901 Cookley, Suffolk County, England
1910 Marriage to Alice
1912 Birth of son, Frederick
1914 Birth of son, James
1915 Death of brother, Henry
1916 Enlisted in the Royal Navy Reserve
1916 Birth of son, Herbert
1917 Death of mother, Ann
1918 Birth of son, Reginald
1929 Death of father, Leman
1932 Death of brother, John
1939 Halesworth, Suffolk County, England
1947 Death and Burial

Occupation: fisherman (1910), skipper of a steam drifter (1936), pub owner (1937)

Records:

1891 and 1901 England Census Records
1939 England and Wales Register
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
Norfolk, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1915
England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index: 1837-1915
Web: the UK, Royal Naval Reserve Service Records Index, 1860-1955
England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2005
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1861-1941

Variations of Surname: none

James Aldous was my great-grandfather. James Lemón Aldous was my grandfather. Rita Aldous Wakenight is my mother.

James was a fisherman most of his adult life. He enlisted in the Royal Navy Reserve and served in World War I from 1916 to 1919. Wikipedia describes these reservists as:

“Fishermen of the RNR(T) section served with distinction onboard trawlers fitted out as minesweepers for mine clearance operations at home and abroad throughout the war, where they suffered heavy casualties and losses.”

The 1936 marriage record for his son, Frederick, shows that James was then a “skipper” aboard a steam drifter. Their prime fishing was for herring in the North Sea.

The Suffolk Pubs website shows that James owned the Hawk Inn located in Halesworth. They reference an entry in Kelly’s Directory for the year 1937.

James operated the pub until he died in 1947 at the Patrick Stead Hospital in Halesworth. My grandfather was the respondent on the death certificate.

From my mother’s recollections, she said that his son, Frederick, ran the pub until he died in 1955. His wife, Irene, kept the pub for several years after his death.

Spouse:

Alice Hannah Constance:

Alice was born on 10 OCT 1888 in Linstead Parva, Suffolk County, England. She died on 29 MAR 1979 in Halesworth, Suffolk County, England.

Alice’s father was John Constance. He was born on 24 FEB 1849 in Rumburgh, Suffolk County, England. He died in 1912 in Linstead Parva, Suffolk County, England.

Alice’s mother was Hannah Page. She was born in 1845 in the hamlet of Bulcamp, Suffolk County, England. She died on 2 MAR 1922 in Chediston, Suffolk County, England.

Alice had seven brothers and sisters. The oldest was born in Chediston. The rest were born in Linstead Parva.

Harriet Constance (1872)
David John Constance (1873)
William Constance (1876)
Frederick Constance (1878)
Lavinia Constance (1880)
James Constance (1883)
John Constance (1885)

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.

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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 ancestor.

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.

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