Eva’s father worked as a hairdresser and tobacconist. After WWI, his name did not appear in any directory listing in Leicester, England. Could he have been wounded and unable to work?

William Leonard Oxborough

Born: 25 JAN 1903 in Leicester, Leicestershire County, England

Father: William Oxborough (1865 to 1932)
Mother: Mary Ann Carvell (1876 to 1952)

Spouse: Eva Crane (1904 to 1972)

Married: 1929 in Leicester, Leicestershire County, England

Child:

Derek John Oxborough (1931 to 1981)

Died: 1974 in Leicester, Leicestershire County, England

Timeline:

1908 Death of brother, Leslie
1910 Death of brother, Harold
1911 Leicester, Leicestershire County, England
1911 Death of sister, Edith
1929 Marriage to Eva
1931 Birth of son, Derek
1932 Death of father, William
1939 Leicester, Leicestershire County, England
1952 Death of mother, Mary Ann
1955 Death of brother, Leonard
1972 Death of wife, Eva
1974 Death and Burial

Occupation: hosiery counterman (1939)

Records:

1911 England Census Record
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:

Eva Crane:

Eva was born on 3 SEP 1904 in Leicester, Leicestershire County, England. She died in 1972 in Leicester, Leicestershire County, England.

Eva’s father was John James Crane. He was born in 1880 in Leicester, Leicestershire County, England. He died in 1930 in Leicester Frith, Leicestershire County, England.

Eva’s mother was Eva Smart. She was born on 27 SEP 1880 in Leicester, Leicestershire County, England. She died in 1945 in Leicester, Leicestershire County, England.

Eva had three known brothers and sisters:

Harry Crane (1906)
Frank William Crane (1907)
Iris M C Crane (1921)

These three children appear on the 1939 England and Wales Register. They were living with their mother at 120 Brunswick Street.

There may have been two or three other children born between 1907 and 1921.

What Happened to Eva’s Father?

The UK, City and County Directories, 1766 – 1946 show that John was a hairdresser and tobacconist. His name appears on entries from 1908 until 1914.

In 1915, John enlisted with the British Army to fight in World War I. He served until either 1917 or 1919.

Eva’s name appears in these directories from 1916 until 1928. She was listed as a fruit merchant or greengrocer.

John’s name does not appear on any directory listing after 1914. Could he have been wounded in the war and not able to work when he returned home?

Do you know the answer to this question? If so, my email address is dlwakenight@yahoo.com. You can also leave a message in the Comments Section of this page.

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!