Dear cousin,
It was lovely to meet you last week and hear about your research findings. How funny that spitting in a plastic tube managed to bring us together! I trust that your journey home was comfortable, despite the rail delays.
Anyway… I hope you don’t mind, but I wondered whether you could please help me solve the brick wall we discussed over lunch? I know it concerns my dad’s side rather than our shared tree, but I’m not sure who else to turn to!
In short, I have absolutely no idea what happened to my grandfather’s elder brother, George Albert Bellamy, who was born in Poplar, East London, in 1887. He appears on the 1891 and 1901 censuses, but then vanishes altogether!
I can’t seem to find a matching death registration, and I’d rather not waste more money on certificates if I can help it.
Here’s a basic version of the Bellamy tree. My grandad, Harry, was the baby of the family:
Before he died, I remember grandad telling me that Uncle George had been bit of a ‘black sheep’. According to family stories, he got involved with some dodgy East End gangs, and was even rumoured to have participated in some jewellery robberies.
My great gran, Ellen, apparently got so frustrated with George’s antics that she banished him from the family home, and he later moved ‘up north’ to work as a butcher. Unfortunately, I have absolutely no idea where!
The only further clue I have regarding George is the faded photograph below. There’s a note on the back saying ‘G. Bellamy’, so I presume he’s one of the gentlemen pictured:
DOWNLOAD THIS IMAGE
When we met over lunch, you mentioned that you’d just acquired some new photo restoration software. Do you think you it would be possible to make the picture a bit clearer and find out what those shop signs say? They might reveal something useful!
Please let me know whether you have any success.
Best wishes,
Peter
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Where was the butcher’s shop located? Analyze the photograph in Vivid-Pix and choose the name of the UK city you find:
