John James Farrell known as "Jack"

[cebedford]

I forgot to mention that Elizabeth Hartfield married Peter Farrell in St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast on 3rd March 1888, their daughter Elizabeth Mary Farrell was born 30th March 1888.....shotgun marriage methinks!

Interestingly, Eliza Hartfields mother Elizabeth was Church of England and her second husband, John Ryan, was catholic, John took on her religion not the other way round. Eliza Hartfields husband Peter was also catholic yet married her in a C of I cathedral and he also took her religion. I'm just wondering how common it was for the men to take their wives religion, especially since Elizabeth Mary Farrell took her husbands religions.

Peter Farrell joined the 5th Dragoon Guards while his family were living in Haddington, Scotland, Edinburgh Street to be precise. Prior to this his occupation was listed as Footman. First child was born 1888 in Belfast, John was born 1890 in Carrickfergus, the Dragoons were then moved to Aldershot where my gt grandmother, Alice, was born in 1892. Peter was then placed on reserve, during this time he joined Cheshire Police Force and had Edward William Farrell who died in WW1 and Frederick Matthew Farrell who emigrated to Australia. Once Peters reservists time was up he took the whole family back to Belfast where in 1899 he had his final child Thomas Herbert Farrell where his occupation is back to Soldier although on Thomas' baptism record he's listed as Labourer which is why I believe he re-joined and died during the second Boer War.

[MaryA]

I think men were often more easy going where religion was concerned and they often did comply with their wives if they felt more strongly about the subject.

Do we have two female Hartfields here?

Elizabeth Caroline Hartfield was born in 1866 in Woolwich

but Education Officer found

baptism at Coppenhall on 4 April 1894 parents Peter and Eliza of 204 Market Street Peter a policeman.

[cebedford]

The baptism is for one of the Farrell children, I'm guessing Frederick if its 1894, so the two Eliza's are one and the same.

[MaryA]

But we don't have two Elizas, we have an Eliza on the baptism but you have quoted a couple of times "Elizabeth".

I'm not being picky, they are two distinctly different names.

[cebedford]

She used both. She was born Elizabeth Caroline Hartfield but often used Eliza, I'm guessing to differentiate between herself, her mother and her daughter, or she just preferred Eliza but its the same person as I have all the certificates etc. for instance in the 1901 Ireland Census she lists her name as Eliza C Farrell, so I know it's the same person as the ages are correct along with her eldest daughter etc. hope that clarifies things a bit.

[Hilary]

From my holidays
I'll be picky as well her birth is registered as Eliza C Hartfield in Greenwich reg district in 1866. At christening she is given as Eliza Caroline. She is given as Eliza at her son's christening in Coppenhall and apparently at marriage.

Do you have her birth certificate and marriage certificate?

[cebedford]

I do indeed have both her birth certificate and marriage certificate. Sorry I've taken so long to reply but myself and another researcher have been trying to track down John Farrell as that was my original query.

We now believe that in 1904 that John joined the 2 West Yorkshire Regiment when they were stationed in Belfast. I found John in the 1911 English census as a Private in Colchester with the 2 West Yorks wrongly written down as John Fariell by the enumerator. His age and place of birth are correct for my John Farrell, there is a John J Farrell in the medal roll index listed as Lance Corporal. In 1912 West Yorks were in Malta, then sent back to Southampton at the outbreak of WW1.

Just in case the Fariell was correctly written down, I did a search for John Fariells and the search came up empty. There are two service numbers for John on his medal cards and I'm reliably informed by the Great War forum members that the second one, which is 7 digits, was given in 1920. This also means that the MOD still retain Johns service records, to be certain, I looked up the GSM Kurdistan medal awarded to John after being promoted to Sergeant would have been in 1923 when the regiment served there.

Since the MOD will have retained his records, I've sent away for them and hopefully it'll be the correct one.