Silver War Badge! REUNITED.

[Saffron]

Amazing bit of research that fleshes out the human side of the find...

I wonder how he felt about loosing the badge? Was it something he was proud of and valued, or a bitter reminder of a grim and dark period of his life?

Thanks, the research does make the story rather than just being able to find out the name of the person that the badge was awarded to.

We will never know how the man felt about the badge. Did he wear it with pride to show that he had done his bit and as a result been seriously wounded, or as you say was it "a bitter reminder of a grim and dark period of his life".
Approximately 1,150,000 of these badges were issued, and they had to be claimed and then approved and I am sure that the number of men that could have claimed them would have been very significantly higher. However my feeling is that the majority that claimed them would have been in the "wore it with pride" camp, as some (most??) of those that considered their wounds and what they had seen to be "a grim and dark period of his life" would not want a badge to remind them.

I have recorded a lot of the names on local war memorials and they are now on a website for the county that anybody can use to research their family. I know that in the one village a man was killed but is not recorded on the war memorial although the "powers that be" wanted it to be, the reason for this is simply that the mans mother would have to walk past the memorial every day and did not want to be reminded of her loss. Yet the families of other men would want their sacrifice to be marked and remembered.

Evan

[Saffron]

In view of contradicting family trees, both suported by evidence, and more indepth research that fails to resolve the issue to avoid confusion I have deleted a previous post, so if you think something has gone missing its not you ... it has!.


I know its might be a shock to some but I do have other things to do during the day so hence the lack of updates. But I expect that by now Emily has settled down to her bowl of popcorn and Figgis to his gin awaiting the next update so here we go (Edit by the time this version was posted Emily's bowl would be empty and Figgis's gin bottle would have met the same fate).

Last night I had got back to 1901 when John and his family were living in Loughborough, Leicestershire, and John was working as a grocers porter. I had also found his marriage to Elizabeth Jane Wagstaff in the April to June quarter of 1897, in the Leicester registration district. Everybody agrees on this!.


The wider Kinton family were obviously very well established in Glenfield with several different branches living in the village.

John William Kinton was a much more common name than even I realised in Glenfield and Leicestershire, this has led to the confussion - and conflicting information on Ancestry family trees.

There were two John William Kinton born in Glenfield in 1877/1878 in both cases the mother is Mary Ann Kineton, but different fathers and siblings!!!.

Looking for the county of Liecestershire it gets even worse as there is a third.

BMD Records Births Found 3 Results.
Name: John William Kinton
District: Leicester... County: Leicestershire... Year: 1877... Quarter: 1... Volume: 7a... Page: 238...

Name: John William Kinton
District: Blaby... County: Leicestershire... Year: 1877... Quarter: 4... Volume: 7a... Page: 41...

Name: John William Kinton
District: Blaby... County: Leicestershire... Year: 1878... Quarter: 1... Volume: 7a... Page: 47...


The 1891 census for Glenfield shows 2 records for John W. Kinton aged 13 and born in the village.

This is the one where he working as a "Shoe Hand" (that is what the record has been transcribed as and I read it the same although I have no idea what the job is).

Forename Surname Age Year Born Relation Birth Place Occupation
William Kinton 48 1843 Head Glenfield, Leicestershire Stocking Framework Knitter
Mary Ann Kinton 41 1850 Wife Ibstock, Leicestershire
Alfred Kinton 18 1873 Son Glenfield, Leicestershire Shoe Hand
John William Kinton 13 1878 Son Glenfield, Leicestershire Shoe Hand
Edward Kinton 1 1890 Son Glenfield, Leicestershire

In the other he is lodging at the Post Office where he is a general help



Going back to 1881 in Glenfield take your choice of these 2 records

Forename Surname Age Year Born Relation Birth Place Occupation
William Kinton 38 1843 Head Glenfield, Leicestershire Framework Knitter Stocking
Mary A Kinton 30 1851 Wife Desford, Leicestershire
Alfred Kinton 8 1873 Son Glenfield, Leicestershire Scholar
John W Kinton 3 1878 Son Glenfield, Leicestershire Scholar **********
(Its not uncommon for the place of birth to change in a census records, the one year they might put a small village but in another year they might put the nearest town hence the change with Mary. Depending on the exact date of the census and how Ancestry calculates the year of birth they can change by a year between different census years_

Or is this him and his family?

Samuel Kinton 33 1848 Head Glenfield, Leicestershire Framework Knitter Stocking
Mary A Kinton 36 1845 Wife Coston Lodge, Leicestershire
Lucy A Kinton 4 1877 Daughter Glenfield, Leicestershire Scholar
John W Kinton 3 1878 Son Glenfield, Leicestershire Scholar **********
Rosetta Kinton 1 1880 Daughter Glenfield, Leicestershire


All we have established is that his mother was Mary A. Kinton and that John's father had been born in Glenfield and was a Stocking Framework Knitter.
Leicester was a major centre for stocking making and the hosiery trade, and 50 years earlier the Sock Branch Union was formed in 1830 on the occasion of a strike by the Leicester sock hands for higher wages. Here is an in depth article about the trade
https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/l ... /pp303-314


His marriage certificate would give his fathers name, but its not on Ancestry or The Genealogist, and his military servirvice record would give a date of birth and probably his fathers name but that looks as if it was destroyed in WWII.

Family history can be very frustrating and time consuming at times, and still not produce any results!.

Evan

[Easylife]

Yes, a lot of family trees on Ancestery are just copies of others errors, best to always do your own research. Usually brick walks can be broken down in some other way!

[Easylife]

Well it sounds like we've broken Evan for now! But Google is my friend, so.....
When John William Kinton was discharged in 1917 he was living at Raglan St, Hill Top, Eastwood, Notts.
He had a son Gersham Kinton b1910 - d1986.
And his son 'David John Kinton Of Eastwood, passed away on 6th October 2016, aged 82 years. Formerly the proprietor of "Hilltop Fish Bar". He lived and worked in Eastwood his whole life.'
So a call to the funeral directors should give a family contact or call back?
Failing that a look-up for his children or theirs and social media should find them?
So guess we've pretty much about cracked it, but I couldn't have confirmed the connection for sure without Evan's 1911 census look up.
That is just one line of the family, there are likely others too, but I wonder who would actually appreciate the SWB of their grandfather or even great grandfather? Some people just have no interest at all in their family history whilst other greatly do. I guess a phone call would tell?

[Saffron]

Yes, a lot of family trees on Ancestery are just copies of others errors, best to always do your own research. Usually brick walks can be broken down in some other way!

Fully agree about family trees on Ancestry, or any of the other family history sites, need checking.
I have seen more than my share of family trees where a mother has died long before a child was born, or the parents were over 100

In this case every thing did check out and was supported by the documentation, and I was just using the existing family trees after having done my own research (with the one bit where I added more detailed versions for the date of birth and stated this had been copied). It was only when I found conflicting information in the original data that it became fully obvious that we had 2 John William Kintons born in 1877 or very early 1878 in Glenfield.

I had already rulled out a lot of information as it was the third John William Kinton born in Leicester. Likewise with a lot of information for other John Kintons born 1877-79 in Glenfield without the William middle name.

Evan

[Saffron]

Well it sounds like we've broken Evan for now! But Google is my friend, so.....
When John William Kinton was discharged in 1917 he was living at Raglan St, Hill Top, Eastwood, Notts.
He had a son Gersham Kinton b1910 - d1986.
And his son 'David John Kinton Of Eastwood, passed away on 6th October 2016, aged 82 years. Formerly the proprietor of "Hilltop Fish Bar". He lived and worked in Eastwood his whole life.'
So a call to the funeral directors should give a family contact or call back?
Failing that a look-up for his children or theirs and social media should find them?
So guess we've pretty much about cracked it, but I couldn't have confirmed the connection for sure without Evan's 1911 census look up.
That is just one line of the family, there are likely others too, but I wonder who would actually appreciate the SWB of their grandfather or even great grandfather? Some people just have no interest at all in their family history whilst other greatly do. I guess a phone call would tell?

I have already stated some of that including John William Kinton was discharged in 1917 he was living at Raglan St, Hill Top, Eastwood, Notts. I had also provided the details of his children including, Gersham Kinton b1910 - d1986.

I have a lot more in my notes, going forward from the war to more recent generations but as we have the 2 John William Kintons we have to be VERY careful that we have the correct one (although certain that I have). I also have contact details for some of the current family.

What is impossible to know without contacting the family is who would be interested and who would not.

It seems pointless 2 of us doing the same research so as Easylife found the badge I will leave it to him.

Evan

[Easylife]

I have already stated some of that including John William Kinton was discharged in 1917 he was living at Raglan St, Hill Top, Eastwood, Notts. I had also provided the details of his children including, Gersham Kinton b1910 - d1986.

Yes, I was quoting your much appreciated research there Evan.
I have previously also done much genealogy and know just how it is, but don't have access, so just got lucky with a Google result or two!

I have a lot more in my notes, going forward from the war to more recent generations but as we have the 2 John William Kintons we have to be VERY careful that we have the correct one (although certain that I have). I also have contact details for some of the current family.

I've found that people of the same name and about birth year in the same place are often cousins. If you do have current family contact info then please feel free to pm me. As said I just got lucky with the right search term but certainly appreciate all of your interesting input and hard work, I do know what's involved.
Anyway I'll make some enquiries and report back.

[Easylife]

I made contact with John William Kinton's great grand daughter today and we had a nice chat. It really cheered her up and the news of finding her great granddad's silver war badge made her day. I will return it to the family at some point in the near future. In the meantime they will get back to me with any info which may help to explain why it was lost where it was quite a long way from Eastwood.

[Pete E]

That's a great result...

It just occurred to me that I don't know who my great grand parents were, or anything about them lol..Well, I know one was known as "Dai Cardiff" which I suppose gives me a good hint where that side of the family was from lol....

[figgis]

[alloverover]

I made contact with John William Kinton's great grand daughter today and we had a nice chat. It really cheered her up and the news of finding her great granddad's silver war badge made her day. I will return it to the family at some point in the near future. In the meantime they will get back to me with any info which may help to explain why it was lost where it was quite a long way from Eastwood.

Well done Easy and Saffron

I bet she was a bit taken aback to say the least when you contacted her Easy

[Allectus]

Very well done all.....Great stuff!

[Blackadder43]

Well done easylife and Saffron for your work in this and finding it in the first place
What a great story, and as has been said i bet she was shocked to get a call/mail like this one
Unbelievable work and effort put in by everyone

Another plus for our great hobby

[Easylife]

I bet she was a bit taken aback to say the least when you contacted her Easy.

What a great story, and as has been said i bet she was shocked to get a call like this one.

She had been arranging a funeral and said that this news had really brightened up her day. She knew of these badges but was not aware that her great grandad had been given one. Also that they had nothing of his so makes it even more special.

[Oxgirl]

Superb research I’m always amazed at what info can be found with the right mind behind a keyboard