algy Posted November 3, 2014 Report Share Posted November 3, 2014 Recently a gentleman passed a bundle of books to me thinking that they may be of interest to me regarding Warrington’s history, the items include a couple of photograph albums containing family photographs stretching back from Victorian times to the 1950's and early 60's. The wedding photos were taken at St Wilfrid's church Grappenhall. I have made extensive enquiries resulting in an address for the family: Mrs A.V,Percival, Shirley Drive, Grappenhall., I have made enquiries to the present owner of the property and a neighbour who confirmed that Mrs Percival lived there but died many years ago, they don’t have any information on the whereabouts of her son Howard or other relatives. I am posting a sample number of the photos hoping that someone on here may be able to recognise someone on them and help me to return the albums to their rightful owners or at least a member of their family. Howard Percival is the gentleman in the first photo wearing glasses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted November 3, 2014 Report Share Posted November 3, 2014 I hope you manage find the family Algy.Re the first pic showing Howard Percival wearing the glasses.... are there any other photo's in the album that suggest that he may have been the groom ? I shall look through marriage records then births for the couple if you think he is as that may throw up some info for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted November 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 No luck so far Dizz!, the chap with the glasses is definitely the groom, I shall post more photos later though, i would think the wedding was around 1950 - 53 and definitely St Wilfrids, Grappenhall, the only definite fact is that his name is Percival and maybe Howard, or Howard could be their son as there is a postcard sent to his mother at 7 Shirley Drive, Grappenhall, signed Howard and sent from Belize Dec 7th 1973. It is possible that young Howard (the son) is on this photo of a class at what appears to be a village school, this is also in the album. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 My head hurts already Algy I can't find a record of any Percival's marrying at St Wilfrid's but then again that may be because records of that 'newer' age are not on-line or more likely because Find My Past is a complete pain in the bum to use since they changed how it all works. FMP used to return way more marriage records than Ancestry and was easier to search but not any more GRRR !I've looked on Ancestry too though and can't find anything on there.I can't find a birth anywhere for a Howard with a mum A.V. Percival either. How frustrating but when I get my brain cell back in gear I will keep looking as they must both exist somewhere so it 'should' be possible to find some other relatives names.Have you been into the Church and asked if they have copies of marriage records in there as they would probably show parents names and witnesses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted November 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 I think perhaps that's the next step Dizz. Mike Warrington and another lady don't think that is Grappenhall school and they both attended there in the 50's so I haven't a clue where the school is?. Thanks for searching for me Dizz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 There looks to be 3 if not 4 different weddings in these pic Algy, IThe 3rd pic down is definately St Wilfrids at Grappenhall as you know but what is the other church where the people are all stood on the steps. I don't recognise it from round here at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted November 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 The big wedding photo has a photographers studio in Wallasey printed on it Dizz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracey Bennett Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 I've been searching too and haven't found anything so far. Maybe Gary would be interested in running an article? Or the Guardian? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted November 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 Tracy I now don't think that the groom with the glasses is Howard Percival, I don't think his name is Percival at all, I have come across a postcard from the Percival's son who's name is Howard, he sent the postcard to his mother Mrs A.V.Percival. I do hope I'm not confusing you and Dizz!, my head is in a whirl with it. Perhaps if Dizz shows up I could ask her if Garry may feature it in WWW as you suggest. Howard Percival, who I now believe is the younger brother of the bride who's surname is Percival Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 So the two people in the bottom photo are Howard Percival's parents ? Sorry still got brain freeze.Thinking out loud the ladies name on the postcard could have her husbands forename initials and not hers. I remember my mum used to get letters saying Mrs C 'surname' but 'C' is my dads initial not hers. Maybe a son wouldn't have done that though.... I'm rambling.He also writes to just him mum asking if she is well so perhaps his dad had died by whatever year that was.... can you make out the year the postcard was sent Algy although I can't from your scanned image. It looks like Howard may have been in service so any idea when BFPO 12 was in use as I can't find it other that it was Belize which we already know from the card.Other observations that I will type here so I don;t forget and which may help (although probably not)In your first batch of photo's the first one with 'Howard'? stood with the other gent. 'Howard' has the exact same suit, tie, hankey, flower and waist coat on that he is wearing on your second batch of photo's where he is stood with the lady (the bride or maybe even a bridesmaid?? are there any others with them both on which shoe she is his bride or someone else maybe?) .... anyway those two picture MUST have been taken at the same time and at the same place. Whether or not that is St Wilfird's Grappenhall I can't tell.Also in your first batch of photos the 3rd one showing a bride entering St Wilfrids Church grounds with Grappenhall Village clearly in shot..... she doesn't seem to appear on any other photo's that you have uploaded so could this be a different wedding again... maybe she is a daughter of Mrs P or even another family member... god only knows.I'm quite tempted to find your house and look at the whole album and peel every single one of the pics off the pages to see if anything is written on the back of more of them :lol:Tell you what though it will be so funny if Mrs P just liked collecting family wedding photo's from car boot sales or house clearance places on her travels.... maybe that's why Howard went to Belize to escape the clutter ha ha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 Tracey... you are not allowed to use the 'Gu******'' word on here as that is against the rules and may also be classed as advertising ... I will have to report you to Admin now (oooh hang on I'm that too.. now you are buggered )... sorry I couldn't resist Right we clearly need Gary and his news page on board..... it might take him mind of the football too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted November 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE!. We are still looking for Howard Percival, the son of Mrs A.V.Percival who was also the mother of the bride in the last photo who's name I have found on FreeBMD and is Mary Percival who is the sister of Howard Percival, Mary Percival the bride married the groom Patrick J Redmond September quarter of 1953. Now have you got that, more photos tomorrow (I just hope that lot from upstairs in the political department don't come down to the basement and confuse us further Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 How the heck did you find all that out Algy. Blimey I really must be slipping these days and well done you Ok so we carry on tomorrow then, unless you will be at it all night of course Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted November 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 Free Bmd Dizz, unfortunately it only comes back as far as the mid 1980's so no chance of locating Howards mother!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 Ok well now we have a bit more to go on maybe we will find more on Ancestry or FMP etc. I shall look this afternoon. Where have all the photo's gone by the way ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 I just had a quick look Algy and I'm sat here laughing. There are 3 Mary Percivals all marrying in Warrington between 1935 and 1953. So why am I laughing... well one married a Bennett and I suddenly had a deja vue moment about how everyone we used to look for often finished up being part of Tracey's family tree.I just had to mention it I also had a quick look and Howard's and Mary's having the same mum to try and determine their dates of birth etc. I can;t find a Howard with a sister Mary (with same mum) but there is a William H Percival born 1931 (H may have been Howard??) and a Mary P born 1924 both having a mum with the maiden name Hughes. Are there any references to the Hughes family on the photo's ie granny/grandad names etc. I know I seem to be going backwards but the more you have going back the easier it is to go forward to find other relatives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 Cheshire BMD has a Carrie Percival marrying a John M Moore at St Wilfrid, Grappenhall in 19370. Could that possibly be the other lady (bride) in one of your removed photos that was stood near the gates at St W's. That was the only Percival marriage that showed up at St Wilfrids in my search covering 1919 to 1965 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted November 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 I'm putting the photos on later! Dizz. Some of the wedding some of Mary with her mum & dad and sone of Howard who incdentaly appears to be my only hope as he was the youngest and he is going to be around 70 ish' and that is if he is still alive. Is there anything in 1952 for Patrick J Redmond Dizz?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted November 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 I havn't a clue who this is but it is the first photo in the album!. Who I believe to be Mary Percival with her mother and father at Squiresgate (studio?)1946. Wedding group with young Howard Percival in front of his father 1953 outside the Parr Arms and St Wilfrids. Mr Percival and Young Howard. Howard in the army but in Civvies somewhere in South America?. Howard Percival Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 Lovely photo's. Earlier you said Howard was the younger brother of the bride but looking at thw latest pics I'm almost 100% sure Howard must be the groom as a lady is throwing connfettie over him and the bride.PS the lady in the background of the same photo is the same one who was shown individually on one of your first pics (now deleted) walking through St Wilfrids gate so she was clearly the bridesmaid and not a bride at another marriage there like I first thought.Why the blummin' heck can't I find a marriage for Howard or any other info for them all. There is nothing on Cheshire BMD showing a marriage for in 1952 for Patrick J Redmond but there are a lot of records missing from there.Both Ancestry and FMP show a marriage between Patrick J Redmond and a Mary Percival in 1952 in Warrington but doesn't say which church. Like I said there are a few Mary Percivals marrying in Warrington.Onwards and upwards but we usually get there in the end don't we although it could take us months at this rate... marvelous, something interesting to do at last Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted November 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 Dizz, the photo of the happy couple outside the Parr Arms and church is I believe Patrick J Redmond and Mary Percival or now Redmond as they are now married, The young lad with the receding hairline is Howard and definitely Mary's younger brother. Below are the FreeBMD entries for July, August and September 1953 for Warrington and they were married in Sept 1953 as it is written over some wedding photos in one of the albums, and to my mind there is only the one entry in that period for 1953 for a Percival getting married in the Warrington area and that was these two!, and the Warrington Licensing Office covers Grappenhall as it was and is in the Borough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 I've got those two too Algy. It's easier for you as you can keep flicking through your album and refreshing your brain with the info written on the back of the pics. I have no brain and no pics and I thought the man in the glasses on all the pics was Howard and I didn;t know Mr Percivals name was written on them too Is it too early for a glass of something stronger than water Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracey Bennett Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 Ooh, there's been progress while I wasn't looking! It's nice to have a proper investigation to get stuck into for a change (saying that I'm about to start the after school runaround of swimming lessons etc so won't be online to search anything for a while) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 It's just like old times Tracey The 3 musketeers (Algy is the one in the middle we are the giggly ones) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted November 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 Jam in the sandwich so to speak!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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