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I'm looking for any information on my grandfather, Frederick James Smith, born 26 May 1895 in Birmingham, England. His father was Thomas Sinclair Smith & his mother Mary (Unknown). I believe he fought in the South African army during the First world war before moving to Australia where he married Molly Ethel Shaw in 1923.

There isn't an obvious Frederick appearing on the 1901 census that fits the information that you have given. Do you have an occupation for his father please?

Where did you get his DOB from? There is no Frederick James birth registered in the Birmingham area in 1895. There is this one in 1896:

Smith Frederick James W. Bromwich 6b 822

Interesting Potty as there is this marriage but not to a Mary!

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

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Marriages Mar 1895 (>99%)
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Baldwin William James Haslingden 8e 191
Holden Sarah Haslingden 8e 191
Lord Bessie Haslingden 8e 191
Smith Thomas Sinclair Haslingden 8e 191

1891???

Name: Thomas S Smith
Age: 22
Estimated birth year: abt 1869
Relation: Boarder
Gender: Male
Where born: Birmingham

Civil parish: Edgbaston
Ecclesiastical parish: St James
County/Island: Warwickshire
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View image

Registration district: Kings Norton
Sub-registration district: Edgbaston
ED, institution, or vessel: 27
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Ellen Ryland 65
Kate F Ryland 34
George E Ryland 26
Thomas S Smith 22 Accountant
Elizabeth Chance 20


Source Citation: Class: RG12; Piece: 2360; Folio 6; Page 6; GSU roll: 6097470

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

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Births Sep 1872 (>99%)
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SMITH Thomas Sinclair Ecclesall B. 9c 251

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Births Jun 1890 (>99%)
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Smith Thomas Sinclair Birkenhead 8a 585

Both his occupation & his fathers is listed as Engineer on Freds marriage certificate

From Lancs bmd :

SMITH Thomas Sinclair LORD Bessie Hyndburn Register Office or Registrar Attended

DOB has come from his AIF enlistment papers for WWII

From 1901 census the Thomas Sinclair who married Bessie is the one born Ecclesall B:

1901 England Census
about Thos S Smith
Name: Thos S Smith
Age: 28
Estimated birth year: abt 1873
Relation: Head
Spouse's name: Bessie
Gender: Male
Where born: Sheffield

Civil parish: Haslingden
Ecclesiastical parish: St James
Town: Haslingden
County/Island: Lancashire
Registration district: Haslingden
Sub-registration district: Haslingden
ED, institution, or vessel: 1
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 246
Household Members: Name Age
Thos S Smith 28 - watchmaker
Bessie Smith 29
Gladys Smith 5
Florrie Smith 4
May Smith 2

Since first posting I have managed to make some in-roads into my Grandfathers past. I managed to track down his WW1 Service Records from South Africa, where he lists his date of birth as May 1883. On his Attestation form he was also showing a wife (1916: Phillipina Catherine Smith). His previous service listed 10 years in the 3rd Hussars. Does anyone know how if it's possible to find out if his father was also in this regiment, as the 3rd were based in India for some time & I located an overseas birth record for a Frederick James Smith in Lucknow, India 1883.