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Are there any descendants of Robert Barlow born in South Hetton 1838-died 1914 and his wife Hannah Cummings born in Easington 1870 died 1909. They had two sons Arthur Balfour Barlow born in New Seaham 1893 and his brother William Foster Barlow born 1903. Robert was married before to Mary Nicholson and had four children. One was called Thomas Barlow born 1863. He was also married twice. First time to Hannah Spence born 1862 then to Margaret Appleton born in Byers Green 1860. Thomas and Hannah had five children - Catherine Jane 1884, Alice 1886, William 1889, Margaret 1891 and Hannah Milicent 1897. I am trying to find out about my father, William Foster Barlow, who for some reason changed his name to Richard Thornton when he enlisted in the army in Sunderland in 1925. I found out on his army papers that he had named his next -of-kin as Thomas Barlow (his step-brother) of 24 Model Street, New Seaham. I now beleive that they were half-brothers. I would be pleased if anyone connected to the Barlows could get in touch with me.

If you wish to find links on GR.....look in 'search all trees'

This all sounds VERY familiar................................

I seem to recall GR members proving that Robert and Arthur were NOT brothers..............

What happened to the vast amount of info that was posted before?

I have posted information before about the Barlow's. Robert was Arthur's father not his brother. Both Arthur and William were children of Robert's second marriage. Thomas Barlow was the son of his first marriage. I believe you had told me before that I had not put enough information on here so I've tried to add some more. I have been in touch a few times with Anthony Adolph to ask him if he can help. At present I am still debating whether or not to pay for research that may result in knowing nothing more than I know already. What else would you suggest I put on here?

Did you delete the previous post.........and all the info it contained?

Did you save the info............or has it all been lost?

Apologies....I meant to say that I thought William and Arthur had been shown not to be brothers..........

1901 England Census
Name: Arthur Balfour Barlow
Age: 9
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1892
Relation: Son
Father's Name: Robert Barlow
Mother's Name: Hannah Barlow
Gender: Male
Where born: New Seaham, Durham, England
Civil parish: Seaham
Ecclesiastical parish: Seaham Christchurch
Town: New Seaham
County/Island: Durham
Country: England

Registration district: Easington
Sub-registration district: Dawdon
ED, institution, or vessel: 23
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 119
Piece: 4691
Folio: 95
Page Number: 27
Household Members:
Name Age
Robert Barlow 63
Hannah Barlow 30
Arthur Balfour Barlow 9
Thomason Brown 15

No mention of 'Foster' in the name

England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
Name: William Barlow
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1904
Registration district: Durham
Inferred County: Durham
Volume: 10a
Page: 467


England & Wales, Death Index, 1916-2006
Name: William Barlow
Birth Date: 24 Apr 1904
Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1982
Age at Death: 77
Registration district: Durham Northern
Inferred County: Tyne and Wear
Volume: 1
Page: 1343

1911 England Census
Name: William Barlow
Age in 1911: 7
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1904
Relation to Head: Son
Gender: Male
Birth Place: New Seaham, Durham, England
Civil parish: Seaham
County/Island: Durham
Country: England
Street Address: Old Mill Cottages New Seaham
Registration district: Easington
Registration District Number: 552
Sub-registration district: Dawdon
ED, institution, or vessel: 14
Piece: 30033
Household Members:
Name Age
Robert Barlow 73
Balfour Barlow 18
William Barlow 7

I think the misunderstanding has arisen because in your previous thread, you stated that Robert Foster Barlow was a brother to Arthur Balfour Barlow, and that was what was proved to be incorrect.

????
name: Wm Froster Barlow
event type: Military Service
event year range: 1918-1921
event place: United Kingdom
birthplace: Durham
birth year: 1903

No - I had always put that William Foster Barlow and Arthur Balfour Barlow were brothers. William Barlow's birthday is exactly the same date as the one on my father's army enlistent paper in 1925 when he said his name was Richard Thornton. He gave his next of kin as Thomas Barlow (step-brother) of 24 Model Street, Seaham. This confused me for quite a while as Thomas was so much older than William or Arthur but then I found out that Robert Barlow had been married twice and his second wife was half his age. She was just 39 when she died in 1909 whereas he was 76 when he died in 1914. On the 1911 Census Arthur was an absent voter as he was serving with the DLI. I am not sure what happened to him although I did find a marriage for an Arthur B Barlow to an Ethel Brewster in 1934. I thought this might be wrong though. I have written to a couple of descendants of the Barlows but just heard from one so far. Unfortunately she couldn't tell me anything.
It is all a complete mystery and it may never be solved.

OK.......have it your way. But I know what info was looked up at your behest

One question

If your father enlisted using the name Richard Thornton, what leads you to think his name at birth was something different?

What name did you know him by?

Your maiden name (if you're married) was Thornton

This gets more complicated. My father always told my mother and her family he was an orphan and brought up by two aunts in Seaham. No-one in the whole family seemed to ask more questions. When he died my mother obtained a birth certificate together with the death certificate for who she thought was my father. Going from this information I thought I had found a whole lost family until I got his army service record. Incidentally the address given on the birth certificate is just about 200 metres from where I live now. I then researched more and found out that the man who's birth certificate I now had actually died in 1983 therefore he was no relation to me. That is when I went to Seaham and with help from the Seaham Family History Group and Bishop Auckland Registrars Office I was told that there were no Richard Thornton born on the dates I gave them. Then when I mentioned the name Barlow they searched the church records for baptisms and there was the name of William Barlow born on the date that is on his army enlistment papers. The address of Thomas Barlow was exactly the same in the 1911 Census as it was on the army papers in 1925. I hope you can understand all this information. As I said it is confusing. There is nothing more I can add except to say I was brought up as a Thornton and still am a Thornton as I never married.