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Am trying to find my grandfather, ROBERT JOHN HARRIS and his parents, Dr ROBERT JOHN HARRIS and ANNIE THORNICROFT.

My grandfather seems to have been born in Liverpool, Lancashire c1886-1889, he married in Australia in 1910 and died there in 1945. There is a family story that says that Dr Harris was Jewish. I can find no evidence of births, deaths or marriages for any of these people! Did they come to England and change their names?

Can you help me please?
Regards
Carol

Do you have his parents details from his marriage cert or elsewhere?
What do you mean by "seems to have been born in Liverpool"?

What age does he say he is on the marriage and what is his occupation?

Might he have fibbed on his marriage cert about his age to marry a younger woman as many did?Although of course this is prob no where near being him as mother is Mary and father has middle initial R.

1881 England Census
about Robert R. Harris
Name: Robert R. Harris
Age: 56
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1825
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Mary
Gender: Male
Where born: Yeadon, Yorkshire, England

Civil parish: Elton
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England

Street Address: 114 Tottington Road
Condition as to marriage: Married
Education:

Employment status: View image
Occupation: Surgeon M.R.C.S.

Registration district: Bury
Sub-registration district: Elton
ED, institution, or vessel: 7
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Robert R. Harris 56
Mary Harris 37
Mary Harris 15
Alice Harris 11
Agnes Harris 8
Robert Harris 6 <<<1875,bury lancs
Susan Harris
Susannah Openshaw 13
Sarah Ingham 44

Hi Carol,
May I suggest that you check the Medical directory of Australia in the years pre-1945 to get an idea of which state of Australia he practiced in. The old directories usually gave a home address. Then you can start checking the state births, deaths and marriages online for that particular state.
If your local medical library does not have the Medical Directory for that period then use the free "Ask the Librarian" online at the National Library of Australia. The name Harris is not only English but also Jewish and Greek.
If you think he was Jewish the Australian Jewish Family History and genealogy service can help at www.ajgs.org.au.
Cheers Katherine

It states on my grandparents' marriage certificate in Brisbane, Australia in 1910 that he was born in Liverpool, England, and his parents were Dr Robert John Harris and Annie Thornicroft.

Dr and Annie Harris did not come to Australia. Robert Jnr (grandad) was apprenticed as a seaman in 1901, aged 15, to a company in London, and we do not know how or when he arrived in Australia. At the time of his marriage, though, he states that he is 21 years old, born in Liverpool and his wife was 23 years old at that time - so that puts his DOB as being 1886 or 1889, so he was either 12 at the time of becoming a seaman if the second date was correct, or he put his age down for his marriage to an older woman if the second date was correct???

I have checked the medical registers in England and there was a Dr Robert Harris, married to Jane with a son Robert at around the right time, but the son was born in 1881 and his second name was Aspland!!!

Many thanks.
Regards
Carol

Cant see a marriage for a Robert Harris/Annie Thornicroft. Seems a bit strange that a doctors son would become an ordinary seaman? What rank was he? Did he have any siblings?

If he were "apprenticed" what was he apprenticed as? His apprenticeship papers would give his parents details.

Have you checked scottish records?

I too thought it strange that a doctor would allow his son to become apprenticed as a seaman for a period of three years, but when I raised it with a researcher the answer was "Why not?" If, perhaps, the doctor had a number of children and if, perhaps, the son was not too bright, and if, perhaps, the son was a "problem" - who know why?

When he signed on in 1901 it was to a London company as an Apprentice Seaman for a period of three years.

As for siblings, I just don't have any information other than I have given. I cannot find him or his parents in any birth, death, marriages or census!

I have not checked the Scottish records as there is no indication that there was a Scottish connection! Liverpool and London - nothing else so far...

Regards
Carol

Well as a marriage isnt coming up in the bmd, then scotland is worth a chance. Can you get the apprenticeship papers at all?

Thanks for that. Will give Scotland a go!

I have the apprenticeship papers and the name of the company that he signed on with, but went to Grenwich and they have no information on him down there.

Am now in Liverpool and after extensive searching by BDM there, they are unable to help me either.

Regards
Carol