Original Post 4/24/2015 (Lisa's Family Pages)
I have been researching our Warren family history for 9 years now. This week a crack started on the brick wall surrounding my Great Grandfather Harry Warren. He is on my "Most Wanted" list.
Harry Warren has used two places of birth during his life. When he married my Great Grandmother Henrietta Shepherd in 1917 (Toronto, Ontario), he claims he was born in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, USA. But on his WWI Canadian Attestation Papers (and any other document after the wedding) he claims he was born in Dublin, Ireland. He named his brother Frank Warren from New York as his next of kin on those WWI papers. So I started to trace his brother.
I found Frank's marriage date and ordered a copy of the certificate from the New York State Vital Records department. This record gave me Frank's parents' names, which were the same as Harry's. So I knew that Harry and Frank were both the children of George Warren and Margaret Byron.
I followed Frank through the years via census records in Connecticut, and directories. I contacted the
Norwalk Public Library in Connecticut and asked if they could send me copies of the obituaries I found on an index. The person I contacted found Frank and his wife's (Fannie Farrington) obituaries and emailed copies to me. These gave me the names of their children.
I took this information and using the white pages found the address of Frank's surviving daughter (now 80 years old). I sat on this address for almost a year. I was debating if I should mail her the letter. I wasn't sure if she would be offended that I was contacting her. I was worried that she would think I was a nut job tracking her down like that. Then two weeks ago I did it, I mailed my 1st cousin twice removed a letter. I included some documents to prove my conclusion and explained why I was contacting her. I gave her my mailing address and my email address.... then I waited.
A week and a half later she emailed me. She told me she was excited to get my letter and that she had a lot of things to share with me. I spoke with her today on the telephone and was very surprised by what she had to tell me. Now I understand why our Great Grandfather Harry Warren was using different information on his paperwork.
Harry Warren has used two places of birth during his life. When he married my Great Grandmother Henrietta Shepherd in 1917 (Toronto, Ontario), he claims he was born in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, USA. But on his WWI Canadian Attestation Papers (and any other document after the wedding) he claims he was born in Dublin, Ireland. He named his brother Frank Warren from New York as his next of kin on those WWI papers. So I started to trace his brother.
I found Frank's marriage date and ordered a copy of the certificate from the New York State Vital Records department. This record gave me Frank's parents' names, which were the same as Harry's. So I knew that Harry and Frank were both the children of George Warren and Margaret Byron.
I followed Frank through the years via census records in Connecticut, and directories. I contacted the
Norwalk Public Library in Connecticut and asked if they could send me copies of the obituaries I found on an index. The person I contacted found Frank and his wife's (Fannie Farrington) obituaries and emailed copies to me. These gave me the names of their children.
I took this information and using the white pages found the address of Frank's surviving daughter (now 80 years old). I sat on this address for almost a year. I was debating if I should mail her the letter. I wasn't sure if she would be offended that I was contacting her. I was worried that she would think I was a nut job tracking her down like that. Then two weeks ago I did it, I mailed my 1st cousin twice removed a letter. I included some documents to prove my conclusion and explained why I was contacting her. I gave her my mailing address and my email address.... then I waited.
A week and a half later she emailed me. She told me she was excited to get my letter and that she had a lot of things to share with me. I spoke with her today on the telephone and was very surprised by what she had to tell me. Now I understand why our Great Grandfather Harry Warren was using different information on his paperwork.
- According to her father Frank, his brother Harry Warren was running from the law because he had some sort of association with a mobster in the USA. (Yikes!)
- Harry and Frank's Dad (George Warren) had a Grandfather (or possibly a Great Grandfather) that was Native American and owned a racehorse in Ohio.
- The Family name was "Wormwood" and then changed at some point to "Warren"
- Frank left home at a young age and later lived with his mother's sister in New York. Her name was Kate Byron who married a man by the name of Albert Dempsey.
- Harry and Frank's mother (Margaret Byron) was from Co. Mayo, Ireland.
- Harry was married, had a son, and was then divorced in New York before moving to Canada.
WOW!! We have never heard these stories over in Canada. We knew something wasn't adding up and guessed there may be some unsettling information to be found. I wasn't expecting all that though. I can't wait to trace these family stories and prove them with documentation. It looks like I found a shady ancestor...but that's what keeps things interesting.
I wish I sent that letter a lot earlier!!
I wish I sent that letter a lot earlier!!
Image courtesy of pixabay.com
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