ARC TBC William Harris Brierley Hill / Far Forest

[becksta_9]

My paternal great-grandfather was allegedly William Harris (I say allegedly as DNA testing doesn't seem to link me up with him, but nevertheless I still wish to pursue the paper trail).
I have him with various birth dates - my father knew him as a boy and told me that he did not know his own age, so this explains why he has given his age as different things at different key moments in his life. Due to how common the name is, and the lack of definitive date of birth, I am really struggling to identify him in records.
My records in reverse order:
Died in 1967 reg Kidderminster Q2 Vol 9d pg 125. I know this to be fact as my father was 17 at this time and remembers it. Age on death certificate 83 giving birth year approx 1884
1939 register living at Chapel Cottage Far Forest Kidderminster widow, with daughter Violet Harris. His DOB is given as 5.03.1885. I know this record to be them as Violet was my Dad's mother, and the address is a property he know.
13th June 1938 death of his wife Sarah Ann Harris (nee Boden). William on death certificate.
27th Aug 1928 arrives back into the port at Liverpool from Australia. Age given as 44, giving birth year approx 1884. Is with Sarah Ann his wife and Violet his daughter who had been born in Australia.
16th Nov 1927 daughter Violet is born in Australia. Parents' ages listed on Australian birth certificate. William gives his age as 40, meaning birth year approx 1887.
26th Jun 1923 leaves London for Fremantle Australia with his wife Sarah Ann. Age given as 37, giving birth year approx 1886. Is with Sarah Ann his wife.
1915 marries Sarah Ann Boden reg Stourbridge Q2 Vol 6c pg 20. Marriage certificate says his father is John Harris, a gardener. Place of residence given as Bent Street, Brierley Hill.

I have nothing on him before this point. I cannot find him on the 1911 census. I cannot find a birth record for him. I can't get any further back with this line of my tree because I can't tie him down. Sarah Ann Boden and family were from Brierley Hill, but I cannot work out why William was there. I don't know if he was originally from there, and they moved to Far Forest when returning from Australia almost randomly, or if he was from Far Forest originally and was in Brierley Hill for work when he met Sarah? There is a large Harris family in and around Rock / Far Forest, but I cannot tie my William to them.

DNA testing did not help me further my search. I have no matches with Harris as their surname. However, this doesn't mean he isn't my great-grandfather. It could be that he himself was a result of an NPE.

[peterd]

what does your DNA point to any large CMs that you cannot place ?
have you tries some of the facebook pages that run Matchmaker,
are you on Gedmatch.com
could you post your DNA no so them that have a dna test could check against ?

[Northern Lass]

moving this to brickwalls

[gardener]

Hi
Sorry to ask for more info when you gave so much!

Do you have Sarah Ann on the census somewhere? Who was her father?

Who were the witnesses to the marriage?

[gardener]

This one might fit


1911
Long Bank, Bewdley, Worcestershire
John Harris 64 farm labourer
Elizabeth Harris 58
William Harris 28 Bewdley (transcribed as Samuel)
James Harris 23
Jane Caroline Harris 21

1901
Rock
John Harris 52 working gardener
Elizabeth Harris 50
James Harris 13
Jane Harris 9

1891
Bewdley
John Harris 50 labourer
Elizabeth Harris 39
Elizabeth Harris 12
William Harris 7 Bewdley
James Harris 3

[BC Wench]

Is this still a Brickwall, or have you solved it?

Unless otherwise advised this will be moved to the Brickwalls Archived section
within 24 hours