Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

Hi, looking for clues to the life of my Grandfather, born 1892 Henry James Coward , lived in Page street with his father, Robert william Coward and Mother Elizabeth Jane ne Warburton, father died, mother remarried William Kneale in 1911, entered army 1914 as Henry James Beech, then living at Empire Street, worked as a "checker" at the docks always giving work to the men with families. would love to find out more of his past and why he changed his name. Dock records may hold some clues, said he was going to train as a barrister but stepfather spent all the money. Elizabeth Jane Kneale went on t be the first lady court stenographer!!

could be on the wrong track but do you think he changed it because the name coward was not the name a soldier would want fighting a war . just a thought
Doe 7631

Hi, I take it you have the army pensions records available on a site I'm wary of putting the name of!
Pauline.

If they are on Ancestry, how is his name spelt as I don't see them?

I searched for Henry James Coward. The family trees came up and the Beech tree has citations.....so I clicked on the military pic and BINGO! Ten pages!

Nice one, he isn't listed with the middle name!

There seems to be a "Jan" who was also researching this ancestor, back in 2009, perhaps you could join forces since posters on the forum she used also seem to think it was just the interpretation of the name being the reason he chose to change it.
http://www.british-genealogy.com/forums ... 48329.html

Thanks to everyone for their replies. Yes Jan is a long lost cousin and we do swap info and yes i have got the army records. Your suggestion of change of name seems logical but why "Beech" was it is biological father's name. His parents were married several years before he was born and he was an only child! Just wondered whether Dock records would show anything. Thanks for all the suggestions.