Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

I am researching the above, who was born in 1892, the son of Thomas and Harriet Furniss of 113 Rocky Lane, Walton on the Hill, Liverpool.

He married on 10 February 1919 a lady by the name of Mary.

During WW1, he served with the 5th King's Liverpool Regiment and was awarded a Meritorious Service Medal in 1919.

Any information would be welcome.

Mark Abbott

Hi Mark,

1901 census shows the family living at 113 Rocky? Lane, Walton on the hill.

thomas furniss 54 Chemist druggist lincoln, brigg
harriet furniss 51 cheshire chester
Arthur son age 23 also chemist druggist born liverpool
norman 21 son (looks like mechanic) 21, liverpool
emily 19 daughter pupil teacher, liverpool
ralph 16, son, clerk insurance office, liverpool
CHARLES A son, age 8 liverpool

regards susan

Hi Mark
1938 Directory

Chas Alban Furniss no occ listed
3 Grosvenor Avenue West Kirby
Telephone Hoylake 924 (sorry no mobile number listed )

Arth.Street Furniss chemist
531 Prescot Rd Old Swan
res. Beech Cottage, Queens Drive Lpl 13.

Norman W Furniss comm. traveller
59 Lark Hill Lane W Dby

Ralph Jn Furniss no occ
460 Queens Dve Lpl 13

Good luck
Tina

Hi Mark,
Gore's Directory 1911 a James T Lowe, Chemist is at 113 Rocky Lane at that time .

Think these Furniss people will be those on the 1901 census .

Arthur S Furniss 531 Prescott Road, Old Swan.
Arthur Street Furness, Chemist, 531 Prescott Road (In trades and name directory .)
Mrs Harriett Furniss, 82 Snaefell Ave ,Tuebrook E .
Norman W Furniss ,17 Fairburn Road, Lisburn Lane .

An ALBAN Furniss, Secretary, at 136 Chatham Street E .
Could this be the Charles Alban Furniss .

Deaths
1909 Dec Qtr .
Thomas Furniss 66
West Derby Vol 8b Page 382.

1916 Jne Qtr .
Harriett Furniss 67
West Derby Vol 8b Page 696 .

Added : Hi Tina, snap did't use refresh button
Doreen

Susan, Tina & Doreen,

Ladies, thank you so much for your help!

I have now found the citation for his Meritorious Service Medal:

" This NCO has acted as Battalion postman since February 1915. I cannot speak too highly of this NCO's devotion to duty. The bringing up of letters, parcels etc under all conditiona and throughout all kinds of barrages has often excited the admiration of all ranks and there has never been one occasionto my knowledge where mails etc in his possession have not been delivered, whatever apparent difficulties were in the way. This work is in itself of greastest value in keeping up the spirits (at times of great strain) of the fighting troops and I strongly recommend that the of a very well deserved decoration be granted."

Signed:Lt Col J J Shute Comdg 1/5 Liverpool Regt.

Hi Mark,
Can just imagine him doing his job as an NCO, I am sure his family would be proud of him, espcially if they had read the citation which you posted .
Thanks
Doreen

I have now found his service papers on Ancestry, which make very interesting reading.

I will be checking the local papers as soon as I can for a photo of him.

Mark

Hi Mark,

I worked in a wholesale chemists supplies in the 1970's and some of our customers we delivered to were Furniss Chemists, I can't remember all the addresses, but there was one in Prescot Road, and I think another in Hillside Avenue Huyton.

OT.

That brought back some good memories for me, I used to know every chemist shop in and around Liverpool/Merseyside and surrounding areas that the company I worked for delivered to.

There may be a conncection.

Jan

Jan,

There must be a connection; the name is simply not that common. I believe that my man's father and brother were "Druggists", which I suppose is the equivalent of a pharmacist.

They carried on a business at 531 Prescot Road Old Swan, which is just round the cornef from one of my offices in Derby Lane.

I find researching other people's family trees so much more interesting than my own and you meet such interesting people along the way.

Thanks for your help.

Mark

Hi Mark,
I have been reading his service papers on Ancestry, his letter about being demobilised and the letter from the Maritime Insurance Company his past employer is a bit of bit of a bonus, gives an insight of his civilian life .
Don't know if you noticed that there are a couple of people researching this branch of the Furniss family on Ancestry .
Personal tree named Caroline Opie and a Public tree, Machray Family tree .
The owner of the personal tree gives the year of death for Charles as 1951, but found that it was Arthur S Furniss, age 73, Dec qtr, Wirral, Vol 10a Page 688 .
Was wondering if one of the above may have a photo

Doreen .

Hi Mark, have a look at this for sale on ebay for £4.99, a rare medicine bottle from Furniss Chemist, Old Swan.

Sorry, don't know how to upload photo so here's the ebay link.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RARE-FURNISS-CHEM ... 240%3A1318

Julie

Hi Julie
What a fantastic find on ebay!!
You should email the seller (Ribble Valley Antiques) he's bit confused over Old Swan "is it a place in UK"...
Notice the last "s" is drawn out, fancy hey?
I'd be snaffling it up for perhaps a museum.
Here's the pic
Tina
Notice the seller's palm...
He's got a big Mount of Venus

That's fantastic! I think I'll be bidding on that one!

Thanks for the "tip off".

Regards to all

Mark

Hi Doreen,

The papers are superb! They do bring an insight into an individuals life that perhaps would remain undiscovered.

I had noted one of the researchers and have contacted her with what I know. I think from her response that "my man" is not closley related as she had less information on him than I had. She didn't know about the award of the Meritorious Service Medal (msm). I sent her a copy of the msm citation but as yet have had no acknowledgement.

I will contact the other researcher to see if they have anything.

Thanks for the help, it is really appreciated.

Mark

Hi Mark, found a death record .

Sep Qtr 1950, Charles A Furniss, AGE 58 .
Wirral, Vol 10a, Page 603 .

Looking at the Telephone Books at Ancestry a C A Furniss was living at Raeburn Ave, Grange, Hoylake, 1929 - 1932 .
There is a gap until 1942 when he is at Salisbury Ave, Hoylake .
After the above death a C A Furniss is at Lindale Road, Hoylake 1958 - 1977 .
Could be that his wife Mary was still living or perhaps they had a son who was also living in Hoylake  .
It is possible that I may have missed some entries in the telephone books, however, the above addresses may help in some way to locate a cemetery where Charles was buried .
Hope you are able to get the Furniss bottle at eBay which Julie found, what a coincident and a really good find .

ADDED:- Cecked the Tel No for the above addresses both Hoylake 924
Doreen

Good luck with the bidding on ebay Mark.
Julie, don't email seller, he may have more & put his price up if he thinks people are interested!!
Good stuff Doreen, same phone number from 1938.
This is so interesting.
Cheers
Tina

Just to add
Ralph must be the brother as in Directory
he was born Ralph John FURNISS
1st qtr 1885 W Dby.
Norman has Wakefield as his middle name.
Looks like he married Annie in 1909 in Prescot surname IMKSTER??
Tina

Ladies,

Good morning from a chilly Allerton Road here in wintery Liverpool but at least the sun is shining as I type this!

I have succeded in securing the bottle and look forward to its arrival. Many thanks for the information on this.

The Ancestry papers for Charles are a real bonus. As you are aware I am not strictly a family historian in the true sense of the phrase, I research soldiers families. I come to an individual with little or indeed sometimes no knowledge of his background and often no idea where he was from and pick up clues as I go along.

The help and information that you have all so kindly given to me has enabled me to make contact with the great garand daughter of Arthur Street Furniss, who was Charles' brother. So I am hoping for more information from her. She had no idea of her great uncle's war time service, so I have been able to fill part of her family tree.

I will keep you all posted on what is turning out to be a really interesting project.

Warm regards to all

Mark

Well done Mark with ebay purchase of the lovely bottle!
Also for contact with Arthur's ggdghtr.
I'm sure she will reeling from the info you have.

It's fantastic you are able to add to your military archives.

You'd better have another squizz in Ancestry...
Norman Wakefield Furniss is there, WW1 Service Records, at his Larkhill Lane addie. Scottish Btn The King's Liverpool Regmnt
Regiment No. 359296
He joined in 1916.

He's also mentioned in the WW1 Medal Roll Index.
Discharge 8/1/1919.


Tina

Hi Mark & all,

Great news that you were able to secure the bottle, well done. I found the bottle on ebay simply by enterering Furniss Chemist as an internet search. I often try this as it sometimes brings up info from websites you would not even think of looking on - who would have thought ebay could help with family history!

Good luck with your research, i'm sure the people on this forum will help you along.

Julie