Private John Rogers/John Henry Parker

[Katie]

Bedfordshire Regiment
Rogers
7090
John
Private
Liverpool
24th July 1916
Killed
CWGC

The above soldier served under the alias of John Rogers. His correct birth name is John Henry Parker. Married Bertha Munt 1915 WDRO Remarried in 1918 Arthur C Knight, again Registrar Attended.

[Katie]

I think we can rule out the following:-

King's Liverpool Regiment
Rogers
203597
James
Private
Liverpool
9th January 1918
Killed
3, Canterbury Street, Garston.
Obituary 25/1/1918-LE

[Katie]

Think I may be onto something with the John Rogers, Bedfordshire Regt. Chantrey Street, is in the correct area for St. Cyprian.

http://www.liverpoolhistoryprojects.co. ... z/rt46.htm

[Katie]

I think I can be pretty certain that Private John Rogers aka John Henry Parker is our man.

Checked the Street Directories from 1918 upwards in in 1922 I found a Arthur Knight residing in 22, Scourfield Street, and a quick check of the Electoral Roll for 1918 for 22, Scourfield Street gives us

Arthur Knight
Bertha Knight
William Arthur Richard Munt NM (a)

NM (Naval or Military)

[Katie]

According to the Medal card for John Rogers, he entered France on 30th August 1914. So he could possibly have been in the Military before WW1 was declared. Could be wrong. Also his wife Bertha Mutt was born circa 1874. So we could be looking for a John Henry Parker born round that time.

Bertha Knight died in 1922 Aged 48yrs.

[alcavtay]

Some background to the wife - Bertha Smith married her first husband John Alexander Munt in 1894 in St Cyprians. In 1904 John Munt sailed for Demerara, saying he would send for his wife and children but he didn't and she, without any means of support, had to go into Brownlow Workhouse for the birth of their 6th child Margaret on 6th Dec 1904. John got engaged to Miss Amanda Black in Demerara but someone told her he was married and she wrote to Bertha and told her what he was doing. John wrote to her to admit it and said that Bertha should set up with someone else if she thought it best.
Bertha set up home with his brother Albert Ernest Munt at 69 Minto St.
In 1906 John returned and found Bertha living with his brother and pregnant, he filed for divorce. This is all recorded in the divorce papers.

In the 1911 census Bertha said she was a widow, she had one child with her at her parents' house but I've found two of the others at Myrtle St orphanage and Grafton St industrial school.

We think she then went on to marry a man who served under a false name and married a third time after he was killed in action.

Sounds like the storyline from a soap opera!

Amanda

[alcavtay]

Looks like the Munt children were christened in St Cyprian's too.


Name: Bertha Mary Isabel Munt
Gender: Female
Christening Date: 10 Mar 1895
Christening Place: St. Cyprians, Edge-Hill, Lancashire, England
Birth Date: 27 Jan 1895
Birthplace: Saint Cyprians, Edge Hill, Lancashire, England
Father's Name: John Alexander Munt
Mother's Name: Bertha

Name: William Arthur Richard Munt
Gender: Male
Christening Date: 03 Jul 1897
Christening Place: St. Cyprians, Edge-Hill, Lancashire, England
Birth Date: 19 Jun 1897
Birthplace: Saint Cyprians, Edge Hill, Lancashire, England
Father's Name: John Alexander Munt
Mother's Name: Bertha


Name: Margaret Elizabeth Munt
Gender: Female
Christening Date: 04 Jan 1905
Christening Place: St. Cyprians, Edge-Hill, Lancashire, England
Birth Date: 06 Dec 1904
Birthplace: Saint Cyprians, Edge Hill, Lancashire, England
Father's Name: John Alexander Munt
Mother's Name: Bertha

[alcavtay]

Hi Katie, where did the info about serving under the alias Rogers come from?

Amanda

[Bertieone]

Hi Katie, where did the info about serving under the alias Rogers come from?

Amanda

Amanda,

Soldiers effects has mention of it.

[alcavtay]

Thanks Bert

[Katie]

I have had a go at John Henry Parker and there is a family of Parkers living in Mount Vernon father Henry, but without knowing what his age was I am not certain. I think I may donate £10.00 to the project and get his marriage certificate to Bertha the merry widow. But at least our John is now getting some information. I thought it might also be a good idea to look through the Voters registers to see if I can pick up any of the other ones who we are having some difficulty with.

[Bertieone]

Is it known how the names placed upon the memorial were gathered and by whom, was there any involvement by relatives, either by form filling or financial contributions.
It puzzles me that if relatives were involved, they would allow fictitious names placed upon it, especially if their loved ones were not being recognised in the community.

My thinking is, wouldn't John Henry Parker's parents or wife insisted his correct name was included?

[daggers]

Katie
One of your posts says 'So we could be looking for a John Henry Turner born round that time.'

Did you mean Parker? If not, I am confused!

D

[Katie]

Sorry, Daggers it is John Henry Parker. I thought I had corrected my mistake. In the last few weeks I have located the graves of 7 servicemen who had no known graves so quite a lot going on in my head.

[Katie]

Katie
One of your posts says 'So we could be looking for a John Henry Turner born round that time.'

Did you mean Parker? If not, I am confused!

D

Edited

[alcavtay]

My thinking is, wouldn't John Henry Parker's parents or wife insisted his correct name was included?

The soldier's effects records that his money was paid to his widow "Mrs Bertha Rogers" so I think it's likely that they were living under that name and it would have been used on the memorial.

Amanda

[Bertieone]

Amanda, thank you.

[Katie]

Liverpool Echo 15th August 1916

ROGERS (PARKER) July 24th Killed in action, Private J. Rogers (J.H. Parker)(Bedford Regiment, B.E.F)
the dearly loved husband of Bertha Parker, 56, West Derby Street, "Greater love hath no man than this"