Family History Research

Please how do I send a P.m.

My specific question is My great grandfather died 14th July 1891 in Rainhill Liverpool . Our oral tradition is that he was in the army. Maybe a musician . the word Timekeeper is also used. Is there any way of knowing what regiment he was in. His name was Thomas Kennedy , son of Patrick Kennedy of the 34th foot regiment Cumberland.

He married Elizabeth Given 09 .07.1895 in .st. James but he was a widower on his marriage cert. we have no idea who he had been married to previously.

Please please Pm me. I would just love to find our more about my great granddad. Lydia

Family histories can be such a can of worms though . . . We discovered an uncle had deserted from the Grenadier Guards only to re-enlist in the Royal Fusiliers and go off to fight in the First World War.

Bit of a shock to find an entry among the War Office files marked DESERTED, there was also letter which confirmed that the police had called around to arrest him only to be told by my Grandmother that he was away fighting in Belgium . . .

I would have thought desertion was punishable by death in those days but he managed to get away with it only to be killed in 1917 at Dozinghem Casualty Clearing Station. And here's "Tommy" humour for you - there were three of these CCS set up for the last battle of Ypres: Dozinghem, Bandaghem and Mendinghem; you have to say them out loud to get the puns.