Well Liz just how complicated is Henry Arthur Catley!! Would not surprise me
but the only marriage I discovered was in 1918 to Helen Agnes (a widow) nee
Simpson in St Helens Lancs and on the certificate he is a bachelor. My newly
found distant cousin in Australia said that her father Patrick (an
illegitimate child from a must be permanent relationship in Queensland because he had
two further children with her) had an older step brother but I only knew of
James Catley born in 1919 to Henry and Helen before Mick discovered more for
me and my cousins Garry and Gail (3rd) a couple of years ago. Henry went
back to Australia after his marriage to Helen who from the records in Australian
Army Archives he requested passage to Australia for Helen and James which
was agreed. I do not think she ever went as I have found a marriage
certificate for James in 1949 in St Helens from the same house that his mother was
married from. That marriage certificate says Henry Arthur Catley is his father
but a blank is in his occupation.
Coincidentally as per the email I sent to the site this week. I have been
contacted by a gt grand daughter of a friend of Henry Arthurs when he was in
the Australian army in 1911 to 1919. (through
Ancestry.Com where a left a
message about 4 years ago) She has the original Army record book and a medal
which Henry Arthur asked her Grandfather to care for - Henry Arthur never ever
contacted her grandfather again. However she is looking through albums that
her gt grandfather (who she never knew) left to her grandfather who has
recently died to see if she can find any of Henry.
Henry Arthur lived in Ross Stree Cambridge fro about 1900 because he is in
the 1900 census aged 11 living with his widowed mother, Caroline his older
brother Charles Robert (my grandfather) and about 2 lodgers so.........a
marriage when his was very young is not improbably and neither, from the things I
have discovered is it not unlikely he was a bigamist!!
I cannot leave Henry Arthur alone and would be grateful for any guidance!!!
Lynda Powers