Alfred Whitehead (1898 - 1970)

Born 1 Mar 1898 in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Eileen Marie (Whittaker) Whitehead — married 15 Aug 1921 in Fylde, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom

Descendants

Died 7 Mar 1970 at age 72 in Bulawayo, Matabeleland, Rhodesia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Aidan Bizony [send private message]

Biography

Alfred Whitehead migrated from England to South Africa.

Early Life

Alfred Whitehead^[1] was born on 1 March 1898 at 67 Ashley Street, St Martin's, Birmingham Warwickshire, England,^[1][2] the son of William Henry Whitehead, an bicycle maker's clerk, and Mary Ann Hill.^[1][3][4]. His mother, who was living at 67 Ashley Street at the time, registered Alfred's birth on 12 April 1898.^[1] Ashley Street was part of Birmingham's Jewish community.^[5]

Family

Alfred married Eileen Whittaker at the Register Office in Fylde, Lancaster and Blackpool on 15 August 1921 with George Dascher and Lillian Gertrude Whitehead as witnesses and John Lump and Fred St Brown as the Registrar and Superintendent Registrar respectively.^[4] Both Alfred and Eileen were listed as living at 33 Lune Grove, Blackpool at the time.^[4] They had four children:

1. Alfred Whitehead^[6]
2. Geoffrey Whitehead^[6]
3. Irene Whitehead^[7]
4. Edward Whitehead^[6]

The family moved from England to South Africa in the 1930s when Alfred, a "confectioner journeyman," was sent to establish Cadbury's in the region.^[6][7] All of Alfred's children were born in England with the exception of Edward who was born in South Africa.^[8]

Return to England

Alfred returned to England from South Africa in 1946.^[9] Alfred would return to South Africa fairly soon afterwards, still suffering from the depression brought on by the accidental death of one of his sons' friends when the children were playing with Alfred's gun.^[8] Alfred never really recovered from this depression.^[8]

Planned Destination

He had a planned destination of 100 Manor House Lane, Yardley, Birmingham, presumably to stay with his sister, Lillian, and her husband.^[10]

Death

Alfred died in Bulawayo Central Hospital, Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) of terminal bronchopneumonia "consistent with peripheral neuritis following Tofranil overdosage."^[2][11] His son initially registered his death on 9 March 1970 and it was re-registered on 21 May 1970 by the Magistrate EE Lacey.^[2][11] Alfred was living at the Palace Hotel on Abercorn Street, Bulawayo at the time of his death.^[2][11]

Research Notes

Research Question: When and where was Alfred Whitehead born and/or christened and who were his parents?

Hypothesis 1: Alfred Whitehead was born on 12 August 1896 at Patricroft, Lancashire, England with parents James Henry Whitehead and Emily Kay.

1. Discovered three sources that support this. More research required to confirm these are for the right Alfred Whitehead.
2. Aidan Bizony ordered marriage certificate for Alfred Whitehead and Eileen Whittaker - Bizony-2 11:25, 21 November 2020 (UTC)
3. Aidan Bizony received the marriage certificate for Alfred and Eileen. Details about Eileen Whitehead concur with already-known facts about her. - Bizony-2 21:17, 30 November 2020 (UTC)
4. Marriage certificate lists Alfred's age at the time as 23, leading to an estimated birth date around 1898. Certificate also lists his father's name as William Henry Whitehead.
5. James Whitehead and Emily Kay cannot b Alfred's parents nor can 12 August 1896 at Patricroft, Lancashire be his birth date and location as they don't align with the marriage certificate.
6. Hypothesis unsupported.

Hypothesis 2: AW was born in Newport, Monmouthshire around 1898 and is the son of William H Whitehead and Harriett O Whitehead.

1. 1901 and 1911 Censuses suggest this hypothesis may be supported but AW's marriage certificate doesn't indicate the middle name 'Alan.' More invesitgation required. - Bizony-2 18:20, 1 December 2020 (UTC)
2. Aidan Bizony discovered the Death Notice for Alfred Whitehead (which is confirmed in the Research Notes below) which cites Alfred's birthplace as Birmingham, England. - Bizony-2 20:21, 4 December 2020 (UTC)
3. Hypothesis unsupported

Hypothesis 3: AW was born in Birmingham between February to June 1898, the son of William Henry Whitehead and Mary Ann Hill.

1. AW's father is listed as William Henry Whitehead in AW's marriage certificate. - Bizony-2 21:17, 30 November 2020 (UTC)
2. Aidan Bizony discovered a Death Notice that cites place of birth as Birmingham (see below as to justification for the Death Notice). - Bizony-2 20:21, 4 December 2020 (UTC)
3. England & Wales General Register Office, GRO Online Index - Birth (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content : accessed 2 December 2020) database entry for Whitehead, Alfred (Mother's maiden name: Hill) GRO Reference: 1898 Q2 in Birmingham, Volume 06D, Page 55 cites Alfred's birthplace as Birmingham. Thanks to Dodge-4214 and the Profile Improvement Project for providing this and other resources. - Bizony-2 02:44, 3 December 2020 (GMT)
4. Birth Register lists "Alfred George" Whitehead's Mother's maiden name as 'Hill.' - Bizony-2 02:44, 3 December 2020 (GMT)
5. "England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XSZ4-TYD : 21 May 2019), Alfred Whitehead in household of Thomas Hill, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing St Martin subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey cites Alfred's maternal grandfather as "Thomas Hill" and birth place as Birmingham. - Bizony-2 02:44, 3 December 2020 (GMT)
6. "England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7B8-WNB : 15 July 2019), Alfred Whitehead in household of Mary Ann Whitehead, Edgbaston, Birmingham, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey cites mother's name as "Mary Ann Whitehead" and his birth place as Birmingham. - Bizony-2 02:44, 3 December 2020 (GMT)
7. Birth certificate required to accurately identify Alfred's mother's first name although Mary Ann Hill is a strong candidate. - Bizony-2 00:32, 8 December 2020 (UTC)
8. Aidan Bizony received Alfred's Birth certificate from General Records Office. Certificate states Alfred was born on 1 Mar 1898 at 67 Ashley Street, Birmingham, the son of William Henry Whitehead and Mary Ann Hill.
9. Hypothesis Supported

CASE CLOSED

Research Question': Did Alfred Whitehead serve in World War I and, if so, in what regiment?

1. Angela Tait suggests Alfred served in and survived the Battle of Ypres. As yet, no evidence beyond Angela Tait's recollection has been found to support this hypothesis. More investigation required to rule it out entirely. - Bizony-2 22:02, 17 July 2021 (UTC)

Hypothesis 1: AW served in the 12th Battallion of the Lancashire Fusiliers.

1. Discovered a Short Service Attestation Form which could support the hypothesis. More invesitgation required. - Bizony-2 11:05, 8 August 2020 (UTC)
2. Record disproven following further reading as family group on subsequent pages is incorrect. Thanks to Donnelly-2171 for assisting with this reading. - Bizony-2 23:28, 20 November 2020 (UTC)
3. Hypothesis unsupported.

Research Question: Where and when did Alfred Whitehead die?

Hypothesis 1: AW died between 1970-72 in South Africa.

1. According to Angela Tait, Alfred Whitehead died around 1970 in either South Africa or Zimbabwe.
2. Morris-18630 discovered a potential probate record which is a likely possibility. More investigation is required. - Bizony-2, 19:07, 20 November 2020.
3. Evidence found proving Alfred Whitehead died in Zimbabwe (see below). - Bizony-2 20:21, 4 December 2020 (UTC)
4. Hypothesis unsupported

Hypothesis 2: AW died between 1970-75 in Zimbabwe.

1. Angela Tait remembers her grandparents living in Zimbabwe while she was in her last school years. Timeline suggests Alfred's death in Zimbabwe is possible. More investigation required. - Bizony-2 22:49, 26 November 2020 (UTC)
2. Aidan Bizony discovered a death notice for Alfred Whitehead with a death date as 7 March 1970 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Although Alfred's parents are recorded as "A.G. Whitehead" and "Not known" in the notice, the birth place matches the birth index. Alfred's wife's name matches that listed on the Marriage Certificate. The names of his children also match those known by Angela Tait as told to her by her mother, Irene (Whitehead) Tait. The name of his daughter, Irene, also shows her married name as Tait which further confirms this is referring to the correct person. The Death Notice, then, is an accurate and appriopriate source. - Bizony-2 20:21, 4 December 2020 (UTC)
3. Alfred Whitehead died on 7 March 1970 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe (then 'Southern Rhodesia').
4. Hypothesis supported

CASE CLOSED

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} England, General Register Office, Entry of Birth Given at the General Register Office, for Alfred Whitehead, born 1 Mar 1898 at 67 Ashley Street, St Martin's, Birmingham and registered 12 Apr 1898 by Mary Hill. Digital copy in the possession of Aidan Bizony as of 3 May 2022.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} "Zimbabwe Death Registers, 1890-1977; Index to Death Register, 1892-1977," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939N-CF9S-BX?cc=1837900&wc=M6LS-K29%3A163032901%2C163425901 : 4 December 2020), Death registers > 1970, #B1-B430 > image 112 of 400; National Archives, Harare.
3. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XSZ4-TYD : 5 Dec 2020), Alfred Whitehead in household of Thomas Hill, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing St Martin subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} England, General Register Office, Entry of Marriage Given at the General Register Office, for Alfred Whitehead and Eileen Mary Whittaker, married 15 Aug 1921 at Register Office, Fylde, Lancs and Blackpool and registered 15 Aug 1921; a copy of an entry of vol 8E, p 1859 of the register of marriages in the registration district of Fylde, Lancs., dated 27 Nov 2020. Certified copy in the possession of Aidan Bizony.
5. ↑ Chesses, Arthur. 'A Brief History of the Birmingham and West Midlands Jewish Community.' Jewish Birmingham, n.d., accessed 3 May 2022. [1].
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3} Personal recollection of Angela Tait, 8 Feb 2020, as told to Aidan Bizony in person
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Birth Certificate of Irene M. Whitehead, Application 5281248-3 (1924), York West, York, Yorkshire. Certified copy of entry at birth - General Records Office. Copy in possession of Aidan Bizony.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2} Tait, Angela. Personal recollection, 3 Dec 2020, as told to Aidan Bizony in person.
9. ↑ The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and successors: Inwards Passenger Lists.; Class: BT26; Piece: 1222 (Ancestry.com. UK and Ireland, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960 [database on-line]. : accessed 2 Dec 2020) Record for Alfred Whitehead (Reference Number: 678, Age: 48, Occupation: Confectioner, Destination: 100 Manor House Lane, Yardley, Birmingham, Country of Last Permanent Residence: South Africa) Port of Departure: Cape Town, South Africa, Arrival Date: 23 Dec 1946, Port of Arrival: Southampton, England, Ship: Carnarvon Castle, Shipping Line: Union-Castle Mail Steamship Company Ltd, Official Number: 148766. Ancestry Record 1518 #30402434 with attached Image (subscription) and Ancestry Sharing Link (free).
10. ↑ The National Archives; Kew, London, England; 1939 Register; Reference: RG 101/5572F (Ancestry.com. 1939 England and Wales Register [database on-line] : accessed 22 Dec 2020) entry (image) for Billings, Lillian G. (Age: 43, Date of Birth: 13 Feb 1896, Marital Status: married, Occupation: unpaid domestic duties, Residence: 100 Manor House Lane, Birmingham). Ancestry Record 61596 #34161644 Image (subscription required)
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2} "Zimbabwe Death notices, 1904-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939N-8PQ8-3?i=20&cc=1838530&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AQVBQ-DLFG : 4 December 2020), Alfred George Whitehead, 07 Mar 1970; citing Death, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, National Archives, Harare; FHL microfilm 1,207,239.

See also:

• England & Wales General Register Office, GRO Online Index - Birth (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content : accessed 2 December 2020) database entry for Whitehead, Alfred (Mother's maiden name: Hill) GRO Reference: 1898 Q2 in Birmingham, Volume 06D, Page 55.
• "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVZK-6XK7 : 9 October 2014), Eileen M Whittaker and null, 1921; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1921, quarter 3, vol. 8E, p. 1859, Fylde, Lancashire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.