Can you give some names and dates of birth

Hi Noggin, you anticipated my chore for today. Thanks for your response.

I'm researching the following:

Joseph Philip Harford b. Aston Warwick March 25, 1879. He had an older brother Thomas and a sister Emily (married surname Townsend).

He joined the Lancashire Fusiliers at age 18 in Birmingham on August 25, 1897, where he had been working in a bicycle shop and serving in the militia.

He served 12 years in the army in Malta, Crete and South Africa.
Thomas was a sergeant in the army when Joe signed up.

In 1909 in Dublin he married Margaret Sheridan b. September 21, 1886 in Dublin, Ireland. They lived in Dublin until the summer of 1911 when they moved to Belfast, after which they emigrated to Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

When WWI started he joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force, serving in England and France, and dying in Toronto in October 1918.

Their children are Joseph Philip b. April 9, 1910 in Dublin, Mary Margaret (Mamie) born August 9, 1911 in Belfast, and Bruce born in 1915 in Toronto.

And so the search begins... for Joe's parents and siblings in Birmingham.

Margaret would have been 14/15 by the time of the 1901 census below. This was the only Margaret Sheriden in that age range. I could not find her or Joseph in the 1911 census of Dublin or Belfast. If this is the correct margaret her parents were Joseph and Mary

Residents of a house 263 in Irishtown Road (Pembroke East & Donnybrook, Dublin)

Sheridan Margaret 15 Female Daughter
Murphy Esther 1 Female Grand Daughter
Murphy Joseph 3 Male Grandson
Murphy John 5 Male Grandson
Sheridan Joseph 50 Male Head of Family
Sheridan Robert 16 Male Son
Sheridan Joseph 19 Male Son
Sheridan Mary 49 Female Wife

1891 England Census
Name: Joseph Harford
Age: 12
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1879
Relation: Son
Father's Name: Joseph Harford
Mother's Name: Emma Harford
Gender: Male
Where born: Birmingham
Civil parish: Kings Norton
Ecclesiastical parish: St Pauls Balsall Heath
Town: Balsall Heath
County/Island: Worcestershire
Country: England
Street Address: 5 Albert Terrace, Victoria Street
Occupation: scholar
Registration district: Kings Norton
Sub-registration district: Kings Norton
ED, institution, or vessel: 39

Joseph Harford 49 occ. milllwright b Birmingham
Emma Harford 51 b Wales
Thomas Harford 18 Umbrella maker
Joseph Harford 12

I have looked for this family before and after the 1891 with no luck. I have also looked for the Marriage of Joseph Harford to a Emma ... born Wales again with no luck.

Perhaps someone else will have more luck.

Can't believe I missed them on the 1891 census! Must have been one of those late, late night research sessions.

I've run into the same brick wall with the earlier stuff and marriage records.

Such a variation in dates for Joe's birth year too. I have his attestation papers from both Canada and the UK and I suspect he lied about his age in reverse -- shaving off a couple of years so they'd let him serve in WWI.

Thanks again for your help.

Wendy

I did find them in the 1911 census in Dublin (Margaret and my infant father Phil) and Joe was working as an Engineer in Belfast, living in what must have been a hotel or rooming house of some sort judging by the list of other men at the same address.

Wendy