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BEST or CHEERS
BEST or CHEERS
Great Grandfather – not that far off in time but so hard to pin down!
He was supposedly named Harry Best from around the London area and grew up in a “Home”. My g.g parents took her mother’s maiden name of Cheers to be known by hence him adding the Cheers component to the marriage document. All the children had the name of Cheers. (see below)
He was actually a pianist at one of the local theatres as I have a copy of an employment contract under the name of Harry Cheers – not his father as shown on the marriage cert.
It is unknown where the dental mechanic component came from as no-one recalls this piece of information as fact only hearsay. Searches utilising this have come up fruitless.
d.o.b. c.1874
Marriage Cert states:
Harry Best Cheers 52 years Bachelor Dental Mechanic Carmenthen Harry Cheers (deceased) Musical Director
Alice Totty 35 years Spinster Nil Occ. Carmenthen James Totty Railway Signalman
Witnesses: Sidney G Smith and Margaret C or E Smith (so not very helpful)
Ref = Marriages Mar 1926 (>99%)
Cheers Harry B Totty Carmarthen 11a 1631
Death Reg
Name: Harry B Cheers
Death Registration Month/Year: 1926
Age at death (estimated): 53
Registration district: Haverfordwest
Inferred County: Pembrokeshire
Volume: 11a
Page: 1236
Unable to locate in any census’s at all – have g.gm’s census records up to and incl. 1911 and he is not with her then. She was born in Birkenhead in 1889 and was at Beckwith St, Birkenhead in 1911 aged 21.
Somewhere between 1911 and 1913 they met and moved to Cardiff. They had their first child in 1914, Cardiff, Wales and last child in 1923, Haverfordwest. 4 children in all and all born in Wales.
They only married prior to death due to the illness he suffered (so the ‘story’ goes) but one does wonder if he was already married and due to the illness decided to marry regardless.
I have tried the likes of Barnados and other children’s homes around the London districts to no avail. I have tried the Barry library to see if anything showed in any property/tenancy/electoral records – no luck, passenger & crew lists to see if he was employed as an entertainer on board (“talk” has it that he may have done so), tried war records still no luck. Each census record I have looked at seems to lead to traceable families. I have one photo of him at approx. 30yrs of age I would say and his stance is quite good which leads us to believe he had some institutionalised education whether in the form of Armed Forces or like and googling Best or Cheers does not help in the slightest as multitudes of people sign off on sites with Best Wishes, Cheers etc.!!
So my one vital bit of info missing is his birth registration – have marriage cert, all children’s birth certs, death reg only, photo of grave – just want that last bit to keep moving back with this one.
If anyone is able to assist or locate something I have overlooked that would be very much appreciated.
Kind Regards
Carol
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