Anyone fancy solving a mystery?

[neomneomneom]

When my father died, in amongst his papers I found a large A4 size book of handwritten notes. They all pertain to various aspects of Leicestershire life dating back to 1895 - politics, local stories, cricket scores - all written in a beautiful script. The inscription inside says ''Written by John Barrass who died July 22 1912 aged 70 years'.

There is no one in my family by that name. So I figured it might be nice to reunite the book with John Barrass's ancestors.

I have attached a picture so you can see just how lovely his script was and what a snapshot of history I have.

If I can't find any family, I wonder if a museum may like it. Any ideas wise mumsnetters?

www.leicestershirewarmemorials.co.uk/war/casualty/view/20468.

Here's some info from Leicester war memorial page in which a John Barrass and link family is mentioned? Don't know if you could trace from this?

Although would the dates match?

I think 'my' John Barrass would have been born in 1841/42

Might be foolscap rather than A4?

It is definitely foolscap rather than A4! Must be the heat...

Leicestershire Record Office would probably be interested: www.recordoffice.org.uk/ They are the best place for written records relating to that area.

I can't find any John Barrass who died in 1912 in England at all. Or near to that year who would have been the right age. Are you certain about the name and spelling?

I can't find him in any census for Leicestershire either around that time. Or a birth registration for Leicestershire, although he might not have been registered or he may have been born somewhere else. There seem to be a lot of Barrasses in the NE. Any other information you have might help!

Leicester University (not de Montford) has an English Local History department focussed solely on Leicestershire and its families, historical societies etc. I studied there for an MA in 1987. Current details are attached.

Thanks everyone. I have tried various searches but have had no success. I will make contact with the Leicestershire records office and see if they might be interested.

@neomneomneom

I think I may have found him! Or at least his death record. I searched for Barrass deaths over a two-year period over the whole country. In the records for the quarter ended September 1912 there is a death for a Richard Barrass aged 70, and the registration district is Barrow S - which is Barrow upon Soar, which is in Leicestershire. It is the only death for that surname in the county in that quarter.

It's possible that his full name was Richard John maybe, and he was known by his middle name but buried under his 'official' name.

I will keep digging (have to go and cook dinner now.

The Richard Barrass mentioned above appears from census records to be the eldest son; his paternal grandfather was called Richard and was still alive when he was born; a common explanation for why he might have been known by a name other than his given name. I can't find a christening or marriage record which is annoying as that would be more likely to confirm if John was a middle name!

Are any specific villages or events mentioned in the text? If you prefer to send pictures of the full text privately I'm happy to have a closer look.

I've been doing some digging. Hooray for an unusual surname!! I've been ploughing through Carters and Smiths

There are almost no records anywhere under the name John Barrass anywhere, that would fit with someone of about that age.

There is a Richard J Barrass on the 1891 census aged 50 in Chester le Street, and lo and behold, on FreeBMD birth records (after searching for all people called Richard John born between Mar 1838 and Dec 1834 in Co Durham) I found:

Births - BARROW Richard John born Sept quarter 1843 in South Shields. Transcribed from the GRO records. So it is possible that there is a transcription error between there and the local registrar's record. It is a rather unusual surname.

Barrass could easily be mistaken for Barrow in copperplate handwriting.

Wow - I am very impressed with this!

Research tips I got from other people over the years:

The age on the death certificate depends on whether or not the person registering the death actually knew the person's exact age, so it may not be accurate.

Surname spellings can either change over time, or be recorded incorrectly by someone unfamiliar with a local dialect, or can be wrongly transcribed. One of mine was Hancock, and registered as Ancock.

People often didn't go by their actual registered birth name. I have an ancestor called Arthur William who changed to William Arthur on his marriage. I know it's him as it is an unusual surname and his brother was one of the witnesses on the certificate, and the father's name and occupation were also correct.

Wow - you lot are amazing! Thank you for doing all this research. I will dig out the book and take a picture of the inscription for you to see tomorrow.

Never assume, always check, double check and cross-reference. I'm not saying I've found the right bloke, so it needs to be double-checked.

Nothing I've found proves he is the right one, you have to move backwards from the known to the unknown, and prove things as you go.

Other places to check:
Genes Reunited - there may be people researching families of that name in Leicestershire already (although the surname does seem to have its roots in the north east) so don't rule out those either.
Local newspaper obituaries.
Parish registers.
Official probate records for a will.
Records of gravestone inscriptions.

Good luck.

Ooh. I want to see where this goes.

There were folks with the surname Barrass in Hinckley, OP. A John Barrass was born there in 1838. Dates of birth are often out by a few years in census rolls etc, so he ‘could’ be yours! Can you upload any more of his notes that might give a clue to occupation, name of wife/children etc?

I LOVE digging into stuff like this & I’m armed & ready with a Findmypast subscription

If we’re sticking to Leicestershire, there’s another Richard Barrass, born Belgrave in 1843 and buried in Thurmaston in 1912 (assuming they’re one and the same)

The death registration I found in the Jul-Sep Q 1912 and the burial in July 1912 that @noraclavicle found could well be the same person. Barrow upon Soar and Thurmaston are only about 7 miles apart. So the death could have been registered in one place, but the actual burial itself took place a few miles away.

That census nora which record is it - I can't get it to expand without being all blurry.

Newarke houses museum is dedicated to Leicestershire history

www.leicester.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/museums-and-galleries/museums-and-historic-venues/newarke-houses-museum/

@yerawizadari it’s the 1851 census for Kirby Muxloe (Parish/Township Glenfield)

Sadly I have so little to go on really.

The book itself is just full of little jottings about various sporting events - especially cricket, athletics and 'boxing glove contests' - dated between 1895 and 1908. These are interspersed with little asides about pieces of history which the author found interesting.

I have attached some photos of the inscription at the front of the book and a piece written just after Queen Victoria died. I just find it very touching and fascinating really.

The writer makes reference to events and characters related to Thurmaston so that may give weight to the supposition that the Richard Barrass you clever geneology peeps found is 'my' Richard Barrass.

I'm still not sure how it ended up in my father's possession... I may never solve that one.