Jack Wilson a.k.a. Arthur Sullivan

[MayBea]

There was some discussion on another forum (I'll try and find the link) that Jack Wilson was a Wilson even though he denied it vehemently.

Here are some other reasons I don't think he was a Wilson:

He reported on his marriage certificate that his father was alive when he'd been deceased for 29 years.

He said that his brother died in WWI when he was still alive in 1920.

It would appear he lost touch with his brother, and perhaps didn't even know anything about his father. Did his 'aunts' and grandmother keep a parental secret from him?

He denied he was Jack Wilson when he met one of his officers from his boyhood days as a drummer in the Cameron Highlanders. What was the harm in admitting who he was to someone in passing who obviously recognized him? There had to be a big secret he was trying to put behind him and it had to do with his parents. Don't you think?

[MayBea]

Since this is an outdated page, user generated, mirrored from an archive, it might not work, so I'll just cut and past the text here so you can read it. I can probably paste the pictures later. Bold mine.

O'Sullivan or Wilson?

Who was this man?

If you enjoy a mystery, please read my story and perhaps you can help out with suggestions for a solution. Why did he change his identity in the early 1900's? Here are the "facts" we have regarding my grandfather, or as much as he would tell...

His first occupation was as a drummer boy with the Cameron Highlanders. He was stationed at Fort William in Scotland. This would have probably been around the early 1900's. The Cameron Highlanders museum has no record of an Arthur John Sullivan. I believe he changed his name to Sullivan at a later date.

Next move was to the Royal Horse Artillery where he served for five years in India. Perhaps as a result of these two postings, or because of natural ability, he was very good with animals, and was a talented musician.

From the Royal Artillery he went into the Royal Warwickshire Regiment for the 1914-18 War. He may have been a stretcher bearer - there was some talk of it - as he knew how to roll bandages and probably a bit about first aid. In this war he was seriously hit by shrapnel and discharged. By the time of his discharge he had medals for "J Sullivan".

After discharge he worked in Woolwich Arsenal. At the time of his marriage, his profession was recorded as "Munitions Examiner".

In 1919 there is a marriage recorded between "Arthur John SULLIVAN", age 32 years (possibly incorrect) and Elsie Frances SEARLE. (The name Arthur seems to have been discarded and he was known to everyone as "Jack" another form of John, so for the purpose of this document, I'll call him Jack.) On the certificate, Jack's father is recorded as "Arthur SULLIVAN", occupation "Baker". He appears to have been living at the time of Jack's marriage, as only Elsie's father is recorded as "(deceased)".

The problem with this information is that around this time, Jack had an unwanted chance meeting with an officer on a railway platform. Jack tried to turn away but the officer was pleased to see him and addressed him as WILSON. Jack told the officer he had the wrong man, but the officer insisted he knew him as he never forgot one of his men.

Some time later, Elsie found a birth certificate tucked away in a drawer. It was for Robert Bruce WILSON. Jack's brother, Robert Bruce, had been lost at sea while serving with the Royal Marines in WWI [incorrect]. Elsie knew about him, but definitely not under the name WILSON. Jack served in the army, Robert was a merchant seaman. When asked about the certificate, Jack became quite irate. Apart from stating the certificate belonged to his brother the surname WILSON was never explained.

His birthday was always celebrated on July 5. He was supposedly three years younger than his wife who was born on July 4, 1881. However, in 1966 he wrote to my sister, telling her he would be 80 "next September". This was repeated in a letter to my brother in early 1967...

To go on with the story, as we know it...

After his marriage, Jack and his wife and daughter settled in Sheen, Surrey. Here he took on odd jobs including postman; and night watchman at the Crystal Palace in the 1920's. While in Sheen, Elsie gave birth to their son, Denis Bruce, who unfortunately died at an early age while being operated on at Great Ormond Children's Hospital.

About 1931 the family moved to Douglas Haig Memorial Home in Morden, Surrey, where Jack was initially head gardener. After about a year he became a private landscape gardener.

"John Arthur SULLIVAN" died alone in December 1967. He told his daughter he had put papers which would explain everything in a box in the shed. Unfortunately his home was cleared and none of the papers were ever found.
He SAID his mother's name was KELLY and his father was a baker.

He SAID he had cousins who he used to visit at St Helens in Lancashire. They worked in Pilkington glassworks.
[incorrect family given from 81 Census]

He had a sister, Christina, and a brother, Robert. Christina was a well known singer in Lancashire before marrying a man by the name of IRONSIDE. He ran Caledonian Pottery near Rutherglen Bridge in Glasgow. They had two children, one boy, one girl.

Also taken from 1881 Census:

Robert Wilson, 27, Liverpool, Lancs, Baker
Mary Wilson, 26, Liverpool, Lancs
Robert Wilson, Son, 7, L'Pool, Lancs, Scholar Christina Wilson, Daur, 10 (or 10mth?), L'Pool, Lancs John Kelly, Visitor, 57, Ireland

I believe that John Kelly could be Bridget Kelly's brother (as shown in the earlier census record). [incorrect]

As a baby, two aunts cared for Jack. No mention of parents - he claimed he was an orphan. The only information he would ever give was that his father was a baker, his mother a Kelly and he had a brother and sister - Robert and Christina. He did mention that the "Salvation Army saved his neck" and I'm wondering if they helped with a name change for some reason. More to investigate!

[MayBea]

I'm sorry. It does that sometimes.

You can try this page where it's embedded. It's not jumping to the Webrings page right now.

http://www.webring.org/hub?ring=sullivan;id=53;prvw

[gallicrow]

I clicked the link and after a few seconds of reading the "correct" page I got forwarded onto the UK Genealogy Ring front page. Do you have to register there in order to access anything useful?

[MayBea]

Now that a good number of members have read about this mystery, may I direct your attention to why this mystery captured my attention and is worthy of yours.

Jack Wilson claimed that the Salvation Army "saved his neck".

The Sally Ann is synonymous with Whitechapel, and neck injuries to Jack the Ripper.

Something or someone seriously endangered him. What could it be?

A family history that involves JtR is as good a reason as anyone has found to explain why Jack Wilson became Arthur John Sullivan and vehemently denied being a Wilson.

Nothing untoward has been found in his background other than enlisting under a different name and falsely claiming not to have been discharged as medically unfit.

[MayBea]

First presented on Webring in 2006, this mystery concerns a military man named Jack Wilson (1887-1967) who changed his identity. The mystery is why.

http://webspace.webring.com/people/qo/ozmcfall/military.html

Most of the story has been substantiated, including the military service.

The only major discrepancy is the claim that his brother died in WW1. The brother's merchant marine ID was found with service records dated to 1920.

Also, the identification of his cousins in St. Helens, Lancashire, is incorrect. They were not Kellys but Stirrups. This was discovered by Livia Trivia.

After all these years, the mystery as to why he changed his ID is still unsolved. What do you think?