Brothers seek Islington Tribune help to track down lost family members

Published: 25 June, 2010
by PETER GRUNER

A RETIRED man from Dorset is hoping that readers of the Tribune can help him solve the mystery whereabouts of members of his late father’s family

Nick Fincham, 71, is attempting to track down relatives of three aunts who may have lived and died in the borough.

Mr Fincham’s father, champion jockey Alec, who was born at Marquess Grove, (now Marquess Road) in Canonbury, died aged 62 in 1965 in Dorset. He never revealed that he had three sisters.

Nick said: “A member of my family is produc­ing a family tree and has discovered from a 1911 census that my dad had three sisters.

My brother Geoffrey and I knew nothing about these aunts. For some reason Dad never mentioned them when he was alive.”

Alec was born on April 5 1903 to Henry and Mary Fincham at 5 Marquess Grove.

Alec’s three sisters were Ellaline Sydney, born in 1905, Monica Teresa, born in 1908, and Doris May, born in 1910.

In 1911, Alec and his sister Monica, then aged three, moved in with a family called Newnham in Ringmer, Sussex.

The other sisters went to live in Winston Road, Hackney, according to the census information.

Nick said: “We don’t know why the children went to live with other families.

As far as we know my father’s parents were not poor. I think it was the done thing in those days.”

He said that he realised his aunts would now be dead.

“But I would like to know something about them, he added.

“What were they like? I’m hoping that there may be unknown relatives or friends of my aunts in the borough who can help.”

The family have extensive information about Alec from 1921 onwards. 

He joined the Army on March 3 in that year, serving in the Reserves 9th Queens Royal Lancers.

He then became batman to a Brigadier General before having a very successful career as a jockey, riding 49 winners out of 147 rides between 1928 -29 in Iraq, Sudan and Egypt.

On leaving the Army Alec lived in Dorset, where he married a farmer’s daughter, and had two sons – Nick and Geoffrey.

• Can you help? Email  Nick at: n.fincham1@btinternet.com