27/11/2025
A single photograph. A line of soldiers in 1916 France. And a family mystery that would take decades to unravel ❤️
When Susan inherited this photo, she only knew one thing, her great-grandfather, Abraham Butler, was the first soldier on the left in the middle row. A Gunner in the Royal Field Artillery, born in 1881 and killed in action in 1918.
Susan's grandfather, Sidney, died in 1981 with one regret, that he never discovered what became of his sister, Louie Elizabeth. She married an Irishman, moved across the sea, and passed away in her twenties. Beyond that, the family knew nothing.
So Susan began searching...
Long before the internet, she searched through large volumes looking for any trace of Louie. Luckily, a relative told Susan, Louie's husband's surname and she found the marriage. Through a distant cousin, she learned the names of Louie’s two children and contacted Louie's grandson.
When Susan sent him the photograph, he rang her immediately. Although he’d never seen it before, he recognised someone in the photo.
The man sitting front row, centre was Louie’s husband, William Carey - Abraham Butler’s future son-in-law.
Two relatives, unknowingly photographed side by side in the middle of the First World War. Abraham died in 1918 never knowing who his daughter would marry, and yet here they were, captured together.
Susan says, 'I often think about the men in this photograph. Who are they? Did they survive the war'?
Much of Abraham’s service record was destroyed in the Blitz, but using Findmypast, Susan was able to uncover his surviving medical card.
'Findmypast plays a big part in adding to these stories. I’m always looking for new information'.
Family history is rarely straightforward, but sometimes, one photo, one record, or one newly found relative can change everything.
Do you have a story that you would like to share? We'd love to hear it in the comments below ⬇️
