What we were told:

• Name: Albert Hyams
• career: Merchant Marine
• had a serious injury of some sort
• stayed with my husband’s grandmother in Portsmouth England for many years when he came to port.

What I found:

• Charles Joseph Hyams son of Albert Hyams
  • Albert died many years before my father in law was born.
• news articles detailing a serious stabbing that almost killed Charles while also mentioning not having a physical address due to being a seaman
• Charles died in 1980 in Portsmouth which is where my father in law was born.

But the thing that really made me think that this is the man is his name.

My father in law changed his name from Charles Joseph when he aged out of the orphanage/children’s homes. In addition to that his brother was named David and while a common name, it’s one that is clearly a family name in this line of Hyams’ based on how often it appears in the family tree.

It just seems too similar to be a coincidence. Unfortunately there is no documented marriage or children associated with this man so theirs really no way to confirm my hunch or why they said the name was Albert Hyams.

The only reason I found this line was from a dna match that estimated 2nd - 3rd cousin and it was our only connection to the Hyams name.

I tried ordering this man’s death certificate hoping to find that it was my husbands grandmother who reported the death but for whatever reason the GRO left out the years 1958-1983 and he died in 1980. So I can’t order it.

I searched all the cemeteries in Portsmouth for a headstone and have found nothing either.

So I’m at a loss for what to do next.