William Horatio DINNEN [c.1887-1966]

Have you applied for William Dinnen's birth certificate, Stephen? You can do this online at

https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/forms/forms/bdr87.html

Stephen, use the link that I've given above to download the application form for the search. They will do it for you for the specified fee. It's not possible to do it yourself. If you get stuck, use the email they give you enquiry@immd.gov.hk

I've always applied by post with a banker's draft, but it's now possible to apply on line. They'll tell you how much you owe. There's one fee for the search and a second fee to send you the certificate if they find it. Don't use a foreign telephone number for the online form. I found that it crashed when I used my UK number.

You know your grandfather's (approximate?) date of birth, so it will be a "particular" search and not the more expensive "general" search. They claim to search two years on either side of the date you give, even for the particular search. Tell them if the date isn't exact.

Come back to me if you have problems.

Are you aware of the Carl Smith cards relating to Horatio John Dinnen in 1881 and H.T. Dinnen, Sanitary Inspector in 1886 and 1887? Would this be a brother of your great-grandfather? Not sure if the initial "T" might be a mistake for "J". Carl Smith doesn't seem to have recorded a William Dinnen.

Hi Stephen,

I've changed the page for your great-grandfather to be a Person page, so we can show who is the father and who is the child: https://gwulo.com/node/58995

Here are some more tips for researching family members who lived in Hong Kong: https://gwulo.com/node/9376

I see we've got pages for a couple of other men surnamed Dinnen - any chance they are related? https://gwulo.com/list-of-people?name=dinnen

Regards, David

1891 Census Mile End Old Town

Mary A Dinnen widow  32 boarder born Scotland

William H Dinnen 4 born Hong Kong

Marriage St Mary the Virgin Plaistow 4 October 1908

William Horatio Dinnen to Clara Maria Howe

Groom's father William Hartio (sic) Dinnen

 1911 Census UK 25 Edward Street, Barking Road, West Ham  Essex

William Horatio Hutcheon Dinnen Married age 24 Boiler Coverer Asbestos Works.  Born China (Resident) British Subject by Parentage

Clara Maria Dinnen  age 25 2 children born 2 children died born Poplar. She died in 1912 aged 25

UK Marriage Index Quarter 1  1915 in Poplar  William Dinnen to Harriet E Dines

Electoral Register 1920 7 Dewberry Street Poplar

William Horatio Dinnen  (no wife mentioned) 

1921 Census Living at  Dewberry Street with second wife and two daughters

Wiliam Horatio Dinnen 33  Out of work Boiler and Pipe Cutter born Hong Kong

Harriet Eliza Dinnen 28 born Bromley by Bow London

Florence Gertrude Dinnen 3 born Poplar

Violey May 1 Born Poplar

1939 Ration Book Census 76 Western Avenue Dagenham Essex

William H Dinnen born 16 November 1886  (sic) Occupation Covering hot pipes on ships

Harriet Dinnen born 3 September 1893

Death Index UK

William H H Dinnen death registered Quarter 2 1966 in Havering (now in Greater London)

Mentioned on Carl Smith Card. If you enlarge and look carefully the bottom curl of a  John is shown

The marriage certificate will show Bride's maiden name and name of father

Passenger list might show Bride's maiden name if she travelled to Hong Kong before her marriage.

In Scotland a mother often included her maiden name as one of her children's forenames.  Working on that assumption I have found more than one Mary Ann Hutcheon on Scotland's People.

1911 Census shows William Horatio Hutcheon Dinnen

1891 Census shows Mary Ann Dinnen widow born Scotland

I gave his address in my  post above . 25 Edward Street, Barking Road, West Ham  Essex 

It is possible that he worked for Cape Asbestos as he was a pipe lagger (coverer) This firm had a very bad name and many of its employees died of asbestosis (my aunt being one of them)

I did not look for him in Scotland I looked for his mother as Mary A Hutcheon.  I found three possible births but no marriages. Dinnen/Dinneen and variants are Irish surnames.