Herbert James Harrison was probably 4367 Sapper H. J. Harrison, Royal Engineers, Telegraph Battalion, 1st Division, who was invalided home.
A BROTHER'S BETRAYAL.
Sir Francis Jeune in the Divorce Court on Monday heard a remarkable case, which ended in his granting Wilfred Henry Harrison, who was a private in the Coldstream Guards, a decree nisi. The petitioner married in 1899, and went out to the war. His brother, Herbert James, who was in the Post Office corps (Engineers Reserve), also served during the war, but came home before the other. Petitioner, while in South Africa, received letters from his wife and Herbert asking forgiveness, and endeavouring to excuse the wrong they had done an absent soldier. Herbert wrote that he knew the wrong he had done was the worst one soldier could do another; and as between brother the offence was without excuse. From the kiss which his brother's wife gave him on his return, he said had grown the love which they both admitted. Subsequently he confessed that he was the father of the child which Wilfred's wife had borne.
The Pembrokeshire Herald, Friday 22nd May 1903
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I tried to find out where the brothers and the wife might have lived, but have been unable to. Could find no record of the death of Wilfred Henry, up to 1957 (possibly an overseas WW1 casualty?), and no suitable birth record for him either. I've been unable to match up possibles for Wilfred and Herbert James from both birthplaces and mothers' maiden names.
It could be that those concerned lived in or near London (Sir Francis Jeune was President of the Divorce Division of the High Court of Justice, which sat in London), and that would give us two possible birth records for a Herbert James Harrison: - in Brentford, 1882, and Great Dunmow, Essex, in 1876. Other possible Herbert James' were born in Gloucester, 1874; Scarborough, 1872; and Yeovil, 1864.
Any additional information or suggestions would be welcome.
