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Hello Anthony, You may have heard about a long running thread on the boards - Looking for mother. A large number of community members have been striving for over 4 years to help Evelyn find her mother and thus, her maternal roots. This is a shortened version of what we have discovered so far - although I'm not sure that 'short' is the correct word to use :) We would be extremely grateful if you could give us any advise. Many thanks. Cynthia. DIANE LESLIE MacLEOD born c June 1906-8 India? (so she said). No verification of this birth can be found whatsoever. Searches have been made of Indian, Scottish and English births by many people but to no avail as yet. Possibilities: This is not her real name. DIANE: Searches have been made under: Donaldina, Dolinda, Dolina etc. - nothing found. LESLIE: She was very attached to her middle name of Leslie and insisted it was spelled that way. She gave the name to one of her sons. Some searches have been made re this name but maybe we need to do more. MacLEOD : On her marriage certificate (1929 in London), she states her father to be Major Robert MacLeod of the 1st Seaforth Highlanders - deceased. Nothing of him can be confirmed despite extensive military searches being made. These can be found on ps 2-4 and 14-15 – 29 and 36 of the thread. She told her family that she went to live on Stornoway with ‘Aunt Kate and cousins Donald & Ishbel (Isabelle)’. This family has been researched as probably the family of Rev. Donald MacLeod who was the minister of the church in Tarbat. The present Incumbent of that church has been contacted and was most helpful. Various agencies in Tarbat have been contacted re this family and Diane but nothing found. We have almost completed a 'family tree' on that particular MacLeod family but, someone has come forward who is related to them and does not think Diane links to them. Diane stated that she went to school in Stornoway. The most likely school would be the Nicolson Institute. A search has been made for her under D.L.M but there is no sign of her under that name. Other local schools have been contacted but there is nothing to be found under D.L.M. There is no sign of a DLM on the 1911 Scottish census see p.41 The first absolute sighting we have of her is when she started work at Springfield Hospital in London 7.6.1927 - 19.6.1928. There are, apparently, no more notes in her file. In 1929 she married, as Diane Leslie MacLeod, a Herbert R.J. Roy in London. Up until her marriage, she received a private allowance, source unknown. The address given on her marriage certificate is 53 Khartoum Road, Wandsworth, London. The Electoral Roll for 1929 shows the family living at that address were named Kirby. There is no sign of Diane anywhere in Khartoum Road . She may just have been boarding there for a short time prior to her marriage. Our Evelyn was born in 1932 at 44 Dafforne Road, Wandsworth and Diane and her husband show up there on the Electoral Roll. Some research has been done on the other occupants but nothing worthwhile was found apart from the fact that one of the occupants was an Evelyn Goddard-Fenwick whom our Evelyn is named after and was her Godmother. See ps. 22-23 of this thread for more details. Various living Goddard-Fenwick’s have been contacted but to no avail. You can pm me for details on that. We have, over the last couple of years, drawn up a fairly comprehensive family tree for the G-Fs but simply cannot trace the connection. Just before the search drew to a halt last year, Evelyn remembered her mother reading a local newspaper (Dorset?)in the early 1950's and finding either an article or an obituary about a very old lady who had died in Stornoway aged 91. She stated that it was Aunt Kate. FBG travelled to the local office to look at the microfiche but, again - nothing. Scotland's People was searched for possible deaths but again, we drew a blank. At the moment, I am working to try and find where Evelyn was actually baptised, just in case any family members were included as Godparents. I am having lovely phone calls with the incumbent of the most likely parish church but no baptism as yet!!! So this is where the search is up to so far and still we try........because of our fondness for Evelyn...

thanx for your help last month found a 3rd marriage for my g grandmother and have possibly found a death just waiting for certificate to arrive

Sorry....forgot to give some ages on the marriage cert.....they married in 1915 and Henry was aged 28. So must have been born around 1887. But i dont know where, and as i say i only have his fathers name which was on the marriage cert as Thomas Smith. I have traced Henry's wife, Ethel Fulford side of the family, it is just Henry Smith's family i need help tracing back. Thanks, Alison.

Hello Anthony , i am trying to find the death of my g grandmother my nan told me that she is buried at Croyland Abbey but i am unable to find a death for her . my nan told me this in 60 ,s and is no longer with us . i have searched from 1920 upto 1950 she came from Herefordshire in 1910-11 with my nan as a young girl . Remarried in 1915 and had a son in 1916 and lived in Bourne Lincolnshire , Croyland Abbey is not far from Bourne , but at one time classed as Cambridgeshire . I have been to Croyland Abbey to search for a grave but no Joy maybe an unmarked grave ? If i aproach the Vicar at the Abbey would it be likley they could help me with out the date of the death . Thanks Sharon Toseland

Just to state, i have not found my Henry Smith on any census as yet! The marriage cert is all i have. Alison.

Hello Anthony, For years now i have been trying to trace back the Smith Family that i have in my tree, but have had no luck at all! They lived in Pendlebury/Swinton area of Salford. (or also known as Barton upon Irwell) All i have to go off is the following info. Henry Smith married Ethel Fulford in 1915 at St Augustine Church in Pendlebury, Salford, manchester. Henry was aged 28 and his profession is down as 'Soldier' Address is:- Dawson Street, Pendlebury. swinton (salford area) I have the marriage cert, and Henry's father is down as - Thomas Smith - deceased, but his occupation was a - carter. Then Henry and Ethel they have a son in 1924, address is:- mark Street, Pendlebury and Henry's job is down as a 'Farm Labourer' They have another son in 1927 (i dont have a certicate for this birth) When his 1st son marries in 1950, in Pendlebury, Henry is down as deceased, but his occupation was Farm Labourer. This is all the info i have on Henry, i don't even know his mothers name, so i'm really struggling to get anywhere with this. If you can help, i would be very grateful with any information. Alison.

Hi Anthony I’d like some help in discovering a little more about my great-grandmother, Sarah Wild. Sarah was born in Chadderton, Oldham, 1851, to Jonathan Wild and Ann Ashton. The family history is of generations of people working as weavers in the cotton or silk industries. All very modest, to say the least. I In 1881, she is living with her mother, Ann (by now a widow), and her sister Jane - all three are weavers. In 1887, Sarah gives birth to a daughter - Hannah Jane Wild. Three weeks later, Sarah has died of ‘Inertia of the uterus’ - and post-partum haemorrhage. On Hannah Jane’s birth certificate, no father is recorded. However, in the 1981 Census, Hannah is being brought up by Jane (her aunt) and Ann (her grandmother). These two women are described in the Census as “living on own means”. But more than this, Jane is the owner of three rows of property in Oldham! And, on her death, these are passed on to Sarah. How can this be? How can a widow and an unmarried woman, who only worked in the cotton mills, suddenly come into possession of around 40 houses? There has been a vague family memory that Sarah’s unrecorded father was “a solicitor, called John”. And, if that were so, it might make sense of it all. Was Sarah’s unknown partner a wealthy professional man, who wouldn’t acknowledge the child he sired - but endowed his daughter, Hannah, through Jane, after Sarah died in childbirth? If only I could trace the owners of the properties. It might shed some light on this conundrum. But I don’t know how. Do you have any suggestions about how to get this information? Or any other lines of enquiry worth trying? I’d appreciate your help in finding the last pieces of this tragic story. Adrian

Thanks Anthony-Joseph was a husbandman so probably on a landowners property. I hoped maybe there could be a record of him taking up the property in Kirkby & a mention of where he was from. Can't get to the Derbyshire records office very easily to check out the bmd's in those places. I will keep plugging!!

Hi Anthony, I did not give you any dates. to my query My Grt Grandmother who was known as Sarah Leigh when she died in 1921 it states on death cert that she was 65 but I think if she realy was Sarah Everett before she married William Leigh in 1875 Wigan. firstly why would she be in Wigan when if Everett was from Coulsdon in Surrey.? + she had a lot of children with George Horsecroft and the Great Aunts of mine obviously adored her. I have the eulogy they wrote to her. Sarah Everett/Leigh had one daughter by William Leigh and her name was Edith Audrey Everett Leigh In 1891 I find her I think living with another Sarah Everett it would seem that she is Sarah Leighs Aunt living in Bloomsbury. She is the correct age for that child. There after I loose her on Census. Sarah Leigh I would like to believe that she was Sarah Everett/married to William Leigh. Widowed- There is a story in the Family that she was forbidden to marry George Horsecroft by someone named Benjamin, well Sarah Everett did have a Brother called Benjamin. The Great Aunts and distant cousins have indicated that she was told she would be cut off if she married my Grt.Grandfather. But even though I have the Everett/Leigh certificates I still want proof. How to get that? Is it at all possible Anthony.? They never seemed to know how old they were. By her death she would have been born 1856 but Sarah Everett was born abt.1853 She was much older than George Horsecroft as he was born 1865 Kingston, Surrey. Not a million miles away from Coulsden, but Wigan is much further She had my Grandmother in 1885 registered Lambeth. So as a Widow she has fled from Wigan if this is her.? So sorry so many questions. She has become the bain of my life trying to find out who she realy was. Can you help at all please. Many thanks Gwen Jackaman nee Gilbert

Thank you for clarifying that Anthony Phyll

hi Anthony Having re-searched my family tree for the past 10 years - I decided delve a bit further and trace my granfathers side of the family - had plenty of hits and info. but I hav come across a relation who hada grandaughter staying with her when the 1911 census was taken - but I cannot trace the grandaughter anywhere - I checked and double checked but i cannot find who her parents are the grand-daughter was born 1902/3 - any idea where i might find the answer?

Hi Anthony, I have traced my 3 x great grandfather back to 1814 when he was discharged from the army . He was in barracks at Landguard Fort where his son was born. His army discharge papers say he was a miller from Bellingham in Northumberland. On the army record of his sons birth the mother is just given her first name. I cannot find any marriage record. If it was a military marriage where should I look for records ? Thank you.

Do I take it that you don't go much on the information given to us by Ancestry please. If so does that mean I have a lot of rubbish on my family trees. Many thanks Phyll

Thanks for your reply Anthony and best of luck with your new book. I can't make this Saturday but will certainly be buying a copy. John Wilson

Hello Anthony, Still trying to find where my ancestor Joseph Stanley originated from. The only info I have starts with his marriage to Frances Neal in May 1701 in Dalbury Lees Derbys. Freereg gives his parish as Trusley Derbys' ,I can find no Stanley's born in Trusley. The IGI showed the marriage of Frances Neal also took place in Etwall Derbys to Joseph Hanley-same dateThere were Stanley's & Neal's in Etwall at the approx time that Joseph & Frances were born but sadly, no trace of those two. After their marriage they moved to Kirkby-in-Ashfield Notts-some 25 miles away where their first child was born 9m & 2 weeks later. My question is, if they were tenants what sort of records should I be looking for at the records office? Many thanks Maureen

Hi Anthony, my name is Davie Dickie. I know who my grandfather was bur I cannot determine who my Gt Grandfather was. The circumstances are that my grandfather was born illigitimately on the i August 1861 and was regestered under his mothers maiden name. My gr Grandmother had come over from the Island of Arran to Ardrossan for the birth, accompanied with her mother, who was present at the birth. Being born in August he was too late for the 1861 census. and the next record I can find is on the 1871 census when he is aged 9 and changed his name from William Crawford to William Dickie, living with his grandmother. No idea how that was achhieved. His mother has moved back to Arran and married someone else. I know from his marriage certificate that his father's name is Thomas Dickie, but I am at a loss on how to proceed to determine who is Thomas Dickie, my Gr Grandfather. Can you help please ? Davie Dickie

I have looked at census records and the occupation was nurse sms. Do you know what this is? Also I looked at a relative who I believed was living in US this was in 1829. I have been told that he went into Canada first then into US as it was hard to get into US. Do you know where records would be held of him getting into Canada regards Colin cross

Thanks for your response, Anthony. I'm not sure what you mean by 'can you find Richard independently in any censuses, or his death?'. I will be visiting the Rhondda valley on Friday(a short holiday with my brother) and will take the opportunity to try the parish churches in the area to see if i can turn up the birth record there. Thanks for your advice so far!

Hi Anthony We are trying to trace my wife's great-grandfather who, we believe, was a member of the aristocracy. He fathered seven children with the lady who took his surname but they did not marry. The whole affair was covered up and finding absolute proof of this is proving very difficult. The children's birth certificates and marriage certificates use his second christian name of Henry but he was known in public as Algernon. Am I right - and do you know - if pre-1857(?) a woman could give any man's name as the father but, after this date, the true father had either to be present or to have given his written authority to be named. If this is correct, would you know if such letters of authority were kept and, if so, where. Have you ever come across such documents ? Do you also know if illegitimate children could be baptized as we cannot find any records ? Thanks.

Hello Anthony I am a complete novice but I am trying to trace details of my maternal grandfather I know nothing about him except that he died in his mid twenties towards the end of the 1920s. Through the site I have discovered that he married my grandmother in Chorlton, Manchester during the the third quarter of 1924 Where do you think I should start ?