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This one has had me foxed since I started researching my family history 25 years ago!

My father John William BRADFORD was born in Bedford in 1916. He had two older sisters, Evelyn May BRADFORD (b1914) and Florence Cecelia BRADFORD (b1915)

I have copies of birth certificates for them all and all show John Bradford as the father.

I have two mysteries -

1) Whilst on Evelyn's birth certificate (The eldest child) and my fathers birth certificate (The youngest child) the mother Margaret BRADFORD states her maiden name as GREEN, on Florence's birth certificate (The middle child) she gives her maiden name as DAY.

2) In 1918 all the children are sent to a childrens home in Kempston, Beds. (The entry book for the date they arrive states "Deserted by mother) They never have any further contact with their parents and no-one knows what becomes of them.

I only have 3 official records of John BRADFORD the father. (No marriage between BRADFORD - GREEN or BRADFORD - DAY having been found)

He appears on all three birth certificates (As horse keeper, Carman, and Waggoner)

He appears on the 1912 electoral roll for Bedford together with his wife Margaret residing in Bell Court, St. John's, Bedford.

He appears on the Bedford Union Relief records on 26th September 1916 as being given two shilling and sixpence.
On this record he gives his age as 60. On a similar record in 1914 when Margaret is discharged from the workhouse
with her new born child Evelyn, Margaret gives her age as 35. (Quite an age gap for a married couple?)

After 1916 I can find no record of either of them. They just disappear. I do have a few death records in later years but no way of connecting them to my family.

I just wondered if some kind soul amongst you may be able to suggest any further avenues to explore?

Thenking you in anticipation but will perfectly understand if you cannot help.

Are John and Margaret together on 1911 census?
Where does it say they were each born?

Hi Michael,

Neither of them can be readily identified on the 1911 census.

Hi Xavier...from the age you gave for John in 1916...i figured he was born between 1850-1860...there is one John bradford who fits that bill ( albeit I am assuming a lot lol)

born 1850, he appears on all census up to 1901, having married 'Sarah... lots of children! On the 1901 still with Sarah. He is a Horse Keeper..which may or may not be significant.

Name: John Bradford
Age: 52
Estimated birth year: abt 1849
Relation: Head
Spouse's name: Sarah
Gender: Male
Where born: Weston, Hertfordshire, England

Civil parish: Stevenage
Ecclesiastical parish: Stevenage St Nicholas
Town: Stevenage
County/Island: Hertfordshire
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View image

Registration district: Hitchin
Sub-registration district: Baldock
ED, institution, or vessel: 15
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 89
Household Members: Name Age
John Bradford 52
Sarah Bradford 58
John Bradford 13
Lizzie Bradford 11
George Bradford 9
Annie Bradford 7


It looks as if death of that Sarah was in 1916, I know it is a very long shot but might be worth pondering that John left Sarah ?

Just looking for marriage of John Bradford to any Margaret in the Bedford area comes up blank.
Could be they were maybe Irish and married there.

Thanks rambling rose and jeaniealogist,

I will follow up the Hitchen lead (Very close to Bedford) and try the misspelling too!

Michael,

Haven't looked into irish possibility. I do know that Bradford is not a very common surname in Bedfordshire, but just across the border in Cambridgeshire.......100's of em!

Here's the Sarah from 1901, in 1911:

BRADFORD SARAH 1843 68 Hitchin Hertfordshire

Unfortunately there are two Sarahs and three Johns in Hitchin so I can't quite sort out who is living with whom, but I would guess she is living with:

BRADFORD JOHN 1847 64 Hitchin Hertfordshire

Anybody with a sub?

Guess work
Name: John Bradford
Birth Date: 11 Aug 1887
Death Registration Month/Year: 1975
Registration district: Stevenage
Inferred County: Hertfordshire
Volume: 10
Page: 0878

There is a Margaret Day in Hitchin, although younger.

DAY MARGARET 1886 25 Hitchin Hertfordshire
DAY FREDERICK WILLIAM 1884 27
DAY MARGAERY DORIS 1907 4
DAY LEONARD FREDERICK 1910 1

but no Green in the mix:

Marriages Sep 1906
> DAY Frederick William Wandsworth 1d 1424
LANE Lizzie Wandsworth 1d 1424
> MALES Margaret Wandsworth 1d 1424
QUANTICK Tracey Wandsworth 1d 1424

"He appears on the 1912 electoral roll for Bedford together with his wife Margaret residing in Bell Court, St. John's, Bedford."

Just a thought...if Margaret was perhaps the partner, married or otherwise of John's son John born 1888?
I have a census return where J was put down as 'head of house' and his daughter in law was put down as his wife in error...?

Thanks ramblingrose,

I had wondered if there were two John Bradford's. The John Bradford that appears on the birth certificates being the son of the John Bradford that appears in the poor law records aged 60.
(This is the only record of age I have, and is handwritten in the records in a bit of a scrawl but it looks like either 60 or possibly 62)

I thought perhaps the younger one may have fallen in the Great War, and that the older John Bradford (Margarets father in law) then stepped in to look after the children.

The problem with this is that the three children were all born during the war, when presumably the younger John Bradford was away on active service.

There are John Bradfords that fell in the war but again no way of tying them in.

Can I politely invite any further suggestions from all you experienced family history hunters out there.......!?

Others can go back hundreds of years...I don't even know what happened to my grandparents!

Just so you don't feel 'ignored' - I have been looking all morning, I REALLY have, but haven't come up with anything yet. - Sorry!

I am sure there are others out there doing the same.

I will try again later.

Dea x

Yes I'm on the trail also,no luck at all.
John William Bradford born All Hallows Lane,what number and what was the address for Evelyn and Florence.
If John Bradford and Margaret were a couple in 1912 I wonder why they didn't have children until 1914 and then had one every year.

I know this doesn't help,but i like to get background knowledge.

Maryb.
I did read something about voting,in 1918 a lady had to be 30 and be a house holder or married to householder to vote,so does that mean margaret would have to be over 30 when at Bell court in 1912?

Many thanks Dea...and all the others...I now have a few leads to follow up..!

Not sure if this is relevant
1911Margaret Bradford a widow born 1876 New Cross Kent a cook
89,North End Croydon(public house )?

1881 Margaret green born 1876 New cross Kent /Surrey
address Deptford St Pauls District 4 13
Parents were Joseph green 1846 new cross
Margaret 1846 Blackheath kent
James 1871
Ellen 1872.

Cound't find any of them 1891/1901 or marriage for margaret green to Bradford.

Maryb

What about this for 1891 ?


1891 England Census
Name: Margaret Cook
Age: 15
Estimated birth year: abt 1876
Gender: Female
Where born: New Cross, Kent, England

Civil parish: St Paul Deptford
Ecclesiastical parish: St James
Town: Deptford St Paul
County/Island: London
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View image

Registration district: Greenwich
Sub-registration district: St Paul Deptford
ED, institution, or vessel: 22
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Joseph Green 45
Margaret Cook 41 (widow)
Margaret Cook 15




Source Citation: Class: RG12; Piece: 498; Folio 112; Page 46; GSU roll: 6095608.

Mary....Bit more background info....

Florence Cecilia was born at Summerhouse farm, Cardington, Bedford and Evelyn May at the Bedford Union Workhouse.....

Eventually they went to, I think seperate foster homes, in the village of Risely, Bedford. My father was fostered by a Joseph Bass...

Nudging this up to show with the other two threads.


EDIT
Sorry other two threads ar on Gene Chat.

http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards.page/board/genealogy_chat/thread/1279382


http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards.page/board/genealogy_chat/thread/1301144