Genealogy Chat

Through DNA I have had contact from a long lost cousin. She (Andrea Berry) was adopted at birth and is desperately trying to find birth family. Her adoptive family gave her the name of Clare Andrea. I was the first family member that she has found. I am now trying to help her find her birth mother. Her mother’s name is Daphne Jennifer Berry, we believe she retained her maiden name and married a Winston Berry in 1960. In 1968 she married Andreas Antoniou in Benghazi Libya (possibly military wedding.) interestingly, her birth mother had asked her adoptive mother to keep the name Andrea and Andrea is the feminine form of Andreas. Clares DNA shows she has Cypriot DNA. We are really stuck now and not sure where to explore next. It is Clares dearest wish to find her birth mother and father and any other relatives. Anyone have any suggestions?

Welcome to the boards.

If Clare was adopted on the UK she can register with the gov.uk adoption register. Then if anyone is looking for her she will be contacted.

On which side of her family is connected to you and his close is your conn toon th Clare?

Added: Daphne and her husband maybe on 192 Electoral roll in East London.
You must tread carefully.

More: by googling - an Adreas Antonio’s died in Herts in 2022. No mention of a wife, just children and grandchildren.

Welcome to the boards Moira.

Using freebmd - (as it says free to use) -https://www.freebmd.org.uk -

There is the birth of a Daphne J Berry in 1941 showing the Mother's maiden name.

There doesn't appear to be any siblings born in England/Wales

The 1960 marriage shows on freebmd and using Find My Past - GRO Marriages Abroad I see the 1968 marriage. It's recorded as a Consular/Overseas marriage.

The certificate can hopefully be ordered through the GRO site (again free to use, but you need to register for this one)
https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/app_select.asp
It may give you more details to help the search.

If Andreas or Daphne were in the Armed Forces at the time of the marriage the certificate may give their Regiment/Unit/ Official No. and then there could be possibility of chasing through Regimental records / Associations.


Follow the instructions to order and you may be lucky - as long as they accept just year of marriage where they ask for full date. You could ring GRO and ask - 0300 123 1837 (8am-6pm Mon-Fri and Sat. 9am-1pm) or email - [email protected]

According to google the Antoniou surname is more common in Greece than anywhere else and Andreas is a Greek forename.

Half of Cyprus is under Greek governance and there were / are certainly UK Armed forces out there.

Googling the name Daphne Antoniou brings up possible results.

There are several Andreas Antoniou deaths England /Wales - a relatively common name.

Link to the Adoption Contact Register, and info re how to register:

https://www.gov.uk/adoption-records/the-adoption-contact-register

Nameslessone mentions the Electoral Roll.
You can look at the ER here on GR, under "Search" at top right of this page.
When you find her entry, click on the document symbol to the right, to see the full address.

It shows a Daphne Antoniou at a London address until at least 2011.
She may still be there, if she has opted out of the public ER.

Of course, I can't tell if this is the correct woman, or just another with the same name.

I don't see Andreas listed at that address - nor listed anywhere with Daphne.

Daphane's first wedding is reported in East Kent Times June 1960 dont know if there is a picture.?
also the engagement.

Her mother Dorothy M Berry ( nee Woodley) death reported Jan 1994 lists family names Thanet Gazette.

Kay

Her mums maiden name was wingard not woodley

Dorothy M Berry dob 9/11/1911 newspaper obit states ----Daphane Antoniou daughter'

The Wingard/Woodley surname change goes back to Dorothy father.




Lowe John S Thanet 2a 2287 Scan available - click to view
Mortimer Adah D Thanet 2a 2287 Scan available - click to view
Spencer Lillie Thanet 2a 2287 Scan available - click to view
Woodley George Thanet 2a 2287 Scan available - click to view



Surname First name(s) Mother District Vol Page
Births Dec 1911 (>99%)
Woodley Dorothy M Mortimer Thanet 2a 1914 Scan available - click to view





.



Detail Source
Name Dorothy Mildred Wingard
Residence Age 3
Birth Date 9 Nov 1911
Birth Place Ramsgate
Document Year 1914
Relationship to Soldier Child
Number of Images 9
Household List (Name) Relation to Soldier
George Wingard
Adah Dora Mortimer
Spouse
Dorothy Mildred Wingard Child

The service record state,,George Wingard married in the name of George Woodley.!

Several of the memorials in the Thanet news for Dorothy do say Daphne, Jill and grandchildren

Maybe worth getting the death cert to see who the informant was

The newspaper articles all ties in,,,,,,,,,,


Yes I think the cert could be helpful...........

In the newsparer the people of 1971 Daphne is featured as spending the summer in Broadstairs with her three children having recently returned for Cyprus whilst her husband is in London where he is a drummer

Says been married 8 years and living with his family in Cyprus but decided to return to uk

The 1960 Berry /Berry wedding states sister ,Gillian was a bridesmaid ,who is listed on this site in her own name.

David a brotehr but he sadly died by accident......the family always lived in Broadstairs at the same address for a good many years.

Handled with care it may have a good outcome..

It looks like Daphne 's possible nephew is on FB. He has Antoniou 'friends' (maybe Daphne's children?).

There is a Broadstairs connection.

Please tread carefully.

There is a sister Gillian born in 1950 so that ties in too