Find Living Relatives

Top tip - using the Genes Reunited community

Welcome to the Genes Reunited community boards!

  • The Genes Reunited community is made up of millions of people with similar interests. Discover your family history and make life long friends along the way.
  • You will find a close knit but welcoming group of keen genealogists all prepared to offer advice and help to new members.
  • And it's not all serious business. The boards are often a place to relax and be entertained by all kinds of subjects.
  • The Genes community will go out of their way to help you, so don’t be shy about asking for help.

Quick Search

Single word search

Icons

  • New posts
  • No new posts
  • Thread closed
  • Stickied, new posts
  • Stickied, no new posts

Mary O'Connor Gannon/Patrick Gannon

Page 0 + 1 of 2

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. »
ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Clem

Clem Report 30 Aug 2011 03:15

Hello,

I am trying to find information on a Mary O'Connor Gannon.

She is the daughter of Dulcie Lilian Barshell Smart O'Connor and John Joseph O'Connor (married 1933). Mary married a man named Patrick Gannon around 1951 and they had at least one child, John P. Gannon, in 1952.

Mary's mother, Dulcie, is my gr-grandmother, and I would like to know about, and even make contact with Mary and/or John.

Thanks!

Clem

Flick

Flick Report 30 Aug 2011 10:27

Start by looking for the names in search trees

Flick

Flick Report 30 Aug 2011 10:35

Marriages Sep 1933 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


O'Connor John J Smart Wandsworth 1d 1668
Smart Dulcie L O'Connor Wandsworth 1d 1668

Flick

Flick Report 30 Aug 2011 10:38

Mary A O'connor married Patrick T Gannon
______________________________________________________

Name: Dulcie Lilian O'connor
Birth Date: 29 Jul 1890
Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1973
Age at Death: 83
Registration district: Wandsworth
Inferred County: Greater London
Volume: 5e
Page: 1242

Clem

Clem Report 30 Aug 2011 17:09

Thanks for all replies. I have the information on my gr-grandmother Dulcie.

I am trying to find her daughter, Mary Ann O'Connor Gannon. Mary Ann had a half-brother, my grandfather. My grandfather was illegitimate and he died in 1942 while serving in the RAF when his plane was shot down over Germany. Because he was illegitimate, the details of his birth were kept secret, we do not even know who his father is. (There are a couple of documents that list two different names as fathers, but we believe one was fictitious, that it was used when he went to school, and the other name listed as his father on his marriage certificate is actually his mother's father. We think at that point his mother may have been claiming him as her brother, so it makes sense that her father was listed as his father on that document.)

I have all of Mary Ann's birth and marriage information, I am hoping to find someone connected to her so that we can make contact.

If we can't find Mary Ann I very much fear we will never know the truth about my grandfather nor will we ever be able to trace his line of the family.

Clem

Flick

Flick Report 30 Aug 2011 17:19

You haven't said whether you have looked in search trees, as I advised earlier......that should be the first place to try

Flick

Flick Report 30 Aug 2011 17:23

If the birth was kept secret......................what makes you imagine that Mary would know who his father was?

I hope you've looked in phone books for John?

Or on Friendsreunited..............or Facebook........or www.192.com

Clem

Clem Report 30 Aug 2011 23:01

Yes, I've searched family trees, and I've contacted every single person who has any connection to my family - although I haven't found anyone that lists "my" Mary Gannon. No one has replied back to me.

What makes me imagine that Mary O'Connor Gannon might know who my grandfather's father is, is because, unlike my grandfather, she was part of her mother's life until her mother died in 1973. There is a possibility that in her later years my gr-grandmother may have told her daughter about her brother, or she may have left some clues among her possessions when she died. And there's plenty of information linking her mother and my grandfather, if anyone in Mary Ann's family has done any family research, then they surely have seen that Mary Ann's mother had a son, as well.

She may not know she had a half brother, and I'm cognizant and sensitive to that. If anyone sees my posts here, I think they probably are very much aware Mary Ann had a brother, so I don't think it would be a shock to her. If I were to just find her, I'd feel her out, she'd be 78 years old, I certainly would not want to drop a bombshell on her.

I don't know that she knows anything, but she's an obvious candidate to know more than we do. And while I don't want to blurt out a century old secret - this is my heritage, too. This is our best hope, that we can find Mary Ann Gannon and that she might know something.

And even if she doesn't know who my grandfather's father is, she would at least have information on my gr-grandmother, since it is, of course, her mother. And she'd probably have photos. I've never seen a photo of my gr-grandmother. She was an actress on the British stage, and from what I understand she was very beautiful and stately. I'd like to know what she looked like.

I am in the US and John P. Gannon was born in, and I assume still lives in, the UK. I've done Internet and Facebook searches. I haven't tried Friends reunited, I've seen it I've seen the icon at the top of the page and never thought of it. I've looked up John P. Gannon, although I've no idea where he lives, on 192.com and there are 26 listings. I'm not ruling it out, but I am trying to find more info or trying to make a connection here before I start making 26 calls! But it may come to that.

Clem

Clem Report 30 Aug 2011 23:02

Oh, and I haven't looked in phone books for the UK. I wasn't aware they were available online. But I would assume those would be the listings showing up on 192.com? I am not really that familiar with 192.com.

Thanks! Clem

Flick

Flick Report 30 Aug 2011 23:24

The listings on 192 are generally the Electoral Rolls - it should state that on the results you get.

Do you know when Patrick was born? And what the letter 'T' represented as his second forename?

Do you know Mary Ann's exact date of birth?

I did actually try to find a marriage for John P, but couldn't pinpoint one................

Flick

Flick Report 30 Aug 2011 23:38

Have sent a PM with possible further child...............check your messages

Lynski

Lynski Report 30 Aug 2011 23:57

Related thread -

http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards.page/board/ancestors/thread/1278520

Flick

Flick Report 31 Aug 2011 00:07

Thanks Lynski......I'll bow out

chrissiex

chrissiex Report 31 Aug 2011 02:26

I've posted in the other thread but actually this is a reasonably separate question it's just that it would have been wise to link to that one so people had all background info

there are Gannon-O'Connor births in Lambeth in 1955 and 1962 for which there is no matching marriage ... I would consider those as well

I don't see marriages or deaths for either of those children's names

FAIRTHORN

FAIRTHORN Report 31 Aug 2011 05:01

I have all of Mary Ann's birth and marriage information,
----------------------------------------------------
Can you post Patrick's age, occupation & dad's occupation
( we can always delete this thread when Mary is found )

Looked for a possible remarriage as she was only 17 when married in 1951.
But where is Patrick T Gannon as well ?
( perhaps when we have his age & dad's name we can trace him )

Any idea why Mary's birth is registered twice ...........wonder if both parent's went in separately ? same period but different index numbers.
OR perhaps the grandparents went in as well !!




:-)

Passenger lists leaving UK 1890-1960
GANNON Mary 1934 F 1959 Southampton Canada Halifax

Clem

Clem Report 31 Aug 2011 05:50

This is great, so many ideas!

I didn't tie my two posts together because of the situation with my grandfather, I don't know for sure that Mary Ann would know she had a half brother (my grandfather). I'd be surprised if she did not, but I want to be as sensitive as possible.

All indications are that my gr-grandmother, Mary Ann's and my grandfather's mother, was hiding the fact he was her son, at least when she married Mary Ann's father. My grandfather is 21 years older than Mary Ann. And then my grandfather died in 1942, and as awful as that must have been for my gr-grandmother, I am sure it made it easier to hide his real identity because he was no longer around. (On the other hand, her grief may have driven her to reveal his identity because she felt bad, I don't know.)

I have Mary Ann's birth certificate, she was born 16 June 1933. I don't know for sure why her birth was registered twice, but she was also illegitimate, born just shortly before my gr-grandmother married her father (apparently my gr-granmother was not big on convention!). Could it be they re-registered to make her birth legitimate? (I am not clear on the Illegitimacy Act of 1926[?] but I understand that an illegitimate birth could be made legitimate if the parents married. Maybe they thought they had to register the birth again.)

I just know Mary Ann married Patrick T. Gannon in 1951 and they had a child (John) in 1952. My aunt was sending for a birth certificate on Patrick, I hope to have it soon.

FAIRTHORN

FAIRTHORN Report 31 Aug 2011 06:14

Name Mary A Smart
Year of Registration 1933
Quarter of Registration Jul-Aug-Sep
Registration District Wandsworth
Registration County London
Mother's maiden name Smart
Volume Number 1D
Volume Page 650


YOU ARE CORRECT ......that is part solved at least ;-)

FAIRTHORN

FAIRTHORN Report 31 Aug 2011 06:22

If the person who ( assuming only a death ) <<<<<<<<<<
registered Mary's death knew her EXACT date of birth, there is from 1969 to 2005
( from 1969 certificates showed DOB ) NO death for a Mary Ann ( any surname ) in England/Wales.

I can not find Patrick Gannon born in England/Wales so I was wondering if they moved back to where he was born ?

Also any idea who, sadly, registered Dulcie's death ?


FAIRTHORN

FAIRTHORN Report 31 Aug 2011 06:33

My aunt was sending for a birth certificate on Patrick, I hope to have it soon.

-----------------------------------------
Where is he from ........... Ireland ?


Clem

Clem Report 2 Sep 2011 03:41

I will have to ask my aunt, sorry, I don't readily know where Patrick is from. I will get back on that.

Dulcie's husband, John O'Connor, registered her death in 1973.