Genealogy Chat

I wonder if anyone can help me? I would like to know what happens when a nun dies in a convent? Is their death registered in their 'real name' or in the name they may have taken when joining the order? The reaason for the question is that a great aunt of mine Mary Elizabeth Boeater (nee Balser), born 1886 dissapeared around 1920, and the familiy story is that she went into a convent, she reappeared in the late 1930's for a few months and then is believed to have gone back to the convent, and was never seen again, It is though that she died in the convent. Unfortunalty I don't know the convent's name. Janet

Hi Janet I had a auntie who went into The Sacred Heart Convent in 1930 she moved around a lot within the order, but died in Weymouth in 1972 and her death is registered in her Family name. As you don't know which order try just looking for her family name in BMD. Hope this helps Ann

Hi - you have two surnames there for your gt aunt - had she been married??? Boeater (nee Balser),

I just looked for the death reg (1990) of my mum's friend who was a nun. It is not listed under her birth name (she never married) and I have forgotten her religious name. I think entered ''Sister'' and then ''Mother'' in the forename box of the death indexes for 1984-2002 on Ancestry......there were 500 ''Sister XYZs'' and 13 ''Mother XYZs'', so it would seem that at least some nums are recorded at death under their religious names. I wonder if it makes a difference as to whether they have taken all their vows, or not? Mum's friend had definitely taken all hers. Merry

Changing the subject slightly........I was a Sacred Heart Convent girl . I remember the nuns buried with their family names.

could this be a marriage for her??? BALSER, Mary Elizabeth 1908 December Mile End Old Town London Middlesex BOCATER, Richard 1908 December Mile End Old Town Volume: 1c Page: 625 -------------------------------------------------------- her birth? Balser, Mary Elizabeth Record Type: Births Quarter: June Year: 1886 District: Holborn County: London Middlesex Volume: 1b Page: 717 ---------------------------------------------------------- Balser, Mary Elizabeth Record Type: Deaths Age at death: 35 Quarter: June Year: 1901 District: Whitechapel County: London Middlesex Volume: 1c Page: 196 This is the one who had been born in 1866 - her mother. the marriage - the daughter would be about 22 years old I would be tempted to get that cert to check it out. Did she go overseas with the Convent. She may have joined it if she had been widowed in the 1920's - I believe that was a common occurance. just going to check for Richards details

The only other entry that could be for Richard his birth Name: BOASTER, Richard Record Type: Births Quarter: December Year: 1859 District: Bethnal Green County: Greater London London Middlesex Volume: 1c Page: 334 looks like there is a mistranscription.

Hi, Sorry I had to go out for a Docs Appointment, I should have said I already have her marriage cert. She was married to Ricard and had three children, She dissapeared when the youngest (born in 1915) was 5, which makes it about 1920. The Boeaters then never hear from her again. However she reappears at my Grandafters house and stays for a few months, leaving behind a trunk of her belongings, with the instructions that it can be opened and the contents disposed of after 7 years. This makes me think that she went back to become a 'Full Nun' (I'm not very clued up on Convent life!!) My own mother was a small child, and so never knew what the convent was called. Despite her name Mary, the familiy were not Catholic, she was named after her mother. The comments that Nuns can be moved around in convents is dissapointing, as I guess this makes the chance of finding her final resting place less likely. I wonder if Convents keep records of 'recruits'? Janet

Hi Janet, I have the address somewhwere to contact to get the names of nuns and residents of the homes. (Will search for it for you) The seven year thing is weird though isnt it - because if someone is missing for seven years they can be assumed dead. What a mystery huh!

Thanks Sheila that would be really appreciated. I am in contact with Mary's granddaugher and great grand daughter and together we are trying to piece together what happened to this lady. It certainly is a mystery. Many Thanks Janet

It just struck me There are three major things which actually point towards her NOT taking the veil 1) she was married 2) she had small dependant children and well 3) she wasn't catholic. blimey girl - you have got a real cracker there to solve

View Record Alfred Boater abt 1858 Bethnal Green, Middlesex, England Son Bethnal Green Middlesex View Record Charlotte Boater abt 1856 Bethnal Green, Middlesex, England Daughter Bethnal Green Middlesex View Record Edward Boater abt 1850 Spitalfields, Middlesex, England Son Bethnal Green Middlesex View Record Elizabeth Boater abt 1824 Spitalfields, Middlesex, England Wife Bethnal Green Middlesex View Record Elizabeth Boater abt 1845 Spitalfields, Middlesex, England Daughter Bethnal Green Middlesex View Record Henry Boater abt 1821 Bethnal Green, Middlesex, England Head Bethnal Green Middlesex View Record Henry Boater abt 1847 Bethnal Green, Middlesex, England Son Bethnal Green Middlesex View Record Richard Boater abt 1860 Bethnal Green, Middlesex, England Son Bethnal Green Middlesex View Record William Boater abt 1852 Bethnal Green, Middlesex, England Son Bethnal Green Richard and family on 1861 census RICHARD was a twin Surname First name(s) District Vol Page -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Births Dec 1859 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BOASTER Emily Bethnal Green 1c * BOASTER Richard Bethnal Green 1c 334 and had been married before Marriages Jun 1889 BOEATER Richard Mile End 1c 802 DEAN Eliza Mile End 1c 802 Taylor Henry Thomas Mile End 1c 802 Wood Alice Emma Mile End 1c 802

Shelia, I think you might have a different Richard. The Marriage Cert gives Richard's age as 25 (B c1883) and his status as Batchelor at the time of thier marriage on 25th Dec 1908. Richards occupation could be Trencher man, but the writing is very flowery. His father was Henry Boeater (book finisher) The witnesses are Alfred Parker and Edith Prince, which enforces our belief that the marriage was either opposed by or unknown to her parents and brother. Janet

I am searching for Kathleen Green, born in 1920 in Shoreditch. She was a nun at Daughters of Charity in London. She died in the 1940's of TB. No one from the family knows anything about where she's buried or her death date. I am in America and helping a London friend and emails to the Daughters of Charity haven't given me an answer. Can anyone tell me where to look or how I can find out. You may answer me at [email protected] if you would because I do not maneuver around the English genealogy sites too well. Thank you for your help.

John
Have you tried FreeBMD for her birth and death

Welcome to the boards, John.

This birth ??

Births Dec 1920 (>99%)
Green Kathleen (mms Thorn) Shoreditch 1c 102

Possibly parents' marriage:

Marriages Dec 1917 (>99%)
Green Albert W Thorn Shoreditch 1c 160
Thorn Mary S Green Shoreditch 1c 160

Parents and siblings in 1939 - also four closed records, one of which will be Kathleen. A pity - I had hoped there would be some annotation re her later calling:

Albert W Green
in the 1939 England and Wales Register
Name: Albert W Green
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Married
Birth Date: 3 Oct 1893
Residence Year: 1939
Address: 5 Rhoda Street
Residence Place: Bethnal Green, London, England
Occupation: Press Operation Animund??
Schedule Number: 47
Sub Schedule Number: 1
Enumeration District: ADOU
Registration district: 17-2
Inferred Spouse: Mary S Green
Inferred Children: Mary H Green
Albert G Green
George F Green
Household Members:
Name
Albert W Green
Mary S Green
Mary H Green
Albert G Green
George F Green

With TB she may have died in a sanatorium..more often people were isolated so not to spread TB,

in the 1940s war years.possibly not in London.?.

Assuming (a) that she didn't acquire a middle name at any time after her birth was registered , and (b) that the informant knew her correct DOB, and (c) that she died in England/Wales, these seem to be the only deaths that fit.

But those are three big assumptions.

Deaths Jun 1953 (>99%)
GREEN Kathleen 32 Wednesbury 9b 653

Deaths Mar 1978 (>99%)
GREEN KATHLEEN 5DE1920 PENZANCE 21 416


I don't see one that fits in the 1940's.


EDIT:

I've checked deaths in Scotland as well - 1938-60 - and the only Kathleen Green without a middle name was a child.

Looking at the "Remembrance" section of the website of the Daughters of Charity, they seem to have kept their own names, but just added "Sister" in front.

Unfortunately the Remembrance page only shows the names of those who have died this year.

http://www.daughtersofcharity.org.uk/Remembrance

At present they have 20 Houses scattered across England/Wales/Scotland - so she could have lived anywhere.
None in Penzance or Staffordshire, though of course it may have been different in the 1940's.

Coates (Sister) Household (11 People)
94 Redcliffe Gardens Redcliffe Gardens , Kensington, London, England
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FIRST NAME(S) LAST NAME(S) DOB OCCUPATION
Frances J Flower Ellis (Sister Joan) - -
Teresa (Margaret Ruth) Coates (Sister) 14 Oct 1896 Sister Of Charity Occupation In Works Of The Community Evacuation Nursing Visiting Domestic Works Of Houses Of The ?
Sorry, this record is officially closed. Check if you can open a closed record.
Mary A Giles (Sister Avis) - -
Sorry, this record is officially closed. Check if you can open a closed record.
Sorry, this record is officially closed. Check if you can open a closed record.
Sorry, this record is officially closed. Check if you can open a closed record.
Sorry, this record is officially closed. Check if you can open a closed record.
Evelyn M Mellor 20 Sep 1876 Private Means
Phyllis Bideleux M Sider 21 Mar 1894 Sister Of Charity
Evelyn M B Cree (Sister) 19 Aug 1901 Sister Of Charity
Ref: RG101/0312A/013/12 Letter Code:
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1939 Register,,,,,,,Sisters of Charity,,,,,,,,Kathleen isnt listed but maybe a closed record because she was born after 1915.