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Topic: Newell/Luddington (Read 654 times)
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Chris L. Oz
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Posts: 44
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Hi David & Tati,
Thank you both for all your work - it's opened lots of doors, the extra puzzles notwithstanding - a challenge indeed.
I agree, David, that Arthur could very well be the illegitimate son of Harriet Dodson nee Newell. Now I'll have to chase up Jane Newell.
Edith's name on the 1914 marriage certifiate (Redfern, NSW, Australia) to Reginald Lawley was Edith Enora Luddington Newell Williams. She listed Arthur Luddington Newell and Nellie Harrison as her parents.
She was a widow by that time and her late husband was Harry Williams.
David, the 1901 census fits with family 'history' that Edith ran away from home when she was 12. Her adopted parents had just had a natural child. Maybe this caused problems.
Margaret Stananought is a puzzle! Mother or friend? ?
Luddington seems to have been a common name in Bedford going by the FreeBMD, but I can't find any connection just from the net site.
Here's a question for you both. We may be visitng the UK and Ireland next year. Or should I say revisiting after our wonderful trip in June 2004. If I were to go to the records office in Kew (?) could I find out more info from their records. I've wasted $Oz90 ordering certificates for the wrong Edith Newell, obviously now because there isn't a right one.
In the BDM its possible to view the scanned pages but that doesn't give any more detail. Also unlike Oz marriage certificates the names of the parents aren't entered.
Actually we have it good here in NSW as the parents' names appear on all the online records, which helps a great deal.
Cheers
Chris
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bedfordshire boy
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Hi Chris
There are too many what ifs here that don't lead anywhere! A few random thoughts
Luddington is much more prevalent in Beds than in Liverpool, yet Edith's birthplace in the two censuses is definitely Liverpool. I had wondered if Edith had actually been born in Beds, or was connected somehow with the family back in Beds, but the birthplace made a mess of this theory, unless it was wrong in both censuses which seems unlikely. In 1901 having run away from home I could believe that a 12 year old might have thought that she'd been born locally. But in 1891 it would have been Arthur who supplied the details to the enumerator. What started me off on this track, forgetting that Edith had a Liverpool birthplace, was finding a Laura (sounds a bit like Enora!) Edith Luddington born in Beds in Dec 1888 who I can't find in 1891 or a death in the meantime......?
It must be a possibility that Arthur knew who his father was, a Mr Luddington perhaps, which doesn't show in any official records, and Edith knew this. But it doesn't explain why Edith's surname would have been given as Luddington in 1891, unless Arthur was deliberately trying to hide her birth name and gave the name of Luddington as a way of showing that she was adopted but without revealing anything about her background.
In the absence of a Liverpool birth record either her name is wrong or her birthplace is wrong (assuming of course that her birth was registered)
Kew would add nothing as they don't keep this type of record. There's nowhere that will give you more information than what's available online - you can view images of the BMD indexes and of censuses online, but you can't get beyond the indexes without ordering the certificate, which for a birth will give you both parents' names plus the mother's maiden name, whereas a marriage cert will only give you the father's name and occupation.
By 1889 registration of births was compulsory so she should be there somewhere - it's a case of finding her. And as Tati says, official adoptions didn't start until later, so the adoption of Edith was likely to have been either a local or family informal arrangement. But anything that you may find is likely to be speculation, without being able to prove anything for definite.
Good luck
David
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Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.ukBeds: Cople: Luke/Spencer Everton: Hale Henlow: Cooper/Watts/Sabey Potton: Merrill Southill: Faulkner/Litchfield/Sabey Woburn/Husborne Crawley: Surkitt Hunts: Gt Gransden: Merrill/Chandler/Medlock Toseland: Surkitt/Hedge/Corn Cambs: Bourn: Bowd Eltisley: Medlock Graveley: Ford/Revell |
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Chris L. Oz
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Hi David,
I've found a lot more since you last read my posts. If you can find it, I've started a post in Lancashire titled LUDDINGTON AND HARRISON.
From the BMD's I've established that;
The Ellen (Nellie) Newell on the 1891 and 1901 censuses married Arthur Newell in Dec qtr 1886, West Derby. Her name was GRIFFIN not HARRISON. So I don't think she was Edith's mother.
There was an Edith HARRISON born in West Derby June qtr 1889, which tallies with the age of our Edith Luddington and the name of her mother, Nellie HARRISON, and place of birth, LIVERPOOL on her 1914 marriage certificate.
Nellie Harrison may have married in Jun qtr 1891 to either John Reynolds or Fredrick WILLIAMS.
There are 3 entries for LUDDINGTON West Derby in the time in question.
Thomas LUDDINGTON died age 40 Dec qtr 1899 - possible!
John Henry LUDDINGTON died age 50 Jun qtr 1873 - Thomas' father?
Edith LUDDINGTON first marriage to Harry WILLIAMS in Dec qtr1910
I don't know if this information is enough to find out anything more about the Luddingtons.
I've bitten the bullet and ordered Edith Harrison's birth certificate. it seems the only way of sorting this out. if you hear a huge scream in 2 weeks you'll know it's not her!!!!
cheers
Chris
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Chris L. Oz
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Oops, I forgot to add that I've ordered Arthurs birth certificate too...what the heck it's only money!!!!!!!!
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bedfordshire boy
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I think I'm with it - you had assumed that the Nellie Harrison on her marriage cert was the same person as Ellen Newell wife of Arthur ie she had given the names of her adoptive parents when she married. Whereas she'd actually given her adoptive father's name and her natural mother?
Keep us updated with what the birth cert says!
David
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Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.ukBeds: Cople: Luke/Spencer Everton: Hale Henlow: Cooper/Watts/Sabey Potton: Merrill Southill: Faulkner/Litchfield/Sabey Woburn/Husborne Crawley: Surkitt Hunts: Gt Gransden: Merrill/Chandler/Medlock Toseland: Surkitt/Hedge/Corn Cambs: Bourn: Bowd Eltisley: Medlock Graveley: Ford/Revell |
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Chris L. Oz
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Hi David,
that's the only conclusion I can come to at the moment, after finding out Ellen Newell was not Nellie Harrison.
Hopefully all will be revealed with the certificates. BUT there must be a Luddington hiding somewhere - it's not the sort of name that is just made up. But as you theorised maybe Arthur's father was a Luddington. As we agreed, its probable that Arthur was the illegitimate daughter of Harriett Newell, dau of Henry and Mary. They appear in Bedford in 1851. Harriett married John Dodson in Bedford in Dec quarter 1859.
We can't assume that his mother married his natural father after he was born, so John Dobson probably isn't the father AND there are sundry Luddingtons in Bedford.
Sadly the certificates will take 3 weeks at least to reach our shores.
I think when I finish my Classics degree at uni, I might try for a PhD in Genaelogy - it's fascinating, annoying, rewarding and above all expensive! A grant would be wonderful, to cover expenses including an educational trip to the UK (and Ireland to trace my ancestors - an even more daunting task given the destruction of so many records in 1922)
cheers/slainte
chris
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Chris L. Oz
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Hi Tanja,
sorry I missed your last post - it's late and it's been a long day!
If you could find NO record of Edith Harrison in the 1891 census then that would go towards it being our Edith since she was Edith Luddington in that census. How common was Edith Harrison in 1891 - you said there a quite a few.
I'm ignoring Enora at the moment - it fits in even less than Luddington... that may prove to be the biggest mistake I've made!
Maybe the Enora sounded posh to go with the glorious past Edith said she had - the disgraced daughter of an old and wealthy family. Some people rail at not being given a middle name so maybe the fresh start in Oz with a new husband seemed opportune to give herself one.
Even her son from the first marriage, William Harry Williams is supposed to have changed his name to Huddington (not Luddington). I have checked for Huddingtons in the BMD just in case, without success.
I'll keep you and David informed and hopefully the certificates will reveal all...if they're the right ones.
Cheers
Chris
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Chris L. Oz
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Hi again David,
I checked your Laura Edith Luddington bn Bedford Dec qtr 1888. Depending on the day of the year the census is taken she may have still been 2 years old for the 1891 census. It's an interesting thought - would sort of solve the Enora. If only there were any other mentions of 'Enora'!
Laura Edith Luddington seems to have vanished off the records after she was born - no death or marriage. Also I put in Laura Luddington with a mother Harrison in the seach in BMD without a match.
The other slight problem is the place of birth - but that could be fudged or an innocent mistake made.
But that's definitely another avenue if Edith Harrison doesn't match...more money! Roll on the PhD! Sadly I've got 3 more years of my degree then 1-2 years for Honours so I'll be an old age pensioner by the time I can do my PhD.
Now I am definitely shutting down the computer.
Chris
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Chris L. Oz
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Hi Tanja & David,
I've received Arthur Newell's borth certificate. He was born 11th May 1859, and his parents are John Thomas Dodson and Harriet Newell. They married December qtr 1859.
Arthur was still living with his materal grandparents in 1871, so I wonder what the story was about that.
I'm still waiting for 2 certificates for possibile Ediths - hopefully the mystery will then be solved. I'll keep you posted.
Cheers
Chris
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bedfordshire boy
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Hi Chris
One mystery solved, but as you say, raises more questions. Why was Arthur raised by his grandparents. Why didn't he take his father's name after they were married. And who is Luddington??? Perhaps the certs on the way may answer that one.
Thanks for keeping us updated.
Regards
David
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Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.ukBeds: Cople: Luke/Spencer Everton: Hale Henlow: Cooper/Watts/Sabey Potton: Merrill Southill: Faulkner/Litchfield/Sabey Woburn/Husborne Crawley: Surkitt Hunts: Gt Gransden: Merrill/Chandler/Medlock Toseland: Surkitt/Hedge/Corn Cambs: Bourn: Bowd Eltisley: Medlock Graveley: Ford/Revell |
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Chris L. Oz
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Hi David,
Another census 'hunter' as given me the details of the 1881 census when Arthur is with his parents, still using Newell and with his first wife, Jane. RG11/3700 Folio 35
John T. Dodson Head 41 b Elston, Bedfordshire Assurance Agent
Harriet Dodson Wife 40 b Cambridgeshire
Arthur T. Newell Son 21 b Bedfordshire Assurance
Agent
Jane Newell Daughter in Law 27 b Goldington, Bedfordshire
William H. Dodson Son 19 unm b Bedfordshire Assurance Agent
Eliza H. Dodson Dau 16 b Bedford, Bedfordshire School Teacher
Harriet E. Dodson Dau 12 b Bedford, Bedfordshire
20 Rockwood St, West Derby, Lancashire, England
The plot thickens and Luddington is still elusive. Fingers crossed the birth certificates will solve the puzzle!
Cheers
Chris
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Chris L. Oz
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Posts: 44
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Hi gang,
No joy with the birth certificates for either Edith Harrison or Laural Edith Luddington. Back to the drawing board.
I'm collating all the information and seeing somebody at the local Family History Society - maybe a new brain might think of something else. Otherwise Edith Enora Luddington Newell Williams Lawley will remain a frustrating enigma until time travel is mastered. Then she will get a piece of my mind for telling porkies!
Will keep you all posted.
have a Merry Christmas and a safe and healthy New Year (during which, God willing, I will be in Ireland in April and my Hubby and I back in UK/Ireland in June and July.
Cheers/Slainte
Chris
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Pages: 1 [2]
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Still wonder why she was Edith Enora at marriage. 
This is so frustrating. Thanks for keeping us posted though. 