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Hi joger,

Thank you very much for your translation!  That makes a lot of sense.  It's a shame about the waffle in the middle - I thought there might be more interesting secrets hidden in there!  But at least I now know what it says...

Cheers,
ATG

Death was 1945 - not 1940

Whoops 

I managed to solve the birth record mystery though.  Frances Hannah Woodhall married Joseph Smith - but she was a widow and her birth name was Moore so that is the correct birth register after all.

But this isn't really the avenue I was hoping to explore in this family, still.  I was hoping for some more information about the brothers' work and acting careers.  Thanks for your help though CaroleW.

This means there is another person in this family.  The reason I thought her name was Frances Edith was because there is a 1935 electoral register showing a Frances Edith Birkenhead living with Doris Florence Birkenhead (the sister of Morris & Cowley).

Therefore, I've no idea where she fits in.  I would assume a sister of the brothers but I'm pretty sure I scoured the GRO indexes for other siblings.

She was born 1870 so I can't understand why you say the age doesn't match - 1945 - 1870 = 75

Births September qtr 1870 
Frances Edith Smith    West Derby    8b   546

I guess the location isn't too far off, sure.  But this isn't the right birth entry for Frances.  I know her mother's maiden name was Hughes and a search of the GRO index shows this entry with the mother's maiden name Moore.

Her parents, George and Frances Elizabeth, were married in Q2 1871 in Liverpool and the three censuses I have for Frances Edith give a birth date of circa 1873-1874, so three-to-four years out.

SORRY - completely barking up the wrong tree here

Frances Smith was actually the daughter of Joseph Smith and Frances H Woodhall

Thanks CaroleW and apologies for the lack of details.

Just to clarify:
Father:  George Birkenhead (1860-1931), born Davenham, died Birmingham
Mother:  Frances Edith Smith (b. c. 1873), born Liverpool
Brother:  Bertie Birkenhead (b. c. 1892), born Davenham
Brother:  Stanley Birkenhead (1893-1893), born/died Northwich
Harry Morris,  born Darlaston, died Camberwell
Frank Cowley, born Darlaston, died Hounslow
Sister:  Doris Florence Birkenhead (1910-1983), born Chorlton, died Bournemouth - married Thomas Henry Charles Pratley (1907-1997)

I agree that Bertie was probably born out of wedlock.

Sorry for my ignorance over the 1911 rules.

In this case I would mostly be interested in any knowledge regarding their actual work and/or their life in Australia - though I guess this is probably the wrong board.

Andrew