Author Topic: Help: CHILDS family mystery in Guildford  (Read 17787 times)

Offline Valda

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Re: Help: CHILDS family mystery in Guildford
« Reply #36 on: Thursday 11 August 11 13:04 BST (UK) »
Hi

Not sure I understand why that means she can be eliminated?

The birth was an illegitimate one in 1910 in East Ham at an establishment run by the Southwark Diocesan Association for the Care of Friendless Girls and the mother was a domestic servant (Caroline Childs) who may have been working prior to the birth in Guildford.
Not sure how that eliminates single Carrie/Caroline born Woolwich in 1890 (Woolwich in Kent officially until 1888) if it is her at Lambeth hospital in some unknown capacity in 1911?

Births Sep 1890   
Childs  Caroline     Woolwich  1d 1179

Daughter of Henry (a porter) and Eliza (a widow by 1901). On the 1891 census her older two sisters were domestic servants.


Regards

Valda
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Offline KGarrad

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Re: Help: CHILDS family mystery in Guildford
« Reply #37 on: Thursday 11 August 11 13:12 BST (UK) »
Valda,

Sorry! :-[
I take it back!

Without mentioning too much of what is in the 1911 census (don't want another reprimand from you Mod's!!) her place of birth fits.

Garrad (Suffolk, Essex, Somerset), Crocker (Somerset), Vanstone (Devon, Jersey), Sims (Wiltshire), Bridger (Kent)

Offline SvenJJ

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Re: Help: CHILDS family mystery in Guildford
« Reply #38 on: Thursday 11 August 11 22:35 BST (UK) »
Thanks Guys,

I have access to the 1911 census and can see that the Caroline 'Chilas' (They didn't make the stalk of the d long enough  ;D) is indeed consistent with the two from the earlier censuses born in Woolwich which is very nice. I just need to find some more concrete evidence that says whether or not that is the same Caroline.

Jamie

Offline bazzaear

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Re: Help: CHILDS family mystery in Guildford
« Reply #39 on: Thursday 15 September 11 20:49 BST (UK) »
AS a new member I have been trying to find out my mother place of birth I have her birth cert and guess what she was born at 26 Howard rd and stayed in st elizabeths home although her mother lived in Folkestone,as you say very confusing  ,as other members have said it seems st elizabeths was a home for wayward girls etc and howards rd was where they had there babies.My next search is to find out what happened to my grandmother and my mother before I was born

Barry


Offline SvenJJ

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Re: Help: CHILDS family mystery in Guildford
« Reply #40 on: Monday 01 January 18 21:23 GMT (UK) »
Hi all

Over 6 years on and this still remains a mystery to me and my grandfather...  I just really wish I could tell him more about his dad's family!  :-\

Is anyone aware of any newly available records / techniques that may be able to shed new light on an old mystery?

Thanks

Offline jennifer c

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Re: Help: CHILDS family mystery in Guildford
« Reply #41 on: Tuesday 02 January 18 10:47 GMT (UK) »
The Guildford address was most likely where she worked. They were a couple in their 60s who among their children only had 2 boys, one died in 1902 and the other Arthur Archibald guantlett aged 28 is still unmarried in 1911 and living with a married sister.

Hope this helps.

Jennifer
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Offline SvenJJ

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Re: Help: CHILDS family mystery in Guildford
« Reply #42 on: Saturday 01 September 18 18:02 BST (UK) »
Hi all - I was hoping I'd be able to find some support / assistance / ideas on solving a family mystery from you good people.

My grandfather does not know anything about his father's family.  When he was alive, he would never talk about them.  My grandfather has heard stories that they may have been killed in WWII bomb along with two sisters, but I've never been able to confirm that against the civilian deaths records.  This mystery has been rumbling on for some many years (Threads merged for previous discussion on this site), but a brief summary would go like this:

  • Born: 18 February 1910 - Plaistow, Essex (26 Howards Road) in a St Elizabeth's Maternity Home often used by wayward mums.  No father on the birth certificate, mother's name is Caroline Childs listed as working as a domestic servant at 12 Quarry Street, Guildford.
  • Baptised: 20 April 1910 - Plaistow, Essex (St Andrews Church), again, no father.  All signs point to illegitimacy.
  • 1911 census / 1939 register: Oddly, no sign.
  • Life events: Was in the Merchant Navy during WWII as a ship's cook.  Based in the North East.  Records that I've seen to date on this offer nothing of real interest.
  • Marriage: 24 April 1943 to Mary Hughes (nee Keegan) in Sunderland, Co Durham.  Mother is listed as Caroline Childs and father as Henry John Childs.  I've been able to find no record of Henry John and I suspect this was made up to hide the illegitimacy.
  • Death: 24 August 1982 in Hartlepool, Co Durham.
For a good while this was all this information I had, but I recently had my grandfather take a DNA test and it came back with several strong links to individuals with a common tie to a Childs family in Guildford.  Naturally I've done a fair bit of research around this family now and I'm yet to find any irrefutable candidates for Caroline.  This is where I'm hoping you can all help!

My strongest candidate is a Lilian Caroline Childs born 27 April 1979 in Guildford (died 26 January 1945), daughter of Charles Childs (1854-1919) and Caroline Tidy (1859-1943).  First, the positives for her being a good candidate:
  • Aged 30 at time of birth - this seems reasonable.
  • Baptised as Caroline Lilian Childs - so there's a precedent for her being called Caroline.
  • Married a George Tunnicliffe Edwards (1876-1949) on 3 February 1904.  They were living apart in 1911 despite being married for 7 years, both showing no children.  In his WW1 service record it would later read that he is living separated from his wife, with his mother shown as his next of kin and paychecks being sent to his sister.  Interestingly, his medical record as part of his WW1 service record places him at 54 Quarry Street - Guildford, though there are two other addresses on there too that he's a 'resident' at, that of his mother and his sister.  This is either one heck of a red herring or a smoking gun!

And now for the downsides:
  • She's living with her mother and sister in Guildford in 1911 - no sign of Edward Cyril.
  • She's shown as being an elementary school teacher - which feels like quite a step up from a domestic servant in a year!
  • She'd go on to live with her mum and sister until at least the mid 30s, still no sign of Edward Cyril.

In order for this to be her, the scenario feels like Lilian became pregnant, went to London to have the baby, potentially left Edward in a children's home and continued her life without him.  It might explain why Edward Cyril would later not want to talk about his parents and why he might invent a traumatic story so that he wouldn't have to talk about it...

I'm at my wits end.  Does anyone have any hints, tips, ideas, clues or local insights that they can share on this?  I'd love to be able to pin this down to finally tell my granddad what his father never could.  I just can't imagine not knowing who half of your family are!

Apologies for the long brain dump and thanks in advance to anyone who can help!

Jamie

Offline Annette7

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Re: Help: CHILDS family mystery in Guildford
« Reply #43 on: Saturday 01 September 18 19:18 BST (UK) »
Lilian Caroline was also a teacher in 1901 - I wonder whether the mother of the child was in fact the younger daughter Olive (18 in 1911) who gave the name Caroline (her mothers or sister's second name) rather than her own in an effort to not be traced at a later date or a perhaps it was a family cover-up.   It sounds like someone in this family is a prime candidate.   

Edward may already have been in the Merchant Navy by 1939 and overseas when the register taken but he should be somewhere in 1911.   If in a childrens home perhaps under initials?

Annette
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