Leah Birch, baptised in Adisham

[bedfordshire boy]

I’m trying to help a cousin with her maternal grandmother.  Leah Birch married Francis Milton on 19 May 1923 at Aston Hertfordshire “Francis Lionel Milton bachelor 39 Greenkeeper, of Aston, father John Milton (dec'd) labourer & Leah Birch 32 spinster of Stevenage father unknown.”  So I thought she was probably illegitimate.

In the 1939 register living in Knebworth Herts, Leah gives her date of birth as 8 July 1890, which ties in with her death age of 65 on 24 July 1955 in Hitchin Herts, residence still Knebworth.

There are birth registrations of three Leah Birchs in 1891, in Birmingham (Aston, but not the Aston where she married), Nottingham and Bolton, all of whom I’ve eliminated as not being “my” Leah.
 
I’ve found who I believe to be her, living in Acton in 1911, a servant, age 20, born Faversham Kent, indexed on Ancestry as Leah Borch but it looks like Birch to me. I have a copy of a baptism entry of a Leah Birch in Adisham Kent, 16 miles from Faversham, on 5 Apr 1891 but with no parents mentioned. In the 1891 census taken on the same day in Adisham there’s a Birch whose age of 7 months was first entered in the female column, then added to the male column, with the name transcribed on Ancestry as Scath and on FindMyPast as Seath which looks to me like a transcription error for Leath ie Leah. She was a nurse child with the Linkin family, with birthplace not known. The Linkins also had another nurse child living with them who was still with in 1901. But I can’t find Leah in 1901.

I have no idea what sort of records may have been kept by the parishes, but presumably someone must have paid the Linkins for taking in children. My next step will be to contact the local archives to see if there’s anything in Adisham parish chest.

It’s been suggested that as no parents were mentioned on her baptism entry she may have been a foundling and the name Leah Birch may have been a made up name, which would stop my research dead in it’s tracks!

Is it coincidence that there were other Birchs living in Adisham in 1891?

Any flashes of inspiration will be gratefully received.

David

[groom]

There's a Leah Birch in 1901 living as a boarder at 9, Church Street, Tovil, Maidstone, Kent with William Joseph Noakes, his wife Eleanor Emma and their 3 children. Her age is given as 9 though, so slightly younger than yours and her place of birth as London Middlesex. But if she was a boarder they may not have known her correct details.

RG13 767 139 11

[bedfordshire boy]

Thanks Groom, that looks as though it may well be her. Ancestry have her transcribed as Leak which goes some way to explaining how I didn't find her!

Unfortunately it doesn't add much to tracing who she was - if it's the same person, which I think it is as there's only one Leah Birch in Kent, in 3 censuses with various transcriptions none of which is Leah Birch on Ancestry, her birthplace is not known; London and Faversham Kent!

I think that's now a full house on baptism, censuses and marriage and 1939. Whats missing is the vital birth registration!

Thanks again

David

[groom]

It’s been suggested that as no parents were mentioned on her baptism entry she may have been a foundling and the name Leah Birch may have been a made up name, which would stop my research dead in it’s tracks!

Have you managed to look at other baptisms on the same page, do they mention parents? If so, it would seem that your theory could be correct, especially as she isn't with parents in 1891 or 1901. Maybe she was found by one of the Birch family and that is why she was given their name?

[bearkat]

Looking at the baptism entry - every other baptism on the page names parents and Father's occupation.  For Leah there is just a   --

It does look likely that she was a abandoned.  The parish chest and workhouse records are worth checking.

[bedfordshire boy]

Thanks for your thoughts Groom and Bearkat. The parish chest will be my next stop.

David

[bearkat]

Leah could have been born illegitimate and her mother died in childbirth 

Adisham comes under Bridge Union

http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Bridge/

[groom]

Leah could have been born illegitimate and her mother died in childbirth 

Adisham comes under Bridge Union

http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Bridge/

If that was the case wouldn't they still have put her mother's name and added deceased on her baptism? I've seen that done before.

[bearkat]

Let us know if you find out anything David.