Help Trace My Grandmother Bridget Mary Roche

[geraldine96]

The 1st 2 photographs which are early portraits taken of my grandmother were most likely taken in Ireland.

In the photo where she looks about 14 or 16 years old (definately taken in Ireland) there is an imprinted title which must be a stamp advertising the photographic studio, however the photo has been cut to fit in a frame and there isn't enough left of the imprinted letters to make any sense of it.
I have tried looking for photographic studios in Waterford City that would have been in business in about 1903 (when she would have been a teenager) but didn't get far with it although I discovered the wonderful work of AH POOLE (National Library of Ireland)
Yes we have alot of the post card type photographs but they are by'Gales and 1 by Jerome' who started off in England so these postcards don't relate to Ireland.
I have traced the photograph of the trio: my grandmother, my grandfather and my father as a 2 yr old sitting on her lap. It was taken by a well known studio 'Ed Sharp' on Westminster Bridge Rd. London in 1925. I think it was a post christening photo. I am waiting to hear from the Catholic Cathedral in London re my father's christening as it may reveal more information about the Roches (as godparents). Thanks for responding everyone, I welcome any more ideas. By the way I have taken a DNA test with Ancestory, would that reveal any connections to the right Roche family?     

[hurworth]

By the way I have taken a DNA test with Ancestory, would that reveal any connections to the right Roche family?   

It just might sometime.   Do upload to Gedmatch as well.

[josey]

the photo has been cut to fit in a frame and there isn't enough left of the imprinted letters to make any sense of it.

You'd be surprised at what rootschatters can make of even the smallest snippet - I would say post what there is.....

Josey

[geraldine96]

thankyou hurworth; although i'm not sure what 'gedmatch'is? Iam new to searching for ancestors...

[geraldine96]

 Josey I will have to post the 2nd picture again to show the stamped indentations along the bottom.
i have tried to decipher the letters myself using a magnifying glass and compared my results to the font available on micrososft office 2003; the nearest font style is 'kunstler'.

The 1st letter is either a capital L or C (in the script style Kunstler), then there's a gap of 1cm before the next letter which could be a smalll case m, the letter after that might the top loop of  a small case f, l, h or k.(You can only see 1/3 of the whole word as it has been cut to fit in a frame).
There's another space of 1/4 cms. then another capital L or C, the word finishes with a letter that looks like the letter n.
Sorry this might just be too difficult...but hopefully I might get some feedback. the print isn't stamped in ink it's indented by a letter press. it could be the name of the town or the photographic studio.

The only other possible lead are the witnesses to my grandparents' marriage in August 1920 at the Catholic Cathedral in london. One witness is M. Handley; I have found that a Margaret Roche married John Hanley in feb 1920 at the church in Doneraile, Mallow her father was David Roche and the father of john hanley was John hanley. The witnesses were Ellie Roche and Michael Mcdermott.
I found Patrick Roche and a J. Hanley living at the same address as my grandmother in Ealing in 1931.

If any readers know this family and can connect them with my grandmother(Mary Bridget Roche  born 1887) who moved to England and married my g'father Edward C Bradfield; then lived most of her life in Ealing London before moving to Whitstable on the Kent coast where she died in 1959, that would be great..Rather than siblings, they might be cousins. In the early 1950's my grandparents lived in the House of Commons, Westminster for a short time; she might be memorable to an Irish relative for living in the Houses of Parliament.....
I have traced all my grandparents but can't crack the 'Roche' connection in Ireland; I'd just like to know which town the family came from...  then I can close my search....Thanks for any help...

[josey]

Good description, thanks. I'll work on that. What about making a 'rubbing' of the impression on white paper with a wax crayon or charcoal then photographing/scanning that & posting it?

Those witness connections are well worth following. Should be able to find Margaret, John [snr & jnr] Hanley, Ellie Roche in free online 1901 & 1911 Ireland census.

Josey

ADDED: What a complicated font 

[Treetotal]

Have you considered this one in 1901:

:   Bridget Roche
Age:   19
Estimated birth year:   abt 1882
[1884]
Relation to Head:   Servant
Gender:   Female
Birth Place:   Waterford, Ireland
Civil Parish:   St Pancras

Carol

[Wexflyer]

Josey I will have to post the 2nd picture again to show the stamped indentations along the bottom.
i have tried to decipher the letters myself using a magnifying glass and compared my results to the font available on micrososft office 2003; the nearest font style is 'kunstler'.

Are you sure that it is a font at all? Looks like it could be just random impressions from a dimpled frame, to me.

[geraldine96]

Wexflyer the photograph in the middle,  which features the young girl has a dimpled frame around it but in the bottom right corner are letters. When we put the picture on Roots chat we were more concerned about the actual portrait so Rootschatters can't see the logo at the edge ; we excluded it. I will have to put the photo back up and focus on the writing.

 the script style is typical of 1900,s font which mimicked cursive handwriting; that was the fashion.

It might take a week before I can put the photo onto Rootschat again as my computer skills aren't great; my daughter helps with the more complicated functions.