Brooks/Pardoes of Lye & Wollescote

[Benody1921]

I have a bit of a family mystery I was hoping might be solved here.

My apparent 3rd great-grandmother was Elizabeth Pardoe, born about 1812 in Lye. Her parents were George Pardoe and Jemima Wooldridge. Elizabeth married Samuel Brooks 16 Dec 1839 at St. Leonard, Clent. They had 2 children, John, who was born in 1845 and died in 1846, and Betsy, born 1849 and died 1928. Betsy is my 2nd great-grandmother (on paper). She married Edwin Dunn 24 Jun 1872 at Saint Kenelms, Romsley.

My mystery is with their son, George Harry Dunn. My granddad (George's son) had been told that his dad had been "taken in" by someone but within the family. I'm wondering if anyone who is related to the Pardoe/Brooks line might know anything about a baby boy given up for adoption and taken in by Betsy Brooks. The year was either 1883 or 1884. His school admission (Crabbe Street Infant School) and the 1939 Register say he was born in 1883 but his Service Records show 1884.

Thanks in advance for any clues or tips anyone might have.

[KGarrad]

Was George Harry born in Lye and/or Wollescote?

If this looks like him, with his mother, in 1901:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XSS5-GZK

And, in 1911:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7YR-FVC

If this isn't your chap, what censuses do you have him in?

[Benody1921]

Yes, that's my George. On the Crabbe Street Infant School admission his father, Edwin Dunn, has him down as George Harry B Dunn and then George Harry Brooks Dunn, Brooks being his mother's maiden name.

[KGarrad]

Looking at the GRO Birth Indexes, there are 4 births for George Dunn in 1883/4 in the Stourbridge Registration District:

DUNN, GEORGE        (Mother's Maiden Name:) FORREST      
GRO Reference: 1883  J Quarter in STOURBRIDGE  Volume 06C  Page 157

DUNN, GEORGE        -        
GRO Reference: 1884  J Quarter in STOURBRIDGE  Volume 06C  Page 170

DUNN, GEORGE        SOMERFIELD      
GRO Reference: 1884  J Quarter in STOURBRIDGE  Volume 06C  Page 192

DUNN, GEORGE        GUY        
GRO Reference: 1884  S Quarter in STOURBRIDGE  Volume 06C  Page 219

DUNN, GEORGE  FREDERICK      GREEN      
GRO Reference: 1884  S Quarter in STOURBRIDGE  Volume 06C  Page 214

As you can see, there are no mother's maiden names for Brooks
The 2nd entry has a MMN of "-" which usually indicates an illegitimate birth.


There is also a potential birth for George Brooks:
BROOKS, GEORGE  HENRY      NOKE      
GRO Reference: 1884  J Quarter in STOURBRIDGE  Volume 06C  Page 180