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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: Johnsdaughter on Wednesday 10 March 21 21:31 GMT (UK)
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Mabel Boyd is the birth mother of Dorothy Mabel Boyd ( born 11th June 1899 Oswestry) who was adopted and became Dorothy Mabel Davies.
Mabel Boyd is the mother recorded at the Christening on July 30th.
Dorothy’s birth certificate shows that Thomas Davies who with his wife, Mary adopted her, was the person who registered her birth. Dorothy was born at the same address as that of Thomas Davies.
Under the mother’s name on the certificate it says, Boarding House Keeper. She was registered on August 2nd and the Christening was held on 30th July at Holy Trinity Church where Thomas and Mary were married.
They had already adopted a boy.
I have searched for Mabel Boyd but with little success. The most likely candidate was a Londoner on the basis of age.
Would a pregnant young girl travel to Oswestry in those days to have her baby with the intent of giving it up for adoption?
Thomas and Mary soon after had 2 children themselves but sadly in 1903 Thomas died. Mary married again in 1909, a man called John Morris who was about 16 years younger than herself. Could he have been Dorothy’s father? It seems very strange for a 28 year old to marry an older woman with 4 children.
I’ve puzzled over this family for sometime and would appreciate any ideas.
Thanks.
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What age was Dorothy when she was adopted?
Who is she with on the next census - Thomas & Mary?
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Is this the Mabel Boyd that you thought might be likely? From the 1901 census living here Drapers Shop Barrett Bro, 116, High Street, Clapham, Wandsworth, London & Surrey
Born 1878, birth place Forest Gate, Essex
Registration district Wandsworth
Archive reference RG13
Piece number 464
Folio 76
Page 18
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There is only one birth in that time frame and birth place
BOYD, MABEL ANNIE SLEDGE
GRO Reference: 1878 M Quarter in WEST HAM UNION Volume 04A Page 105
West Ham covers Forest Gate
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Going back to the 1891 census shows her as a grandchild with her grandparents David and Ann Boyd. Has to be the same one as her place of birth is given as Forest Gate, Essex
Living at Prestbury Road, East Ham, West Ham, London & Essex
Registration district West Ham
Archive reference RG12
Piece number 1340
Folio 20
Page 33
This is of course pure speculation as you don't know how old Mabel was when she gave birth to Dorothy.
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Would a pregnant young girl travel to Oswestry in those days to have her baby with the intent of giving it up for adoption?
Quite possibly if the adoptive parents had been put in contact with Mabel ahead of the birth and she went to them to give birth and hand over the baby
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Thanks for your replies.
Milliepede - on the 1901 census, Dorothy is living with Thomas and Mary with surname Boyd. On the 1911 she is Dorothy Davies.
Girl Guide, yes you’ve found the Mabel that I thought was most likely and makes me more confident in my assumptions.
Mabel - so if Mabel Boyd came from London it’s more likely that Dorothy’s father was also from London?
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I would consider it more than likely that the father also came from London. You will never know who he was as he is not mentioned on Dorothy's birth certificate.
Have you done any investigation to see if Mabel married at all? Have you found her on the 1911 census? This is assuming that the London Mabel is the correct one.
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I've had a quick look for a likely Mabel in the 1911 and come up with this one.
Living at 22 Somerset St W, St Marylebone, London & Middlesex, birth year given as 1879, birth place is Forest Gate, Essex. She is a shop assistant drapery and still single.
Registration district Marylebone
Registration district number 7
Sub-district St Mary
Sub-district number 2
Enumeration district number 18
Series RG14
Piece number 554
Schedule 109
Census reference RG14PN554 RG78PN19 RD7 SD2 ED18 SN109
RG 78 piece number 19
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Thanks again Girl Guide for your findings. I had looked for a marriage but only Mabel Boyd that I found was in 1942 which seems quite late.
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Have a look at this
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FLY9-L4X
Then look at my Reply#3 for her birth details.
Added: But this is speculation because we don't know how old Mabel was when she had Dorothy.
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If this does turn out to be the same person, her death cert is available here:
http://search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Image/Genealogy/ce31c4f8-6617-4bbb-bd98-f77eef163e4b
Boo
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I appreciate that the below is speculation but this is more info re the Mabel whose birth I found at Reply#3
1881 census living at Delainy Villas, 2, Strode Road, West Ham, London & Essex
Mum and dad are David R Boyde (1854) and Keziah Boyde (1853) with children Mabel and Beatrice
Registration district West Ham
Archive reference RG11
Piece number 1723
Folio 23
Page 42
In 1891 I found her with her grandparents - Reply#4
Parents marriage
Marriages Dec 1877
Boyd David Richard W. Ham 4a 59
Sledge Keziah W. Ham 4a 59
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Mother Keziah Sledge passed away in 1882 - burial 29 January 1882 ST Marys Parish Church Scarborough. The burial record shows Keziah died aged 29 and was buried along with her newborn son David Richard Boyd (1 day old) - source anc tree.
Beatrice Keziah Boyd also ends up in Canada married to Alfred Howard Amory -
Beatrice also died in British Columbia
http://search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Image/Genealogy/e035f675-1a55-4bc6-ac03-f8479fe2728a
Sandra
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Death Notice for Beatrice Keziah Boyd/Amory. (mentions Mabel Boyd)
The Vancouver Sun Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
28 Mar 1966, Mon Page 38
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/73181428/beatrice-keziah-amory-28-march-1966/
Sandra
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Probate - Mabel Annie Boyd 2 Sep 1967 Canada
Probate Date 20 Sep 1971 - Probate Registry London.
Of the city of North Vancouver Province. British Columbia. died 2 September 1967. Probate Vancouver.
£271 in England. Sealed London 20 September 1971
Sandra
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1921 census 24 Aberdeen Club Toronto - Mabel with the Amory family, transcribed as Renory.
Alfred Howard Renory 38 Head. Imm 1910
Kezliah Renory 36 Wife. Imm 1910
Beatrice Boyde Renory 1 Daughter
Mabel Annie Boyd 43 Sister-in-law. Stenographer. Imm 1911.
Elizabeth Sinclair McCombe 28 Lodger
https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?app=Census1921&op=img&id=e003038757
Sandra
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Ontario Marriage - Beatrice Keziah Boyd - 1882 London - aged 32 years
Marriage Date 30 Dec 1914 Canada, York, Ontario
Father David Richard Boyd - Mother Keziah Sledge Boyd - Spouse Alfred Amory.
Witnesses Alexander Scott Douglas and Florence Caroline Douglas.
Sandra
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Good finds Sandra
I did find that death for Kezia but the Scarborough made me ponder. Her son David doesn't appear to have had his birth registered or his death.
Of course this is all speculation because it is not known how old Mabel was when she gave birth to Dorothy.
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Good finds Sandra
I did find that death for Kezia but the Scarborough made me ponder. Her son David doesn't appear to have had his birth registered or his death.
Of course this is all speculation because it is not known how old Mabel was when she gave birth to Dorothy.
Following your good leads GG :)
Not sure this would be needed - the marriage of the daughter of Beatrice Keziah Amory
Red Deer Advocate Red Deer, Alberta, Canada 2 May 1945, Wed Page 1
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/73181730/firth-amory-2-may-1945/
Sandra
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This was the husband of Beatrice Phoebe Amory/Firth
The Morning Star Vernon, British Columbia, Canada
06 Feb 2000, Sun Page 54
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/73181760/reverend-daniel-joseph-firth-6/
Sandra
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Outward passenger lists show Mabel Annie Boyd (30) and Beatrice Boyd (27), both single, both milliners, departing on the Royal Edward, from Bristol to Montreal, 03 May 1911
the arrivals lists have the same ages for them, occupations as draper's assistant and say they are going to an aunt destination Toronto, Ontario
Boo
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That would make sense from the 1911 census I found for Mabel - Reply#8. Left just after the census then which was on the 2nd April.
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Interesting - the sister of Keziah Sledge/Boyd was Phoebe Sledge/Amory born 5 June 1851 and died
17 Apr 1942 (aged 90) Welland, Niagara Regional Municipality, Ontario.
Phoebe Sledge Amory was a survivor of the Lusitania disaster which was sunk by the Germans 7 May 1915 (photo and newspaper clip on FIND A GRAVE
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/113090230/phoebe-amory
Sandra
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This was the daughter of Phoebe and Bert Amory - Kezziah Amory Clayton. 1879 - 1952
Probably the family link to the Aunt who lived in Toronto.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/113090276/kezziah-clayton
Sandra
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May be of help to find an alternative Mabel Boyd . The baptism record for Dorothy Mabel gives the mother's abode as Chester.
There may be a place called Chester in/near Oswestry (not familiar with this area) but its possibly Chester in Cheshire - which was a lot nearer to Oswestry than London.
Boo
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There is only 24 miles between the two.
Sandra
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David Richard Boyd -
https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results/1850-01-01/1899-12-31?basicsearch=david%20richard%20boyd&exactsearch=false&retrievecountrycounts=false
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The Essex born Mabel was only 20 when Dorothy was born, perhaps a bit young to be a boarding house keeper?
Debra :)
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i just remembered that Boyd is a Scottish surname. There are 4 Mabel Boyds born there between 1869 and 1882 per Scotlandspeople
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i just remembered that Boyd is a Scottish surname. There are 4 Mabel Boyds born there between 1869 and 1882 per Scotlandspeople
OK one died and one wed but still two to investigate
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Gosh, I’m amazed at what you lovely people have discovered. If my Mabel is the one born in Forest Gate I certainly don’t need to look any further for info as you’ve done it all for me!
Interesting about Chester being mentioned on Dorothy Mabel’s baptism record as it is much closer to Oswestry. I guess she could have made that up as she didn’t want people to know who she was or where she came from. Sad to think that whoever she was, she had to give up her child.
Thank you everyone.
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This is totally off the wall but there is a Mary C Davies who is a boarding house keeper living in Chester in 1901.
5, Paradise Row, Chester, Cheshire
She is single, born 1854 in Llangollen, Denbighshire.
Registration district Chester
Archive reference RG13
Piece number 3372
Folio 90
Page 2
Interesting that her surname is the same as Thomas's! Perhaps she was a cousin. Distance between Llangollen and what I think is Thomas's birthplace of Wroxeter is only 36.5 miles.
Could that be where Mabel was staying and her occupation was put down as boarding house keeper as that was the occupation of the head of the household? Pure speculation but something to bear in mind.
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Another off the wall one :-)
Cheshire Directory 1902
Commercial listing for Chester has :
Boyd, Ellen (Mrs) apartments 11 Egerton St.
Not quite the same as a boarding house but its close so is another random thought.
1901 census shows the family (husband was Edward Boyd) at 11 Egerton St, checking the GRO births for the children MMN was Edwards, no sign of a Mabel being their daughter and I can account for all the children they said they'd had on the 1911 census (still at 11 Egerton St)
Boo
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We could go all round the houses with this, couldn't we Boo ::) The main problem is that Mabel's age when she had Dorothy is unknown. If we had an age we may be able to narrow it down a bit.
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We could go all round the houses with this, couldn't we Boo ::) The main problem is that Mabel's age when she had Dorothy is unknown. If we had an age we may be able to narrow it down a bit.
Unfortunately yes, we could, and I am sure Johnsdaughter has too.
All we can do is find possible (no matter how tenuous) avenues to explore, but I get the feeling we are unlikely to get to the bottom of it.
Boo
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Apropos of nothing in particular (always wanted to say that!)
Wellington Journal, 4, 11, 18 March 1896
GIRL Wanted, at once, about 16; comfortable home, three in family—Address Mrs. Davies, No. 18, Oswald Road, Oswestry.
The son George Thomas Davies seems to be registered in Oswestry, Dec qtr 1899, mother Jones.
Baptized 17 Dec 1899
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7TFJ-J4W2
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I don't have Ancestry or findmypast at the moment so can't do lookups, but is everybody dismissing the surviving Scots-born Mabel Boyds? Far away, but so is London - would anybody like to look them up? Ireland too is a possibility - lots of Boyds there.
The Mabel Boyd who marries in 1900 could still be the one - a quick retreat from Oswestry but the same applies to the London one.
As a north-east Wales historian I can tell you that expecting two people called Davies to be related is way off - far too common a name and Llangollen is not that near Oswestry. But Ellen Boyd is promising - anyone find her in a census giving her birthplace? I can see that if Mabel was helping she could claim boarding house keeper as her profession - otherwise most of the candidates are far too young for that job, surely?
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Just out of curiosity I looked up 5 Paradise Row, Chester in the 1891 census.
I see that the head of the household is an Ellen William, single, Lodging House Keeper. So the address seems to have been a Lodging/Boarding house between 1891 and 1901.
It doesn't say 5 Paradise Row on the transcription but if you check the image it has 5 on there.
Registration district Chester
Archive reference RG12
Piece number 2864
Folio 84
Page 2
So as I suggested in an earlier post, could be where Mabel had Dorothy.
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https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XW36-PHK
that is Ellen and her family on the 1911 census, her maiden name was Edwards (MMN from births of all her children)
The family were at 11 Egerton St, Chester from 1881 to 1911 .
Boo
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That'll be Rhosesmor near Mold. But the Boyd name comes from a man born the other side of the country. Yet more complications!
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Ellen Edwards only married Boyd in 1876 and eldest William doesn't seem to be registered as a Boyd (not that I'm finding him nearby as an illegitimate Edwards either). Perhaps Mabel was another of Ellen's before her marriage? (nothing much nearby though)
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Chris - You sure William wasn't registered? There is this birth on the GRO
BOYD, WILLIAM ROBERT WRIGHT EDWARDS
GRO Reference: 1878 M Quarter in CHESTER Volume 08A Page 399
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sorry - was counting back from 1901 not 1911. Senior moment.
8 years as a big gap though - but they seem to have 2 daughters inbetween, neither a Mabel.
Doesn't rule out the illegitimate earlier daughter theory.
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Apropos of nothing in particular (always wanted to say that!)
Wellington Journal, 4, 11, 18 March 1896
GIRL Wanted, at once, about 16; comfortable home, three in family—Address Mrs. Davies, No. 18, Oswald Road, Oswestry.
The son George Thomas Davies seems to be registered in Oswestry, Dec qtr 1899, mother Jones.
Baptized 17 Dec 1899
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7TFJ-J4W2
Mrs. Davies is who adopted Dorothy and the address is where Mabel gave birth so if she was looking for a 16 year old, can we assume she got one? Which would give us a better idea of the approx year of Mabel’s birth.
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Also in 1896 Thomas and Mary Davies had adopted a son, John Thomas who was born in Cefn, Denbighshire.
Mary gave birth herself to George Thomas about 6 months after Mabel was born. Presumably they thought they couldn’t have children themselves. She’d need help with 3 children!
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If we go about 16 in 1896 that gives a birth year of 1880. Births for a Mabel Boyd between 1876 and 1881 comes up with just one, which is the one I found in Reply#3. I'll repeat it here:-
BOYD, MABEL ANNIE SLEDGE
GRO Reference: 1878 M Quarter in WEST HAM UNION Volume 04A Page 105
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Or the Rothesay one born the same year. Scottish births should not be discounted.
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Chris, I will look at the Scottish births on ancestry.
Thanks
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Chris, I will look at the Scottish births on ancestry.
Thanks
Thanks. Where gthey were on censuses might be more helpful.
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If we go about 16 in 1896 that gives a birth year of 1880. Births for a Mabel Boyd between 1876 and 1881 comes up with just one, which is the one I found in Reply#3. I'll repeat it here:-
BOYD, MABEL ANNIE SLEDGE
GRO Reference: 1878 M Quarter in WEST HAM UNION Volume 04A Page 105
Must admit I go along your line GG.
The Scotland connection I checked earlier and it proved negative.
Sandra
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I got it wrong again!
Sorry!
The adverts in the Wellington Journal were in March 1899
I knew that, so what made me post 1896?
Apologies again, I shall go now :)
John
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I got it wrong again!
Sorry!
The adverts in the Wellington Journal were in March 1899
I knew that, so what made me post 1896?
Apologies again, I shall go now :)
John
No John, don’t go! If Mrs D knew she was adopting a baby, she’d have said 4 in the family. Confusing! Would that advert have been placed anywhere else do you think?
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Thanks for owning up John! Many might have been tempted not to. But it throws the only age clue we had for Mabel out of the window.
Three in family must refer to the three chilfren they were looking after.
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Ok so I searched for a Mabel Boyd between 1875 and 1885 and apart from the 1878 one, this is the only other one to appear
Births Sep 1884
Boyd Mabel Bethnal Green 1c 227
GRO has her mother's maiden name as EVERETS
The 1884 one would be 15 in 1899. A little young perhaps?
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I'm back!
Three would be mum, dad, adopted son?
But, yes, no sign from the advert that they were expecting another child soon.
I wouldn't have thought the advert would have circulated too far from Shropshire though. I just thought it was interesting.
John
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Sorry, are we really assuming that the girl taken on from the advert (March 1899) is Mabel Boyd? (a mother on 11th June)? Would they really employ someone who was obviously pregnant?
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Girl Guide, 15 does sound young but I must give her consideration.
At the time the advert was posted there was only mum, dad and adopted son.
Dorothy’s expected arrival would make 2 children
I don’t know what month Mrs.D was expecting George Thomas but possible she knew she was pregnant to make the family of 3.
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Whomever they did employ, she doesn't appear with them on the 1901 census. It's just Thomas and Mary, adopted son and daughter and their own son.
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George's birth registration
DAVIES, GEORGE THOMAS JONES
GRO Reference: 1899 D Quarter in OSWESTRY Volume 06A Page 683