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Hi,
I am trying to trace a branch of my maternal family tree for the Hodges Family who lived in and around Croydon.  The family I am researching is that of James Hodges (1861) and Charlotte Roseanna Marchant his wife. 

They had 4 children Annie (1885-1917), William Charles (1887), Henry James (1890), Frederick (1894).

My direct line comes from Annie, she had 3 children all of whom were put into care at a young age.  I have care home reports on the children that state that all of the Uncles were serving in the British Army, but can find no trace whatsoever of Annie's brothers.

As Annie died very young and her children were already in care, the family was very fragmented and the children lost touch with their maternal family.

I would love to be able to find any information about what happened to Annie's brothers but have so far hit a brick wall.

I am planning a trip to Croydon Records Office next week but would like to have something to look for!

Anyone have any ideas on finding these difficult brothers please!

Many Thanks
Kate

Hi Korey,
If you are still looking at these forums, I have sent you a private message and would very much like to hear from you.
Regards
Kate

Hi everyone!

Hi Kim, Glad you found it to this site!  I'm Kate, Sues daughter.

Well I am so exited as I was also in touch with another person who remembers Olive and had an old letter from one of her friends and Olives married name was HISSA!!!

Its so unusual that I am hoping to be able to find some information about Olive.  I have found a private tree on Ancestry of a Barbara Olive Hissa and have emailed them.  I don't really believe in coincidence but the combination of names can't be one! 

Fingers crossed

Kate

Wow! Thanks for thinking of me and having a look RK, thats very helpful.

Since I last posted I have found a possible address for William Stephenson up to 2002 which is as far as our ancestry online goes. 

I also spent some time with my nans (much) younger brother Tom to look at a giant box of family photographs that came out of my nans house when she went into care.  My immediate family haven't been able to identify anyone in the pictures and hoped that Tom might remember some of the faces.

Imagine my shock when he pulled out about 8 photos and said "These are from Canada, and thats Auntie Olive!"

So I now have a face to put to her name, which is very exiting!  There are photos from a family wedding which I think is Barbara and William Stephenson in the mid to late 60's.  There are also some photos of the bride and groom with a tiny baby and on the back is written Nov 6th 1966, 2 Weeks old.  I think the baby might be Debby Stephenson which would make her younger than I had originally guestimated.  Theres another of the groom holding a toddler that says May 1967 on the back so could be the grown baby from the other picture?

The other interesting thing that Tom said was that Olive had a best friend called Ivy that went over to Canada with her on the same boat and they remained lifelong friends.  How could I identify Ivy without knowing her surname?

Is there any way I can check the BMD for Canada online or do I need a researcher in the area?

Thank You for all your help and ideas

Kate

Hi

Thanks for your replies and suggestions, they have been most helpful.  I will post on the home children message today, I have been reading it all week and there is a lot of information to look at!

My mum and I had a good look through all my nans paperwork that came out of her house when it had to be sold for her care and we actually found an old address book that looks like it may have an old address for one of Olives daughters!  We are so exited to have found it but it looks to be in a really odd form?  Not sure how postal addresses in Canada work but there does not appear to be a street name or house number like there are in the UK?

But at least it gives her daughters married name, husbands name and 2 children so its a lead!!  More than we knew a few days ago.  Her daughter was Barbara who married a William Stephenson and she had 2 children Tony and Debby.  Barbara would be my nans cousin so a similar age of about 80 I guess.  Children mid 50's like my mum?

Thanks for all your help to date though and if anyone has any further suggestions on tracing Barbara I would love to hear them!!


Kate