RootsChat.Com

Hi

Thank you to you all for the info, particularly Alli. I have not been on line for some time due to unavoidable circumstances so I apologise for the late acknowledgement.

Cheers
Wendy

Hi

I don't know if this is completly appropriate, but it is interesting and does offer a possible explanation of why your grandmother didn't see her baby.

My grandfather was an ambulanceman during the 1940's in the North of England and he told me that it was known, though not often spoken of, that if a baby was born with an obvious abnormality some doctors would 'make sure' the baby didn't survive. It seems they did this with the best of  intentions, either knowing the child wouldn't survive or believing its life would be too difficult. They would tell the mother the child had been born dead and it would be quickly whisked away without the mother seeing it and of course fathers were not in the delivery room back then.

He actually had a story of a woman he had taken to the hospital to deliver her eigth child. When he saw her later she said she had been told that the child was stillborn, but that she was sure she had heard it crying. My grandad went and asked the attending sister who told him the child had been born with a terrible deformity and the doctor had 'taken care of it'.

If you think of it in the 1800's and early 1900's deceased family members were layed out in the front room of the house for everyone to pay their respects, this included children and babies who died at home, so why would they avoid a mother seeing a stillborn child.

I just thought that if this was the case with your grandmothers child it might have meant that she was better not seeing it? Though who knows? The psychology of grieving for a  dead baby or a disabled child, no matter what the circumstances, must be very complicated.

regards
wendy

Hi
I thought I would just let you know all know that i did find out about eliza

Another Rootschatter was also researching her(we're distantly related) and it seems that the Elizabeth simmons on the 1841 census is my Eliza. On her marriage cert. her father was listed as William Simons and mother Elizabeth Williams, either she was illigitamate or he'd died. So now I am on the track to find more relatives! Thanks for all your help previously.

Cheers
wendy

Hi Judy

How great to hear from you! My great grandmother was Susannah Gardner, Esther's younger sister. Esther married Giles Westhead, didn't she? Do you live in Lancashire?

Sorry if i sound excited but you are the first person from the Gardner side I have had any contact with. I have a few pictures of your great grandmother. My grandma Esther gave them to me, she was Susannah's only child. I also have photos of our gg grandparents Richard and Susan Gardner. You wouldn't happen to know Eliza's maiden name would you?

I would love to talk to you more, I have been researching the Gardners and I have quite a bit of info. which I can pass on to you.

Cheers
Wendy

Hi

I don't know if you are still looking for people in Worthen but in some of the earlier census it is listed in montgomeryshire, Wales. Thats where i found some of my ancestors. Also in later census they listed their birth places as worthen but they were actually born in smaller villages such as meadowtown and Brockton and they were residents there in earlier census.

Cheers
Wendy