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Messages - stevehyland

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1
The Common Room / Re: Who knows this young girl
« on: Saturday 11 August 18 12:13 BST (UK)  »
Heywood, your inference is correct - my grandmother was Marie Stuart. 

I don't know when the photo was taken - but it was taken in the UK.  I'm assuming it was either the 1920s before my grandmother left the country, or was mailed to her as a reminder of home in her first few years in Australia.

Regards

Steve

2
The Common Room / Re: Who knows this young girl
« on: Saturday 11 August 18 11:54 BST (UK)  »
River Tyne Lass, you're absolutely right; I should have offered more information. 

The photo was in my grandmother's collection.  She died in 1955, so I wasn't able to ask her for any details.  What I do know is that she was born Marie Stuart in Derbyshire UK, and moved to Australia in 1923.  Her mother married a Hiram Heaps (after her birth) so it could have been one of her step uncles perhaps.

In any event, the photo was from England, and so it was probably from Derbyshire or the surrounding counties. 

Regards

Steve H

3
The Common Room / Who knows this young girl
« on: Thursday 09 August 18 08:06 BST (UK)  »
This photo of a young girl was taken in about the 1920s.  She's probably deceased now, but she may have children or grandchildren who are still alive.  Does anyone recognise her?

4
Irish Language / Re: TRANSLATING A REFERENCE TO SEAMUS O CATHASAIGH
« on: Wednesday 26 April 17 11:02 BST (UK)  »
Mary,

My apologies for not thanking you for all the work.  I haven't been on Roots for some time and hadn't seen your posts until tonight.  They are very valuable.

Thanks so much,

Steve

5
Derbyshire / Re: FATHERS OF "ILLEGITIMATE" CHILDREN 1908
« on: Thursday 16 January 14 12:27 GMT (UK)  »
No need to apologise.  I read your message as a helpful contribution to an exploration of possibilities - and I apologise if my response seemed a bit "direct" (blunt?).  It wasn't meant to be anything other than my own mulling over the pros and cons of your ideas.

Take it as read: I very much appreciate all the feedback I've had on this issue. It may not have given me a definitive answer, but it ensures that no rock has been left unturned.

Steve

6
Derbyshire / Re: FATHERS OF "ILLEGITIMATE" CHILDREN 1908
« on: Thursday 16 January 14 06:34 GMT (UK)  »
Perhaps you're right about her seeking to mislead, but I don't think so. 

I keep in mind that this was the 1920s, and illegitimacy was considered very differently to what it is today.  Creating a fictitious father's name avoided all sorts of questions and potential social stigma....and who was to know?  There was no ability to check in those days.

I might add that she also added three years to her age (probably to bring her a little closer to my grandfather's age).  In for a penny; in for a pound.....and again, there was no ability to check.

I have a photocopy of the original ship's manifest.  It lists her as a single woman, travelling to Adelaide  with a number of other young people (in their 20s) from the UK.  I can find no names or addresses that might indicate any sort of relationship - even friendship because they come from different cities in the UK.

7
Derbyshire / Re: FATHERS OF "ILLEGITIMATE" CHILDREN 1908
« on: Thursday 16 January 14 05:41 GMT (UK)  »
On her marriage certificate, she used a misspelling of her stepfather's first name and her own surname (ie, not her stepfather's).

I have her immigration record.  She came alone - remarkable for a 17 year old!  (Her half-sister (by her mother and stepfather) followed two years later.)  Her intended work listed in the immigration document was "domestic", but I'm not sure she had work planned or whether she was enticed by Australian advertising for workers in the UK.


8
Derbyshire / Re: FATHERS OF "ILLEGITIMATE" CHILDREN 1908
« on: Thursday 16 January 14 00:17 GMT (UK)  »
Thanks to all for taking the time to respond to my question. 

I'm reluctant to go down the DNA path, because it's (in my view at least, and for various reasons) unlikely that her "stepfather" was her biological father.  Thus I'd be paying a fair bit of money to probably prove the negative, even if I could identify his relatives and convince them to collaborate with me from 13 000 miles away.

In relation to my grandmother's marriage certificate, that's an interesting issue.  She travelled to Australia by ship alone aged 16-17.  She married my grandfather who was about 13 years older about 5 years later.  In the circumstances, it was unsurprising that she had a false name for her father and a false (older) age on her marriage certificate.  That made even tracking her down difficult.

Again, many thanks to you all. 

9
Derbyshire / Re: FATHERS OF "ILLEGITIMATE" CHILDREN 1908
« on: Wednesday 15 January 14 05:33 GMT (UK)  »
Thanks for that...I'll give it some thought.

Steve

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