I've spent about a year researching my husband David's family tree and am having great difficulty with his paternal side. David's father, Terence Arthur Williams (b. 05/09/1939, d. June 2002) was fostered at about age seven. We know that Terry's mother was Edna Williams, born abt. 1915 - death date unknown. There was no father's name on his birth certificate but could possibly have been called Arthur Ryan.
David has done a DNA test with Ancestry.com, uploaded his DNA results to GEDmatch and separated his mother's line from the matches. So far nothing close has shown up, 198cM being the top match, but there are many more matches mostly from the Isle of Man which are possibly Terry's paternal side. His top 3 matches with Ancestry have not responded to messages sent and do not have family trees to search.
We only have the following spoken word knowledge about Edna Williams and some handwritten notes from Terry himself concerning Edna's whereabouts in the 1940s and 50's:
- Edna was thought to have worked and/or boarded at Westminster House in Ellesmere Park, Manchester. (approx August 1941).
- Edna spotted socialising regularly in the White Horse pub, Eccles, Manchester.
- Edna worked at Henry Lord's (Veterinary Surgeon) at 46 Gilda Brook Road, Eccles, Manchester.
- Edna lived in a flat above Barry's Barbers on Gilda Brook Road, Eccles, Manchester.
- Terry remembered his mother Edna taking him on the train from Manchester to Liverpool and visiting a sweet shop owned by members of her family possibly her parents. He ate so many sweets that he was sick on the train journey home! (1939 Reg. has Hugh Edmund Williams, sweet shop proprietor of Crosby, Liverpool and family, including an Edna Williams b1916 but this does not appear to be our Edna unfortunately).
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=831336.0- Edna worked (managed?) at the RAF Association Club branch in Eccles, Manchester.
- Edna worked at the Broadway Cinema Cafe in Eccles, Manchester, together with Mrs Edith Lowry, (deceased).
- Approx. 1951/52 Edna worked at Greengate & Irwell and/or the Dunlop Rubber Company, Manchester.
- From Terry's notes, another possible male associate of Edna's was Mr Arthur Heald Green b1913 of 13, Knowsley Ave, Eccles.
Terry was fostered age about 7, to Mrs Edith Lowry (deceased) and husband at 37 Lightoaks Road, Salford, Manchester. Edna stopped visiting him soon after this (1946 -47).
Terry was born at Crumpsall Hospital, Manchester and his birth certificate has Edna residing then at 9 Piercy Street, Failsworth, Manchester. In the 1939 Register, Hugh T and Lydia Williams are listed at this address, but not Edna even though the Register was taken only 3 weeks after Terry's birth. I have not yet been able to locate Edna in the 1939 Register nor have I been able to determine Edna's relationship to this couple.
Terry tried to track down his mother in the 1970s. He found evidence through social services in Manchester that he may have half-siblings, sharing Edna with him as their mother. He lost interest after learning that. Edna may have lived in Salvation Army hostels in Salford/Manchester.
In spite of having so many clues I have been unable to find a birth, death, census information, parents etc., I would be grateful for some help and some fresh sets of eyes to evaluate this information.
margaret
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