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Hi,

  It's been ages since I was last on Rootschat so I've rather lost touch and uncertain to whom I've replied and not. If you fall into the latter then please accept my humble apologies.

  Ok. I have a mystery which is plaguing the life out of me. It concerns the very sad case of my Gt Gt Aunt, Ella Parker.  She was born in Deal, 1859 to George and Susannah Parker (nee Wellard).

  In 1880, Ella was picked up in Spitalfields for prostitution and taken to Whitechapel Infirmary, moved to Banstead Lunatic Asylum before being admitted to Kent County Lunatic Asylum on Chartham Downs. I have obtained her admission and medical records from KCLA which make most distressing reading. She was malnourished, very underweight, dirty and suffering from 2nd degree syphilis and her mental state was very poor. I could go on but I think you can get the picture.  She was discharged on 17th Nov 1892 as "recovered" following a four week trial release period with favourable reports. Judging from the medical records covering her time as a patient it seems she had improved but in my opinion far from recovered.

  Now it gets confusing. I cannot find her on any subsequent census, GRO death index, burial records at least as far I can see and whilst I find it unlikely anyway, no marriage entry. Interestingly, her brother, Harry and his wife had a child, also named Ella born in deal on the 5th Sep 1892, ten weeks before Ella's discharge. I applied for the birth certificate and it states Harry and his wife were the parents but it still seems rather coincidental to me. Saying that, the birth does fall into natural sequence with Harry's other childeren. Could she in fact have been Ella's illigitimate child, the asylum no longer wanted her or the child so discharged her? Harry then taking the baby as his own and registering her as his own?  There is no mention however, of a pregnancy in the medical records but I think would probably be omitted if it was the case. Young Ella died a spinster in Deal, 1982.  I have tried tracing living relations with limited success.

  Can anybody help with ideas/suggestions for possible leads into finding out what became of Ella. I keep coming back to it with a fresh mind but still go round in circles. It's such a sad case when you read the whole story but what, I wonder, is the whole story?

  Many thanks

  Nimrod

Hi there,

  Does anbody know where to look for records of a child being made a Ward of Chancery?  Assuming there is some kind of index somewhere I doubt if much info can be gleaned from it anyway but it would be interesting to check.

  Many thanks

  Nimrod

Hi,

  I am considering having a DNA test to determine origin etc.  I have heard that these are open to the general public.  However, I have no idea where to go, what is entailed or how much it costs so I m wondering if any other members have done this and can offer any any advice???

  Regards

  Nimrod

Hi,

   Please does anybody know where the Roman Catholic Registers can be found for "Mary Immaculate and Gregory the Great", Barnet??

   Regards

   Nimrod