I have hit a brick wall with my gt.grandmothers family. Her name was Mary Jane McGrath her mother was Welsh, maiden name Llewellyn who was a free lance cook and her father a soldier who came from Waterford in Ireland. He deserted from the army and cut his face out of all the family photos and took his family from London to Birmingham changing their names to Smith. Mary Jane should have been born around 1870 but I have been unable to find her birth cert, she told my mother she was born at Queen Charlottes hospital, which was then at Lisson Green, Marylebone, London. She gave her age as 22 in 1893 at the time of her marriage to Walter Samuel Bishop age 23, but we believe she may have been older than that as when they went to view their new home she was mistaken for Walters mother! She had a sister called Daisy who was a bit crazy (saying she had seen Christ on the cross), a brother called Fred who is supposed to have drowned (falling overboard ship) another sister who married a Mr Green and they lived in Erdington. If anyone has ever heard any family mention similar stories or can suggest anything at all, I would be grateful. Also does anyone know if there is a list of deserters I could look up? Thanks
