St. Joseph's School for Girls (orphanage)

[Mr J T Arthur]

Well done Michael!

So Anastasia married Woolwich 1935 and there was a St Joseph's Convent, Abbey Wood, Woolwich Road at the time. See link below a photo of it in 1910 with nuns and school girls in the grounds. The building later became a girls grammar school of the same name.

Might be just a coincidence but I see a lot of pointers.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/andytakersdad/1346662582/

[njlois]

To my dismay, today I had an email from the archives from which I ordered the birth certificate of my mother and her sister - they refunded the money for my aunt (her sister). Said there were no records - I responded with the info from BMDSearch.   But my Mom's is the more important, so we shall see!

I'll be looking to see what I can find about St. Joseph's.

Thanks Mr. Arthur.
Lois

[Michael Dixon]

 Good shot, Terry !.  Nuns in St Joseph's, Woolwich !

 Anastasia's mother was born in Folkestone, Kent.
 Woolwich, although absorbed into London "County" in 1889,
was traditionally within Kent, although some distance away.

 An Anastasia Fennelly was on Woolwich's electoral roll 1932.
 An Anastasia Powell was on Deptford, Lewisham's ER fron 1936
 right thru to 1959.
---------------------------

 A Joseph Fennelly from Newcastle, died in WW1. He was
in the 24th Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers ( Also known
 as the 1st Battalion of the Tyneside Irish)
------------------------------------------------------

 Terry, when I was browsing thu the St Anthony's baptisms,
I encountered a family in Walker, called Kilkenny. So can I assume
they too were from Kilkenny ?

 Michael

[Mr J T Arthur]

Oddly enough Michael, the origin of the name Kilkenny has nothing with the city and county of the same name but as it had become so widespread it is possible the Kilkennys you noted were from there but the name originated from North Connaught.

I note it is recorded Heathfield, East Sussex did not prove to be safe for the evacuees after all due to it's close proximity to the coast and as a result Heathfield Park Estate was actuality taken over by the army, so that is another angle to consider.

T.

[njlois]

I found a lot of information on Anastasia (who later became known as Ann).  I'm waiting for my Mom's birth certificate.  I wish I could fill in the "missing years" - the years when my mom and my aunt were placed in care.   It's frustrating not to be able to locate the "school."   Does anyone know if orphanages or homes where the poor were placed were called "schools"?   My only clue is that it was a Catholic school (or home).  I don't even know for sure if it was St. Joseph's.  My aunt was so young, and she was moved from her original location to that where my Mom was.
The one neat thing was I found a studio photograph of Ann!  I thought, wow, this might be my grandmother's sister!

[Michael Dixon]

njlois,

Just a wee snippet !

The Fennelly daughter ( your great aunt) who was baptised and birth-registered as Anastasia, who you say became known as Ann, was incorrectly transcribed from the 1911 census ( by UK National Archives web site and othe sites) as Martha.
---------------------------------

Was your mother married in England or USA. And if England where and when ?

Michael

[Mr J T Arthur]

I found a lot of information on Anastasia (who later became known as Ann).  I'm waiting for my Mom's birth certificate.  I wish I could fill in the "missing years" - the years when my mom and my aunt were placed in care.   It's frustrating not to be able to locate the "school."   Does anyone know if orphanages or homes where the poor were placed were called "schools"?   My only clue is that it was a Catholic school (or home).  I don't even know for sure if it was St. Joseph's.  My aunt was so young, and she was moved from her original location to that where my Mom was.
The one neat thing was I found a studio photograph of Ann!  I thought, wow, this might be my grandmother's sister!

Does the studio photo give a location?

T.

[Mr J T Arthur]

lois,

If you can access the Public member trees at ancestry, you will see Anastacia Powell nee Fennelly is on a member's family tree who is probably related to you as it includes a picture of her daughter Eileen M A Powell who was born Northumberland 1940 and died Croydon Surrey 1982. A son is also on the same picture who might be still alive who was born Woolwich 1937. You can contact the owner of the tree through ancestry once you can prove this Anastacia was your grandmother's sister making these two children your mother's first cousins.

Good luck,
T.

[njlois]

Michael, my Mom and Dad were married in New Jersey.  I recently requested a copy of their marriage certificate from New Jersey.   

(and I just removed Martha from my tree)

Mr. Arthur,

The studio photo of Ann and Ben Powell was attached to the trees of two different people.
I contacted one and she confirmed that she was in fact Anastasia!  She was her mother's brother's wife - they key word being "was".

The other person said she had never heard of Anastasia Fennelly.

I will look for the photo of Eileen and her brother.
Thanks - have a good day!