Orphanages

[dptb]

Thanks for your input it was very interesting and helpful.  Henry Leonard Graham was born on 8 June 1860 and on the birth cert it says under name and surname of father 'unknown Graham', and under maiden name of mother  ' Amelia Graham formerly unknown' and the informant was W Flint, occupier 32 West Hill St, Brighton and the birth was registered '20 July 1860.  I have checked the census' and William Flint did live at this address with his family. There is no sign of Amelia.  I checked all census' from 1861 and the Flints remained at this address for many years.  Mr Flint was a Fly Propriator, so Amelia could have been a domestic servant in his house.  Is it likely that the Baptism nine years later is the same Henry ?

Any thoughts.....

Diane

[Roy G]

Lots of interesting questions with perhaps too many remarkable coincidences.
There must have been quite a number of Henry Grahams born c1860, but between 1850 to 1880 only one was born in Sussex.  Furthermore, he was a Henry Leonard Graham (quite unique) who had a mother called Amelia, which dovetails with your research and the Lewes baptism of 1869.

Looking at the broader picture, in 1860, West Hill Street was a reasonably new development on the land around Hodson's mill, so hardly a local back street where you went for a quiet illegitimate birth.  I don't think a fly proprietor (cabbie) would employ servants either, Amelia must have just lodged with him and his wife temporarily.  As the cabbie informant had no knowledge of her former maiden name he was clearly not related, and the wording on the certificate you have suggests Amelia may indeed have been married to someone called Graham who was lodging elsewhere.  At that time, Brighton was also a Garrison town with regiments of foot in the Church Street Barracks and Cavalry in Preston village.  Neither offered much in the way of accommodation for the wives of soldiers or married officers.  (note 'Esquire' on the Lewes baptism)

I would therefore consider that the baptism of a Henry Leonard Graham (albeit 9 years later) to a Frederic and Amelia Graham (Esquire) of Lewes as a strong possibility, and suggest the reason you cannot find a marriage to go with the birth is that it took place during a posting abroad. (Ireland, India or the Crimea) 

OK, it may turn out to be a bum steer, but I think an investigation to verify or refute that line of thinking would be worth undertaking.

Roy G

[dptb]

Thank you Roy that gives me a lot of new information and plenty to work on.  I will persue the leads you have given to me.

Many Thanks

Diane