what a brick wall

[JaneyCanuck]

Won't you give us some paragraphs/white space? (It really is so much easier to read. Just hit Enter Enter at the end of a sentence.)

William Thomas Hilliam was a builder in his young adulthood, so I doubt he became a barrister! But when one makes things up, one may as well shoot for the moon. But -- it is always possible that while she invented the name, taking Hilliam's given names, and her own surname, it was the occupation of her real father, either as she knew to be true or as she had been told it was.

You have Edwina's age/dob 1934 from her marriage certificate, or her death? (After 2005? as it isn't in the deaths index, but I'm assuming she is deceased, since we are talking about her!)

Have you tried to find and contact other descendants of Minnie Conington and William Hilliam? They might be aware of an Aunt Ethel/Dorothea in their family. I think Minnie's children were fairly prolific and there should be living grandchildren, i.e. nieces/nephews of Ethel. It's interesting to note that Minnie had a younger daughter Dorothy (born 1923, died 1996, not married).

There are two trees at Ancestry/Mundia with Minnie in them - one thing I hadn't noticed is that Minnie had a younger sister Ethel born 1888 and died 1892, so that would be who daughter Ethel was named for. One of the trees may be your friend's family? as it shows only Minnie's marriage and shows only daughter Ethel for Minnie; the other shows nothing for Minnie but herself.

Ethel was living in Hackney in the early 1930s but Dorothea married in Bedfordshire in 1936 and had her children there. It really is impossible to believe that she is not part of the Hilliam-Conington family, having followed the same trajectory of Stamford to Ampthill. But Hackney, hm. A move to London as a young woman, where she had a baby, and then she went back home with her daughter Edwina when the Depression deepened? But to be with her family, and yet marry as Clarke ... Perhaps she told them she had married in London and she had to keep up the pretence, and said her husband had died.

The only possible Edward A Clarke death 1930-1953 was one born 1906 who died in 1930 in Orsett. Possibly interesting, if Edwina was really a good bit older. He was born 1905 and married 1927 as Clark in Orsett, so he looks rather unlikely.

[marinelife]

Hi

Will  try  and make it easier for you to read.  Just spoke to my friend to let him know where I
am up to.  The only thing he can remember about the London connection was the family
story about Dorothea being a in service at one point and then living with 2 old ladies called
Aunt Crit and Aunt Etty. Goodness know who they are, he doesn't seem to think they were actual
aunties.

Hope this camed through better
Take care

Sue

[JaneyCanuck]

Groan! At least I know what my mum's Auntie Dud's real name was! 
(even if we don't know which Mr X -- her middle name and, we are told, the surname of the household where her mother was in service -- was her father)

Do have a look at that Colinson birth ... probably pure coincidence, but maybe worth considering.

[marinelife]

Hi

I have contact Oxford Uni to enquire what "The Conington Prize" was. They have sent me
a wealth of info. It was set up by a John Conington 1825 - 1869 who attended Oxford and read
Law. He was from Lincolnshire and was the son of Rev Richard Conington. John's brother Henry James was an solicitors articled clerk and his second brother Francis Thirkhill Conington also attended Oxford. Again coincidences begin to appear. Coningtons from Lincolnshire, attended
Oxford and had the Law connection (as said in my first post Dorothea was supposed to have been
one of the 1st ladies to ever attend Oxford.  Am I grasping at straws and looking for connections
where there are none?

[dawnsh]

You seem to be echoing my sentiments of reply #8

Oh dear 

[JaneyCanuck]

From the online family trees (you can check them too! -- free at mundia.com)


Minnie's father was George Conington 1856, a butcher
George's father was Edward Conington 1818, a butcher
Edward's father was Edward Conington 1766
Edward's father was Thomas Conington 1721

Only one brother is shown for Edward 1766: Francis 1760
Edward 1818 had brothers Thomas, William and Daniel


John Connington 1825 established the Conington Prize
John's father was Richard Connington 1796
Richard's father was James 1755
James's father was Jacob 1722

Only one brother is shown for James 1755: Jacob
(Jane, widow of James 1755, was still living in 1841 it seems, independent means;
Richard 1796 was a clerk, i.e. clergy, in 1841)


FS shows the parents of Jacob Conington 1722 as Jacob and Anne:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JM8S-P6N
They also had childen Henry 1721 and An 1726.
FS doesn't show parents for Thomas Conington 1721 but it's always possible he was a brother or first cousin of Jacob Conington 1722.


So, assuming those are accurate, any connection there might be with Rev Richard Conington's family would be pretty remote (although they were undoubtedly related somehow).

If Thomas 1721 and Jacob 1822 were first cousins, Ethel/Dorothea? Conington and John Conington 1825 who established the prize would have been third cousins twice removed: grx4 grandchild and grx2 grandchild of the parents of Thomas and Jacob.

Just as my dad would have been the third cousin twice removed of the children of my second cousin four times removed, Viscount Sankey, if he'd had any children. My dad had never heard of Viscount Sankey, and his children would never have heard of us -- but you never know, since in your case they were all named Conington and living in Lincolnshire, they may well have been well acquainted.


Since Dorothea was apparently in service and having a child before marriage at the age of around 28 ... well, she could have gone to uni first, but hmm, eh?

[Lucy Foster]

Hi all,

I've just come across your thread of messages regarding Minnie Conington and Dorothea Ethel.  I am a Hilliam descendant and I am in touch with my cousin, the grand daughter of Minnie and William Hilliam.  I am sure she'd be very happy to shed some light.  She has good knowledge of the family.

Lucy

[dawnsh]

Hi Lucy

A Belated welcome to Rootschat 

Just doing some housekeeping and noticed you posted on an old topic from 2013 and marinelife didn't reply.

Maybe their email address changed and they didn't get a notification?

If you can come back and reply on this topic, you will then have access to the personal message system and maybe try sending them a message directly.

https://www.rootschat.com/help/pms.php

Dawn

[Annette7]

Just for some clarification, Dorothea's birthdate given as 29/12/1905 in 1939.

Since original poster seems to have the birth certificate of the Ethel Conington birth registered Mar.qtr.1906 does this date tie in?

Annette

Added: just found Ethel Conington's baptism on 9/2/1906 Stamford, mother Minnie BUT her birthdate is given too and confirms she was indeed born 29/12/1905!

So, Dorothea Ethel and Ethel Conington are indeed the same person.