Grandmother stolen at 2 years of age (1897). Help?

[CarolRR]

First post ...  Hello to all.
My maternal grandmother, at the approximate age of 2 years (in 1897) was stolen by a professional beggar/tramp who used her for begging purposes.  He was known to authorities, his 'territory' being Derby to Northampton.  Six months after taking her, authorities caught up with him in Loughborough, where he was charged (Loughboro Petty Sessions) and convicted.  My grandmother, unable to identify herself, was made a ward of the state and entered NSPCC.  Not long afterwards, she was placed into Barnardo's, Stepney Causeway.  She was later placed in a foster home in Kent for a few years and then at age 9, with the foster mother too ill to care for her, she was shipped to Canada under the government's "Home Child" program.  She never knew her true identity, and I made a vow to my Mum that I would do everything possible to try and find her missing family, and hopefully, discover her true identity. 
I recently had DNA testing in an attempt to find family but so far, I'm not getting anywhere.  I have been conducting research for the last 10 years and am very eager to uncover something about her.
Any ideas of where I can turn would be greatly appreciated.  Some popular names surfacing as DNA matches with me are:  Owens, Potter, Lewis, Weeks, Chase, etc.  It appears she may have been of Austrian/German/Dutch ancestry as I have discovered ancestors in Romania, Poland, France, Netherlands, Georgia, Ukraine, Russia, Lithuania, Estonia, etc.  Also, an Amish/Mennonite ancestor has surfaced and I cannot explain any of these matches.
I realize that her story may not have survived - existing family may not even know that she existed, or may have been told that she died as a young child, which is heartbreaking to think about.  I can't begin to image what something like this does to a family. 
If anyone can help to find my missing family, I would be more than grateful.
Thank you in advance.
Carol

[giblet]

How sad 

Have you tried newspapers as when the child went missing there might be a article about it.
Also a article on the person who took her, might give something up maybe. Do you have a name for him?

I have been checking some newspapers but without a name its making it hard but i will keep looking, you just never know.

[Erato]

"Six months after taking her, authorities caught up with him in Loughborough"

How do you know that six months had passed?  That implies that there was a police investigation of some kind.  Have you found any police records or any public notices seeking to identify her and return her to her family?

[giblet]

Have you obtained your grandmother's NSPCC and Barnardo records?

[sami]

I have been checking some newspapers but without a name its making it hard but i will keep looking, you just never know.

Hi Carol:
I've been thinking along the same lines as giblet and have been searching old newspapers. If you could provide us with any additional details you have it would help.
sami

[Finley 1]

Hello CarolRR
and welcome,

what a tale that one is ... sad and very interesting.  It is one for the long haul I should imagine.

You can be re-assured that you will get help on this site, there are 'magic' researchers on here.

But before they start they will need to know as much information as possible.

For instance where did you get the information you already have?
Is it a reliable source or word of mouth?
Have you any documentation whatsoever regarding your search?

It seems as though you do have some detailed information as you say the authorities knew of the tramp.  etc .. and you talk of a court case.. so that should all reap rewards in the way of records.

The child home programme is surely somewhere you can find details.


so this basically is for me to assess what you have and where to start ...

Wish you all the best with this one.

xin

[CarolRR]

Thank you giblet and Erato for your responses. 
I wrote to NSPCC and was told that records no longer existed.  I also wrote to Loughborough Petty Sessions and was told the same thing - records are no longer available. 
I received the Barnardo file almost 10 years ago, which is where I got the information that I have. In that file, Barnardo's state that custody of my grandmother was given to NSPCC because no family was known.  If only he had said where he had taken her from ...  she was only 2 years old so would not be able to express herself to authorities. The beggar/tramp was a Mr. James Hall and as much as I have tried, without knowing her name or the location where he had picked her up, it's impossible to trace. 
James Hall used to frequent "a long house" (?) in Loughborough which is where they apprehended him, with my grandmother.  Some kind soul reported him to authorities as they happened to witness him physically abusing this child.
Barnardo's entrance report states that my grandmother was approximately 2 years of age and a rather small child, with 2 vaccination marks on her left arm.  That is all the personal information that I have been provided with.  I do have a photo of her, taken in her early 20's.
Barnardo's named her "Mary Ann Williams" (a name that she never liked) and assigned a birthdate to her.  It is a heartbreaking story ... I would love for her family to know that she survived ...  and I would love to go to the cemetery and update her personal information to include her proper full name and her actual date of birth.  Hopefully someday I will be able to do that. 
Thank you once again for your replies.

[CarolRR]

Hello xin,
Thank you for your reply - I believe it got crossed with my previous reply, which I think answers the questions you were asking.
I remain hopeful that I'll get to the bottom of this, hopefully within the next 10 years! 
Thanks to all, you are most kind.

[giblet]

Hi Carol,

The file definitely says your grandmother had been stolen/kidnapped?

Sorry for all the questions just trying to dot all I's and cross all T's.