Author Topic: Elizabeth Eleanor Beesley nee Hood  (Read 7782 times)

Offline Valsgirl

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Elizabeth Eleanor Beesley nee Hood
« on: Thursday 30 October 14 20:44 GMT (UK) »
Elizabeth Eleanor Hood b 1891, Mundulla, SA. Parents Rice Hood & Elizabeth, nee Jones. Married John Frank Beesley 1935 in Port Adelaide. Info. sourced fron SA records, online.

In 1921 a daughter, now deceased, was born to an Elizabeth Eleanor Hood in SA, "fostered out" as a very young baby, then in 1937 was formally adopted by the same foster parents. This info is from NSW adoption papers. No father's name recorded so I'm thinking mother Elizabeth is unmarried.

I can't find another Elizabeth Eleanor Hood in South Australian records. Can anyone help confirm that I am on the right track? Why was the child not adopted (in NSW) until she was 16 yr old? Is this fairly common? I cannot find a family connection between the Hood family & the child's adopted parents, to suggest a family member might have taken the baby in, then later adopted her.
With thanks,
Valsgirl
 

Offline majm

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Re: Elizabeth Eleanor Beesley nee Hood
« Reply #1 on: Thursday 30 October 14 21:35 GMT (UK) »
Hi there,

Formal adoptions do not commence in NSW until 1923, so all the 'adoptions' before then are basically children being 'fostered out'.  Although even back in the 1870s and 80s, the families would use the word 'adopted' .

The 1937 formal adoption when the lass was 16 may have been prompted by signatures required on indentures/apprenticeship papers or similar.  At least one of my older NSW cousins happily confirms he was born just after WWI, and his formal adoption is 1936, and was proudly undertaken by his parents as it was requested for his Master/Servant Indenture papers. 

I think you are on the right track, afterall, in NSW at that time (1921) the process of registering a birth meant basically that  if the person registering the birth was not able to confirm that the child's mum was a married woman, then that section for the child's father was not completed.   

Cheers,  JM
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Offline Valsgirl

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Re: Elizabeth Eleanor Beesley nee Hood
« Reply #2 on: Thursday 30 October 14 22:12 GMT (UK) »
Thank you for taking an interest in my query and for the adoption information, JM. Your idea about a 16 yr old needing parents' signatures for employment, is highly likely.
Cheers,
Valsgirl

Offline cando

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Re: Elizabeth Eleanor Beesley nee Hood
« Reply #3 on: Friday 31 October 14 04:08 GMT (UK) »
Elizabeth's father died in 1902
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01e3j/
HOOD.—On the 1st November, at his residence, Mundalla, of heart disease and dropsy, Rice Hood, in his 59th year, leaving a wife, five sons, and five daughters to mourn their loss.

From my resource
Birth
HOOD Norma Masie
4 Nov 1921
Father Unrecorded  Mother Elizabeth Eleanor HOOD
At Adelaide   Ade 84A/581

Marriage
BEESLEY John Frank 49 years  Status Single  Father John Frank BEESLEY
HOOD Elizabeth Eleanor 44 years  Father Rice HOOD
18 Dec 1935
At the Residence of Clem Tremain, Enfield.   PtA 362/4499

Elizabeth's husband appointed a JP in 1936
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01e3i/

Elizabeth died in 1974 and she and her husband are buried at North Road Cemetery, Nailsworth.  Photo of headstone available on this website.
http://headstones2.weebly.com/north-road-a-g.html

Cando


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Offline Valsgirl

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Re: Elizabeth Eleanor Beesley nee Hood
« Reply #4 on: Friday 31 October 14 06:16 GMT (UK) »
Many thanks, Cando. Norma Masie (name changed after she was "adopted") is the correct girl. She was legally adopted, in 1937, two years after her birth Mother's marriage. She never knew her birth Mother's name, only that she'd been "adopted" shortly after her birth.

I'm hoping someone will have Hood family infomation, or could suggest a reason why 30 yr old Elizabeth, might have given up her baby.
I'm studying Trove articles to try & learn if the family was very poor & couldn't help Elizabeth raise this child, or maybe they were very well known & a child born out of wedlock was an embarrassment? Did Elizabeth have a mental, or physical impairment?

So many questions, that probably only people with family knowledge could help me answer.
"Norma Masie (Maisie?)" died many years ago, and I'm doing this research for her only child.
I appreciate you taking time to read my query & to pass on that valuable information.
Cheers, Valsgirl

Offline thetowers

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Re: Elizabeth Eleanor Beesley nee Hood
« Reply #5 on: Friday 31 October 14 07:46 GMT (UK) »
The thing that stands out to me here,  is that matters concerned with adoption are a state bureaucracy matter,  and it seems odd that a south australian child was given to a family from NSW.   

Or, that's what it looks like.   

Or maybe these fostering/adopting parents were originally in south australia,  and moved later.  If you know who these people were,  it may be worth while seeing if they were in south australia earlier.

Offline jorose

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Re: Elizabeth Eleanor Beesley nee Hood
« Reply #6 on: Friday 31 October 14 12:39 GMT (UK) »
There wasn't necessarily any state involvement originally - a lot of these cases would have still been informal arrangements, through family or friends, or even advertisements like these:
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/124818694?searchTerm=adopt baby (SA example)
trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/155658131?searchTerm=adopt baby (NSW example)
As to why -  perhaps Elizabeth Eleanor simply felt giving her baby up would give her a better chance in life (considering the financial issues, the stigma of illegitimacy at the time, etc).

Death of mother Elizabeth mentions a daughter, Mrs A. Schultz, in NSW (Wagga Wagga), the rest seem to be SA based.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/92482785?searchTerm=%22Elizabeth%20Hood%22

Must be Annie Sophie Hood, who married William Adolf Schultz in 1906:
trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/5121045?searchTerm="Rice Hood"

This has some neat information about this family:
http://www.collectionsaustralia.net/nqr/result.php?ID=82&restype=t
By 1911 they were apparently in Albury, but also with connections to Wagga Wagga, by 1930 in Wagga Wagga permanently.  Were the foster parents in the same part of NSW or had connections there?   Perhaps Annie located a 'good family' on her sister's behalf.
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Offline thetowers

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Re: Elizabeth Eleanor Beesley nee Hood
« Reply #7 on: Friday 31 October 14 12:58 GMT (UK) »
A. Schulz from Wagga,  why does that sound so familiar ?

Offline thetowers

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Re: Elizabeth Eleanor Beesley nee Hood
« Reply #8 on: Friday 31 October 14 13:04 GMT (UK) »
So,  they moved from South Australia to southern NSW before 1911,    and then she went back to South Australia where she had the baby in 1921 ?

Perhaps this was one of those cases where she was sent away while pregnant to "conceal the shame" ?    Although if she was 30,  I don't know why you would bother.