Catherine Halladay, died Shardlow December 1925, Is there an Obituary ?

[GuildfordViaCobham]

The story I have from a family member is that Catherine was unable to conceive, the child was actually carried by a maid at Melbourne Hall, and that Francis was the son of a posh family, and not of a builder, but hard evidence supporting, or disproving the story is what I seek.

[mckha489]

Do you have the marriage certificate for Francis and Catherine.

I see Edith was their only child, so I suppose the “carried by a maid” bit could be true.  Only DNA would tell you I think.

Not at all sure about the Melbourne Hall part.

[mckha489]

Also, have you got Francis’ birth cert
Date of birth is known, so I would have thought that would be ultimate proof about him.

[mckha489]

Marriage is on someone’s tree

Definitely says father is John Halladay, Builder.

[mckha489]

Who wasthe Halladay family of Melbourne Hall?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melbourne_Hall

The house passed into the hands of the Cowper family when Emily Lamb, sister of the childless third and last Viscount Melbourne, married the 5th Earl Cowper. (She later married another Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston.) It remained in the Cowper family until Lady Amabel Cowper married Admiral of the Fleet Lord Walter Kerr who made Melbourne the family home in 1906.

[mlrsuperstar]

The tree you mention is mine.  I started this thread  in 2015. I want to get an obituary   for Catherine. She was from Caerphilly  in South Wales.  She married  Francis Halliday who was working  in Wales. He was from Derbyshire. They are buried at Donnington. Read all
Of  the thread.......

[mckha489]

Yes, I just realised it was your tree, should have mentioned sorry, and I have read all of the thread, I was trying to address his family story and Melbourne Hall which hadn’t been mentioned and to encourage him to work at it step by step.

I had another look for the obit.... nothing showing.  Seems unlikely there wasn’t one, doesn’t it.