NEWMAN, Ickworth House, Suffolk - Adoption

[Sophie1980]

Hi all. I'm researching my mum's side of the family and am specficially looking/getting stuck on her granddad's family. Her granddad was born Percy Newman in 1893, in New Cross, Essex (according to the 1901 cencus but I'm assuming London). He was adopted by George and Bessie Newman (birth name Rebecca Battrum). George was bllacksmith in Horringer, Suffolk.

According to my mum's stories, Percy's mother was a servant in Ickworth House, Suffolk (near Bury St Edmunds) and his father a man from Ickworth house (living there or visiting, I'm not sure). Thus being adopted by the local blacksmiths!

I've looked at the Ickworth House cencus for 1891 (as close as I can get to Percy's birth date) and had a look on ancestry.co.uk for all of the female servants working at that time. One woman, Alice Sparrow (wrongly listed as Spparon), was working at that time. She was born in London. Interestingly, Bessie Newman, Percy's adopted mother, was born Rebecca Battrum in Stratford, Essex (now London) and her grandfather was Edmund Sparrow (and her mother nee Josephine Sparrow).

Perhaps a tenuous connection but I'm thinking that there could be a family link. Any suggestions or thoughts on how to proceed would be much appreciated. I've had a look for Alice Sparrows born 1860 in London, but not had too much luck.

Thanks,

Sophie

[Milliepede]

Hi just to clarify - he was born as Percy Newman ie that is the name on his birth certificate or he is  named Percy Newman in 1901 after the family who adopted him?

There are two Percy John Sparrow - if that could be his birth name - births in 1893 - one in Wandsworth district one in Stroud.

[Milliepede]

There's an Alice Sparrow single born 1859 hackney London who is a school mistress.  Living with widowed mother and spinster sisters in 1901.

[Sophie1980]

Ahh, good question! I'm not sure as I don't have a copy of his birth certificate. I would imagine he was named that after they adopted him (he also has an adopted sister called Nellie Newman who was born the same year in Norfolk) but he could potentially have been given the name Percy by his birth mum (and this kept by the Newmans).

Given his birth parentage, it's not strange that he was born in New Cross if his birth mum and and adoptive parents lived in Suffolk, but I do think that there must be a family connection to London (hence the Sparrow connection).

So far I've looked for males born with the surname Newman and Sparrow in London/Essex. Thanks for the Percy Sparrow search, I'll have a look!

[Sophie1980]

Thank you! I had a look at her but she seems to have stayed in Hackney for most of her (researchable) life. There's also an Alice Sparrow born in Bardfield, Essex in 1859, but the Ickworth census says she was born in London...