Weeley electoral register 1940s/50s

[ValJJJ]

Sorry Carol for being cryptic.  I was looking for a 'cousin May' referred to by various relatives, but no-one seemed to know whose cousin she was!  When I saw Mary A S Webb written as May Webb in the 1911 census, I thought the early name of Mary was in error, and that May A S Webb was the mystery cousin May.  Anyway, wishful thinking. 

This person may have nothing to do with my family at all, but have earned the prefix 'cousin' from some other person whose cousin she was, and then the name just stuck.  May was quite a common name around the 1900s for girls, so perhaps it was to distinguish her from another May.  All lost in the mists of time, probably. 

[lizdb]

Do you know approx. when "cousin May" was born?   
Who are the people who called her "cousin" - can you trace their cousins and see if there is a May amongst them?

Why did you latch on to May S Webb- is Webb a family name?
What is the Weeley connection?

[ValJJJ]

I know very little about this person.  My elderly relatives recall visiting her in the 50s (she was infamous for her lethal homemade wine!) and less elderly relatives remember their parents visiting her, but that's about it.  Those who would have known have died.  You never ask these questions at the time do you?

Webb is a name by marriage so not particularly useful or relevant.  I am now working my way through marriages/offspring in the family who would qualify as producing a cousin to the relatives who would have visited her.

A total wild goose chase now - shame Mary wasn't May!

Val

[lizdb]

Hopefully if you draw up a comprehensive family tree eventually a "May" will turn up on one of the lines!

In the meantime, if you really have no surname, no age, and no other info, it is a non starter.  But one would hope the various relations could add some more info, like where did they visit, how old was she then, did she have a husband or children when they visited, or parents if she was a child, what side of the family did she have links with, etc, to give you a start.

[CaroleW]

I have her as a bridesmaid at a wedding in Jan 1920 so still single then, with her full name given in the marriage register as a witness, but haven't see this full name listed anywhere else. 

So presumably the bridesmaid was the person whose birth/marriage and death I found rather than "May"??

[ValJJJ]

Yes, that's right.  It did look like Mary on the register, but then someone else writes these down don't they, so I was hoping it was an error and it was the mystery May.

I'm going to phone up some relatives now to see if I can nail any details.

[lizdb]

I am confused as to how you knew May, be it the right person or just a random person called May, was a bridesmaid at a wedding - unless it was a family wedding with photos that had been labelled! Or there was a newspaper report which listed the bridesmaids.  But doesn't matter, I guess, if all that info relates to a Mary Webb who is the wrong girl.  I am also wondering how you latched on to the May/Mary Webb, when you have no details about your May - there must be hundreds, probably thousands of Mays and, with no details about your May, they must all be equally possible!

But not to worry. I am just glad no one spent hours going boggled eyed looking through Weeley Electoral Rolls ....

[ValJJJ]

Hi lizdb

There is some logic (honest!) but far to lengthy to explain here, and I was barking up the wrong family tree.  Yes I did know names on the wedding photo via relatives memories plus a newspaper write up.

Anyway, as you say, at least no-one has become boggle-eyed trawling electoral rolls!

Thanks all for your suggestions.  I'm going to close this one now as before I thought I had a lead, but now can see it really is a dead end.

Val

[dawnsh]

Hi Val

Don't give up without explaining the association with Weeley.

I know it might be a needle in a haystock but if I have a slow day at the British Library, I could order up the electoral registers and have a look.

Dawn