Help tracing my grandfather please

[Thornbird4]

Hi all.  Advice needed. 

My Mum was born 14 September 1925 illegitimately to Annie Vickers (nee Shaw) in the workhouse maternity wing - she was never in the workhouse as such but as my mum was very overdue that is where she was sent.   (123 Crescent Road, Crumpsall).  All I know of my grandfather is that his name was possibly William Woolfenden.  I can find nothing about this relationship anywhere even though she had three illegitimate daughters by this man.   I think he may have been married but I'm not sure.  I also think he may have been Jewish but my grandmother came from a devout Roman Catholic family. 

My question is, how can I find the workhouse records to see if a fathers name was given so I could  clarify I have the right name and if it gives any further information?    Also, is there anywhere else I could look to find some information? 

Any help would be very much appreciated. 

Thornbird

[keyboard86]

Hi just when did Ann Shaw marry Mr Vickers, were the other Shaw children born pre or post your mother?
Keyboard86

[heywood]

There is a marriage in 1914 -  Shaw and Vickers with 4 children born 1914 - 1922.

I couldn’t see a 1925 birth on Free BMD but can see one on another site.

[Thornbird4]

Hi.  Thanks for your replies.

My grandmother married Charles Vickers in 1914 and had two sons with him.  Charles died in 1918 and then my grandmother had three daughters with "William Woolfenden" out of wedlock. (1920, 1922 and 1925). She never revealed this fact to my mother or aunts who all believed that Charles Vickers had been their father and her story was that Charles had died in 1925 shortly before my mums birth. She did  eventually tell the oldest daughter shortly before her death.   It only came out to the rest of the family when I started tracing my family tree over 20 years ago and I asked this aunt where my grandfather was buried.   

I have my mother's birth certificate but the father is left blank as is her baptism certificate. All I know is a potential name.  One of my aunts is still alive and I would love to be able to tell her something of her father and to know who my real grandfather was.   

Many thanks. 

[alpinecottage]

There are a few William Wo(o)lfendens of the right sort of age (born 10 years either side of 1890) on both the 1901 and 1911 censuses in Lancashire.  Depending where your grandmother lived in 1920's may suggest a few are more likely than others.  Also how did your grandmother support herself and her five children?  Her occupation, if she had one, may also point to some of the William W's as being more likely than others.  Then you could try to follow the most probable individuals - do they marry, have children, die, appear on 1939 register etc. Finally (and this would require tons of tact!) you could test their descendants' DNA against your own...maybe 

[uk2003]

This may help https://www.manchester.gov.uk/directory_record/212444/crumpsall_workhouse/category/1371/workhouse

[josey]

Good points AC, Annie's occupation on any of those 3 birth certificates would definitely help. So would the 1921 census 

[keyboard86]

HI If I am correct Annie Vickers remarries 1931 Northampton and the Vickers boys plus the girls b 1920/22 are in Northampton 1939, still would love to find out how William Wollfenden came into the equation ie who told who that he was the father of the 1920/2/5 children?
Keyboard86

[Thornbird4]

Thank you again for your replies.

There is no occupation on two of the girls' birth certificates but on my mums it says charwoman.  I think she worked for a time at Booth Hall.  Her address on all the birth certificates is 101 Back Cropper Street, Manchester which was roughly in the centre of Manchester - now the Oldham Road dual carriageway, I believe.

Keyboard86 - that is indeed my grandmother.   She left Manchester in 1926 and relocated to Northampton where the family still live.  I have Charles Vickers death certificate and he did indeed die in 1918.  My grandmother told her eldest daughter the truth of their father but my aunt kept it to herself for many years until I asked where my grandfather was buried. 

Blackburn Fossil.  Thank you for that link.  I'll look into it. 

Alpine Cottage.  I have done Ancestry  DNA but it didn't come up with any close matches.  I don't know how she supported herself. 

Thornbird.