Alice Maud Mitchell / Charles Burrows Norwood

[Prue Heron]

Looking for bio Dad.  Brick wall. 
Traveller / Gypsy / Fairground connections for sure.  Brick wall hit at birth certificate of Iris Ina Mitchell b1923, Norwood, Surrey. mother Alice Maud Burrows ("aka Mitchell" written on Cert) and Charles Burrows ("Greengrocer, Master"). They weren't married according to any records anywhere.  (Extensive search).   Ina Mitchell, on the birth certificate ,was the closest relative we can trace but, can't trace her parentage or who Charles Burrows is.  The address for Charles is given as 3 Addison Road, South Norwood. 

There are DNA matches with Stocks, Hall, Baker (Fairground - Norfolk area).  Other names are Massey, Good, Wiseman, O’Regan, O'Connor - we have managed to track most of these down.  But we just can't connect them to our 'Mitchell' and 'Charles Burrows'.

Ina's daughter and I have 2nd cousin match but we are completely stumped and would love to find the answer before I fall off my perch!  Have spent a year on t his. 

[philipsearching]

Greetings, and a warm welcome to Rootschat

Have you looked for Iris on the 1939 register?  If she is with parents you should get birth dates which might help the search.

I had a quick look on FreeBMD for children born 1910-1930 to BURROWS/MITCHELL and there aren't many.  There are three registered in West Derby 1916-19, one in Halifax 1920, your Iris in Croydon 1923 then a few more in Yorks/Lancs.  So, if Iris had siblings, Yorks/Lancs seems the likeliest place for them to have been born.

Philip

[Prue Heron]

Greetings Philip - thanks so much for your response.  LB my strongest paternalDNA match says that her Mum, Irish Ina, knew very little of the family history.  Iris's Mum, Alice  Maud(e)was apparently feckless - given to going between the Burrows and Mitchell names and we don't know if there are more children.  Or whether Charles Burrows was a short lived relationship or, indeed, if that was Iris Ina's father's true name.  It's what's on the birth certificate.  Alice and Iris are on the 1939 register (Mitchell, then crossed out and Burrows put on top), living with a widower in Tilbury although there was apparently no relationship.  She ultimately moved to Liverpool when she was old to be with one of the now-dead widower's sons and that's where she died. Alice and Iris also spent time in Devon (where the widower had other family) in Doddiscombleigh.

I think we have left every stone turned.  We have been chasing every Charles Burrows high and low and having some goose chases. There is an option that he did exist and was a gypsy with no formal records.   The gypsy/fairground links are very strong with DNA matches to the Masseys in Oxford (a Gamekeeper, married to Good, a gypsy)/ as well as links to Fairground families - Stocks, Halls and Bakers in East Anglia.   The O'Connor and O'Regan Irish link must fit in with the traveller side I would think.  Places are Launton, Oxford, Norfolk, Devon and S. Ireland.    I have done a timeline for Alice in case that's of interest.  It's easy to get despondent but our little group of (4) new-found relatives will not give u are  hoping for a breakthrougg.  If you think of anything, would be delighted but can understand it is a big challenge.  Kind regards, Prue.

[Annette7]

What was Alice Maud Mitchells birthdate in 1939?

Do you know her origins?

Annette

[Prue Heron]

It has her date of birth on 1939 register as November 1904. She had her name on the 1939 register  as 'Constable; which was the name of the widower whose home she was living in.  That has been crossed out and 'Burrows' put in - ie the name of the alleged father of her child, Iris Ina.   Her origins are the problem :We think she may have lied about her age.. But just not sure.  Henry Constable had 2 previous wives but not those dates.  Although we have the story of the gypsy background possibly which could fit in with other links.   I will add the census entry.  We have all these DNA links as pointers as above post but that's it.

[Annette7]

Thanks for posting that, Prue Heron.   Certainly odd re. the birthdate??   People often lied about the year they were born but not the actual birthday - stated as born 11th November 1894 (not 1904) but written above 9th June 1882.

Annette

[Prue Heron]

Thank you for response Annette - the 04 was a typo... you are right... anything to confuse!  Will go back to the drawing board.  So near and yet so far.!  Prue

[Dundee]

The surname was changed to BURROWS after an event which occurred around Nov 1969 in the Ongar district  (DDR 11.11.69).  The '6' is possibly a '4', I'm not sure.  What information do you have that tells you this is your Alice?

Debra 

[Dundee]

..... mother Alice Maud Burrows ("aka Mitchell" written on Cert)

So it actually says 'aka' or 'also known as' with no word 'formerly' there to indicate it is a maiden surname?

Debra