Author Topic: Tracing foster trail  (Read 3906 times)

Offline Foster1911

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Tracing foster trail
« on: Saturday 13 July 19 10:11 BST (UK) »
Hi can any one help
My Mother was born in 1911 in Lambeth, on her birth certificate only the mothers name is given. She subsequently ended up with a family in the West Midlands (Bearwood) I have no idea how old she was when the foster family received her or how she came to be placed there? Can anyone give me some useful guidance? Her surname remained as her birth name until she married in 1937.
Many Thanks

Offline IgorStrav

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Re: Tracing foster trail
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 13 July 19 12:37 BST (UK) »
Hello and welcome to Rootschat!

Both fostering and adoption were informal in the early years of the century, so there are unlikely to be any paper records to find.

A few things that occur to me:

When was your mother born in 1911?  Does she appear on the 1911 census?
Have you the names of the foster family, and where are they on the 1911 census?

Sometimes unmarried mothers paid money for their children to be looked after, as they were unable to go out to work otherwise.  I believe prospective foster parents sometimes advertised for foster children.

However, it may be that there is some family connection somewhere, and the only way to find that out is to research the foster family's history to rule that in or out.

Unfortunately, the 1921 census is not yet released, so you are unable to check where the foster family/your grandmother is at that time. 

Otherwise electoral registers may give you some information, although of course your mother won't appear on them until she reached the age of 21, when she was married anyway.

This is the sort of (relatively) recent history that can be difficult to pin down, unless you have thought to ask the right questions of the right people at the right time, sadly.





Pay, Kent. 
Barham, Kent. 
Cork(e), Kent. 
Cooley, Kent.
Barwell, Rutland/Northants/Greenwich.
Cotterill, Derbys.
Van Steenhoven/Steenhoven/Hoven, Nord Brabant/Belgium/East London.
Kesneer Belgium/East London
Burton, East London.
Barlow, East London
Wayling, East London
Wade, Greenwich/Brightlingsea, Essex.
Thorpe, Brightlingsea, Essex

Offline CaroleW

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Re: Tracing foster trail
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 13 July 19 19:04 BST (UK) »
Welcome to Rootschat

The 1911 census has no entries in the West Midlands for the surname Bearwood. 

Whilst there are over 350 entries for the surname Beardwood - none appear in either Warwickshire or Worcestershire.  There is one entry only in Staffordshire - Florence Beardwood b 1859

Do you have any idea of exactly where in the West Midlands?
Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Carlin (Ireland & Liverpool) Doughty & Wright (Liverpool) Dick & Park (Scotland & Liverpool)

Offline IgorStrav

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Re: Tracing foster trail
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 13 July 19 19:44 BST (UK) »
Carol, I'd thought that Bearwood was the part of the West Midlands Foster1911's mother's foster family lived - it's part of Smethwick, apparently.

Foster1911, if you can give us some names (not living people) we can see if we can find where in the 1911 they were.
Pay, Kent. 
Barham, Kent. 
Cork(e), Kent. 
Cooley, Kent.
Barwell, Rutland/Northants/Greenwich.
Cotterill, Derbys.
Van Steenhoven/Steenhoven/Hoven, Nord Brabant/Belgium/East London.
Kesneer Belgium/East London
Burton, East London.
Barlow, East London
Wayling, East London
Wade, Greenwich/Brightlingsea, Essex.
Thorpe, Brightlingsea, Essex


Offline CaroleW

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Re: Tracing foster trail
« Reply #4 on: Saturday 13 July 19 21:14 BST (UK) »
Ooops - thought it was the foster family's surname
Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Carlin (Ireland & Liverpool) Doughty & Wright (Liverpool) Dick & Park (Scotland & Liverpool)

Offline IgorStrav

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Re: Tracing foster trail
« Reply #5 on: Saturday 13 July 19 21:27 BST (UK) »
Ooops - thought it was the foster family's surname

It may be, Carol - not clear from the post - but it’s also a place near Smethwick!  ;)
Pay, Kent. 
Barham, Kent. 
Cork(e), Kent. 
Cooley, Kent.
Barwell, Rutland/Northants/Greenwich.
Cotterill, Derbys.
Van Steenhoven/Steenhoven/Hoven, Nord Brabant/Belgium/East London.
Kesneer Belgium/East London
Burton, East London.
Barlow, East London
Wayling, East London
Wade, Greenwich/Brightlingsea, Essex.
Thorpe, Brightlingsea, Essex

Offline Foster1911

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Re: Tracing foster trail
« Reply #6 on: Sunday 14 July 19 00:03 BST (UK) »
Hello and welcome to Rootschat!

Both fostering and adoption were informal in the early years of the century, so there are unlikely to be any paper records to find.

A few things that occur to me:

When was your mother born in 1911?  Does she appear on the 1911 census?
Have you the names of the foster family, and where are they on the 1911 census?

Sometimes unmarried mothers paid money for their children to be looked after, as they were unable to go out to work otherwise.  I believe prospective foster parents sometimes advertised for foster children.

However, it may be that there is some family connection somewhere, and the only way to find that out is to research the foster family's history to rule that in or out.

Unfortunately, the 1921 census is not yet released, so you are unable to check where the foster family/your grandmother is at that time. 

Otherwise electoral registers may give you some information, although of course your mother won't appear on them until she reached the age of 21, when she was married anyway.

This is the sort of (relatively) recent history that can be difficult to pin down, unless you have thought to ask the right questions of the right people at the right time, sadly.

Hello Igor
Thank you for you quick response.
My Mother Noreen Embleton was born on 17/11/1911, so after the census. However, I did have a look at the address 151 Loughborough Rd, Brixton that was on the birth certificate to see if my grandmother was living there. Firstly my search returned no road with that spelling but a subsequent search found 151 Loughboro Road, Occupants - Morgan Family with the wife Emma Morgan listed as a 'Certified Midwife' interesting!
The foster family was Edward Joseph and Prudence Davies who in the 1911 census were living at 45 Abbey Rd, Warley (it later became Bearwood) with their 3 children living (sons) and 2 children who had died.
Yes, your response of asking 'the right questions to the right people at the right time' now leaves me with this gap that no one in the family is able to throw any light on. I will endeavour to do some more research into the Davies side of the family to see if any links show up there.
I live in New Zealand so all my research currently has to be conducted online.
Thank you again for your input.

Offline Foster1911

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Re: Tracing foster trail
« Reply #7 on: Sunday 14 July 19 00:10 BST (UK) »
Ooops - thought it was the foster family's surname

Hi Carole
Sorry if I confused you, yes Bearwood is place name. I have provided more information in a response to Igor. Did you also receive this thread?

Offline CaroleW

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Re: Tracing foster trail
« Reply #8 on: Sunday 14 July 19 00:43 BST (UK) »
Hi

Yes - emails are sent to everybody who replies.  There is also an Edward & Prudence Davies (nee Corbett) who married in Wolverhampton in 1906 and have no children in 1911

A son Joseph was b 1912

Do you know for sure that the family you found in 1911 are the right ones?  That Prudence was nee Harrison and the marriage was in Cannock in 1891
Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Carlin (Ireland & Liverpool) Doughty & Wright (Liverpool) Dick & Park (Scotland & Liverpool)