Teenage runaway from 1950s

[Lostgranny]

Our granny ran away from Greenock / Port Glasgow in the mid-late 1950s and started a new life in London. She was in her late teenage years at the time. She died 20 years ago, and we never found out much more about her past - any idea how we can go about researching this?

Her name was Mary Collins - we’ve looked on the Scotland’s People website and ordered birth certificates for all of the women with this name but none of them has a DOB that matches the one our granny told us (she may not have used the correct DOB).

Does anyone know how we can find out some more information re missing people from Scotland in the 1950s?

Thanks

[Milliepede]

Did she get married in London? 

A marriage certificate should name her father and say where she was living at the time.  She may appear on electoral registers in London - do you know what she did for a living if anything? 

[CaroleW]

Welcome to Rootschat

What date of birth did she give you?

What was her married name and when and where did she die?

[Lostgranny]

Thanks for your help!

She ran away in the mid-late 1950s and came to London where she met the father of her children, using his surname in day to day living but didn’t actually marry him. She stayed in London until her death in 2000.

Her birthday was Feb 1938, according to her, but we have requested birth certificates from all Mary Collins born in 1938 in Scotland and none of them match. We’ve reached a bit of a dead end in terms of researching her - all we know for sure is that she lived in Greenock / Port Glasgow until she ran away, and her name was Mary Collins...

[Milliepede]

Oh I see so she didn't marry but had children. 

requested birth certificates from all Mary Collins born in 1938 in Scotland and none of them match.

What is it you are matching the births to?  To know they don't match I mean 

[CaroleW]

Was her death registered as Collins or under the surname of the children's father?  The only Mary Collins death in 2000 born 1938 is this one

Mary Catherine Collins b 5.5.1938 died May 2000 Barnet

[Forfarian]

Could she have been born in Ireland and moved to Scotland as a young child?

[elaine447]

Hi Lostgranny
it may be worth asking Greenock Telegraph to print a little bit in the paper theres a possibility that ther may be still family living in Greenock/PortGlasgow who remember her running away or at least passed the story on down to another generation

[orkrad]

 Hi there There is a Mary Collins born 1939 in Port-Glasgow Scotland on Scotlandspeople site  Reference 574/358. This will give her parents names and where they were married  but unfortunately no details about her later life.  Regards Orkrad