Searching for Biological Parent of Annie, Born c1873

[Leanne Pethick]

Hello,

I am on a mission to discover the biological parents - or at least mother - of Annie Mabel May Simmons, born c 1873 in Melbourne Australia or on a ship on the way here.

Annie was a much beloved grandmother of my Mum who is now 84yo, but she only recalls a few snippits of references about Annie's life before she married in 1891.  In fact Mum 'knew' that Annie's maiden name was Gardener, however it turns out that it was Simmons.

Having spent many, many hours searching for information on the internet, and watching YouTube videos teaching how to use GEDmatch, I am now more confused than ever!

Is there a 'how to' use DNA results to identify an unknown biological mother?

Is my best bet to trawl through all the orphanage records from Victoria about that time in the hope that I find one that mentions her foster mother Sylvia Simmons in the hope that it provides information about, or that will be helpful in identifying, Annie's mother?

Would really appreciate any help or guidance.  Feel like I am looking for a needle in a very confusing haystack atm!

Warm Regards
Leanne

[brigidmac]

When you say it turns out she was Simmons what proof do you actually have .

Name on marriage cert could be foster name .

Do you have a DNA test ? Better still get one for your mum .!

The middle names will be a good clue .
Where exactly did the foster parents come from?

If she was born in the ship there may be a record do you know which ship which day ?

[Mckha489]

SIMMONS at marriage to Jos. Pat. SHERRY

But GARDENER on birth registrations of children? Is that correct?

Hmm

I see (on Victorian BDM)

The first child Jno Wm Hy. B 1892  Has mother’s maiden name as SIMMONS

Then all the rest of the large family have MMN as GARDENER

[brigidmac]

Mckha can you post name of town and country #( that everyone was born if you found that )

Please and the names of other children if you have them

# Victorian
I thought you meant era
Realize you mean town in Australia

[Annette7]

If her foster mother was a Sylvia Simmons then surely this is where 'Simmons' came from and her birth name was indeed Gardiner.

Annette

[Mckha489]

Is Sylvias death the 1908 one in Geelong?

Does her death certificate give any clues?   Do foster/adopted children get included among the children on Victorian death cents? Even if it named other children for her, their families might have information.

[brigidmac]

Modified  I misread the Sherry name as being her father but actually her husband.:

*JOS Pat SHERRY
was father of all the children surely  she was a SHERRY

maybe not a foster child but a step daughter to Mrs Sherry nee SIMMONS

Maybe Mrs Sherry nee Gardiner died in childbirth

[brigidmac]

Sorry posted too fast there
I got the scenario wrong

Why would her maiden name change between children


Did she find out her true birth name or did her mother remarry and she misinterpreted the question as mother's surname

[wivenhoe]

Is this your family?  You need to see the marriage certificate. It will record good information about the origins of your Annie Mabel.

BDM VIC marriage
4682/1891 SHERRY Jos Pat  marr. SIMMONS, Annie Mable May

BDM VIC birth
18763/1892 SHERRY Jno Wm Hy 
parents  Annie Mable SIMMONS / Jos Pat  @ Yarram

18286/1893 SHERRY Hugh Leonard
parents Annie Mab GARDNER / Joseph Pat  @ Yarr

3629/1895 SHERRY Helen Ann
parents Annie Mabel May GARDENER / Joseph Patk  @ Foster

27955/1896 SHERRY Mich Francis
parents Annie Mable May GARDENER / Jos Pat @ Foster

10642/1899 SHERRY Thos Richd
parents Annie Mabel May GARDENER / Jos Pat @ Foster

11297/1901 SHERRY Jos Pat 
parents Annie Mabel May GARDENER /  Jos Pat @ Foster 

18115/1903 SHERRY Margt Cathleen   
parents  Annie Mabel GARDENER /  Jos Patk   @ Foster

26108/1905 SHERRY Eileen Mary 
parents  Annie Mable May GARDENER /  Jos Patk  @ Foster

27001/1907 SHERRY Maurice Vincent 
parents Annie Mable May GARDENER / Jos Pat  @ Foster

4535/1910  SHERRY Annie Cecelia 
parents Annie Mabel May GARDENER / Jos Patk @ Leongatha

13145/1912  SHERRY Patricia
parents  Annie Mabel May GARDINER / Jos Patk  @ Leongatha

14235/1914 SHERRY Bernard Martin 
parents  Annie Mabel May GARDINER / Joseph Patk @ Leongatha

31065/1916 SHERRY Jas Laurence 
parents  Annie Mabel GARDINER / Jos Patk  @ Leongatha

BDM VIC death
4323/1948 SHERRY Annie Mabel May
parents  UNKNOWN /  GARDINER  born Geelong  died Glen Iris  age 75