Author Topic: Louisa/Maude Moss  (Read 1491 times)

Offline dunscore

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Re: Louisa/Maude Moss
« Reply #27 on: Thursday 15 October 20 01:28 BST (UK) »
Wow Sue,
How on earth did you find that bit of info?  Well done and could be Agnes McDougall advertising for someone to take poor little Louisa.  I had no idea that one used to be able to put an advertisement in a newspaper for adoption/fostering!  No checks as to suitability were carried out in those days it would appear.  I think this is a very good assumption, especially as Jane appears to be living in Glebe - much closer to Surry Hills too.  Crown Street runs parallel to Bourke Street, where the McDougall family lived.  Jane was well into her fifties when she gave Louisa a home.  Apparently age was no barrier either.  Although I think Agnes' father was reasonably well off, with so many still living in the family home (a two storey Terrace) including several little ones, I guess there just wasn't room to keep Louisa too.  Maybe Agnes' parents were not happy about a child out of wedlock too!

The Informant on Jane Moss' DC was "E Pettitt, Son in Law, Thomas Street, Northmead. Registered on 13 June 1927, Parramatta".

I don't have a Marriage Cert. for Maude to Ernest Pettitt.  I could phone his relative (whose DNA was close to mine) and ask if she has one.  I will check on that thankyou Wivenhoe.

It would be wonderful to see if a Mr Cunneen or a Mr Jennings was indeed the biological father of Louisa.  Guess a descendant of one of them would have to do a DNA and have a close match to me to prove that and also be on Ancestry!

Thank you again,
Dunscore


Offline dunscore

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Re: Louisa/Maude Moss
« Reply #28 on: Thursday 15 October 20 04:01 BST (UK) »
Hello Wivenhoe,

I spoke with my relative and she has sent through a copy of Louisa/Maude's marriage to Ernest Pettitt.

On the left hand column it reads  :  "Maude Moss was handed over in legal form to Jane Moss, who adopted her".

Further down :  The Consent of  -  "Jane Moss, foster mother of the bride" was given in writing, etc.
Maude was only 20 at marriage, hence the consent.

They married on 26 April, 1916.

I am assuming that Jane considered Maude to  be her "adopted" daughter rather than "foster" daughter as Adoptions (as I understand it) did not come into being in Australia until 1924.

Dunscore

Offline sparrett

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Re: Louisa/Maude Moss
« Reply #29 on: Thursday 15 October 20 06:52 BST (UK) »


It would be wonderful to see if a Mr Cunneen or a Mr Jennings was indeed the biological father of Louisa.  Guess a descendant of one of them would have to do a DNA and have a close match to me to prove that and also be on Ancestry!

Thank you again,
Dunscore

Speculation is easy, but without documentary evidence I think you will not know the true facts.

A possibility is that the Louisa JENNINGS part of the name maybe in consideration of a kindly friend, and the CUNNEEN part being the father.

Living not too far away in Elizabeth St Redfern was Mrs Louisa Sophia JENNINGS. She died in 1919.
It looks as if these JENNINGS were well placed financially and perhaps there was an association of some sort with Agnes.

You can search them yourself.

You have said Agnes was living with her own family in 1896, but giving birth in the family home does not assume she had been living there, unless you have evidence tp the contrary.


Sue
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Offline dunscore

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Re: Louisa/Maude Moss
« Reply #30 on: Friday 16 October 20 04:12 BST (UK) »
Hi Sue,

Yes, I realise it is all "speculation" at present, but several boxes are ticked and I would certainly like to think this is the case.  Jane living at Glebe at the time, Agnes having already registered Louisa's birth and the initials A M and the post office in Crown Street!  All that makes sense.

In August of 1896, Agnes married an American from Chicago (John Peter Burns) who would have been about 27 years old.  Agnes had another daughter to him the following March and according to the birth certificate, Violet was born at 7 months.  Her death seven weeks later was caused by (amongst other things) malnutrition.  According to their Divorce papers (in 1900) he appears to have been a nasty gentleman, leaving Agnes "without visible means of support" and being violent and abusive!

Of course, there is a possibility that Burns could have been the father of Louisa and not wanted her, hence her being advertised.  Did Agnes know Burns at the time or was it a quick relationship prior to their marriage 4 months after Louisa had possibly gone to live with Jane??  So many questions.

The marriage to Burns does not tell me much other than his father's name and the father was deceased when they married.  I have no idea what happened to Burns and I haven't explored that path. 

Agnes married my grandfather 3 years after her divorce.  Whether my mother knew any of her mother's past life, I will never know.  Seems as though there were a number of skeletons in the closet!!  Sadly there is no one left to ask.

Thank you for all your help and insight into this thread.

Dunscore



Offline Jennaya

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Re: Louisa/Maude Moss
« Reply #31 on: Friday 16 October 20 06:46 BST (UK) »
Are you able to show us the part of the birth certificate that shows the birth at 7 months? I didn't think this information would be shown.....wonder if it was put there to cover up a pre-marriage conception.

Regards
Jennaya

Offline dunscore

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Re: Louisa/Maude Moss
« Reply #32 on: Sunday 18 October 20 02:06 BST (UK) »
Hi Jennaya,

The baby I am concerned about, Louisa (later name changed to Maude) was born out of wedlock, in Feb. 1896.  She lived until in her eighties.

Agnes' first actual marriage to John Peter Burns was in Aug. 1896 and their daughter Violet was born the following March.  On her Death Transcript her Cause of Death is noted as "Premature Birth 7 months, Inanition".  Her father was the Informant to her death on 27 May, 1896 and she was buried the following day.

Cheers,
Dunscore






Offline dunscore

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Re: Louisa/Maude Moss
« Reply #33 on: Sunday 18 October 20 02:08 BST (UK) »
Sorry Jennaya,
That death was 1897, not 1896.  Violet was aged 7 weeks at death.
Dunscore

Offline Jennaya

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Re: Louisa/Maude Moss
« Reply #34 on: Sunday 18 October 20 04:26 BST (UK) »
Hi Jennaya,

The baby I am concerned about, Louisa (later name changed to Maude) was born out of wedlock, in Feb. 1896.  She lived until in her eighties.

Agnes' first actual marriage to John Peter Burns was in Aug. 1896 and their daughter Violet was born the following March.  On her Death Transcript her Cause of Death is noted as "Premature Birth 7 months, Inanition".  Her father was the Informant to her death on 27 May, 1896 and she was buried the following day.

Cheers,
Dunscore
Thanks, this makes sense now - it was the death certificate showing premature birth.