The New Series

[Littlebn20]

Hi there. I wonder if anyone might be able to help.

My maternal grandmother was given away at birth and through the absolute wonder of DNA & Ancestry, we were able to identify her birth mother as Katherine Emily Bayliss. We have never identified her father. She was born out of wedlock and the individual who holds the key to solving the puzzle (very close match on Ancestry, which we know is from my Grandmothers biological father) is unwilling to help/co-operate. Anyway, there is a letter that Katherine sent to her mother at the time regarding a gentleman referred to as 'Sented'. She says that they 'had the new series and stayed up to 11pm' and had some 'stock in bed'. There is sadly no date on the letter. I just wondered if anyone might have any idea what the new series could refer to and if there is any common use for the word Sented that anyone was aware of, that might help me vaguely date the letter?

Katherine was born in 1898 and My grandmother was born in 1921. They were both located in the North of England at the time.

Additionally; my mum matches to the unwilling relative on Ancestry as Shared DNA: 406 cM across 13 segments
Unweighted shared DNA: 406 cM
Longest segment: 78 cM

She has a similar match amount to a granddaughter of Katherine's, so we are guessing that one of the individuals grandfathers is my grandmothers bio father, but does anyone have any further advice on this?

I apologise, I find the DNA matching thing quite complex as I have difficulty processing numbers. Any help gratefully received.

Hope all makes sense. Letter too large for me to attach apparently.



Beccy

[Romilly]

Hi Becky,

I might be completely wrong with this, - but the first thing that went through my mind for ‘sented’ was Senior Ted, - i.e. the elder Edward?

Are your tests on Ancestry? If so, you could always try uploading to a few other Sites, and see if you can find some more helpful matches on them.

Some people just don’t want to know re: DNA tests, - I’m sure that most of us have had similar experiences.

Best of luck anyway,
Romilly.

[Littlebn20]

Thank you Romilly, that is an excellent point regarding a senior Ted! I have uploaded my DNA to every which site that I can think of, but nothing really springs out at me. 

[Girl Guide]

Can you tell us the whole context in which the word 'sented' appears?  Are you able to upload the relevant section as opposed to the whole letter?

Is there any address on the letter?

[chempat]

Same here - wanted to know the context. 

Saw the words: stock, bed, sented,  to me that is someone talking about growing night-scented stock in a flower bed.  (They have poor spelling)

Are you absolutely sure of the words/spellings/letters?

[Littlebn20]

The file size is too large; so I have transcribed as best as I can;

Side 1

Letter folded in to three sections

Dear L (in black and Katherines writing)

To Sented (in black and Katherines writing)


Katherine Emily Bayliss (in blue, not her writing)
12 Entwhistle Sreet
Moss Side


Then the body of the letter is in Katherines writing, in black ink;

For my letter this week I will write to you about Dear Sented. Sented is the name of a lovely Gentleman who lives in (&) Churchill Street Manchester. It was Sented birthday last Saturday and we stayed up to supper and we had stew for supper and sented has a lot of presents and enjoyed the day very much and we had some stock in bed, we had the new series we stayed up till eleven oclock and had a good time. But you know Sented was the head of it all. I remain your loving daughter. Catherine.

Have transcribed as written. Apologies for the lack of punctuation.

Worth noting, she was married by 1926 (to Charles) and my grandmother was born in 1921.

[Littlebn20]

Same here - wanted to know the context. 

Saw the words: stock, bed, sented,  to me that is someone talking about growing night-scented stock in a flower bed.  (They have poor spelling)

Are you absolutely sure of the words/spellings/letters?

Good point. Have transcribed the letter and quite clearly refers to scented as a gentleman.

[Girl Guide]

Does the handwriting look like a young child's or that of an older woman?

This sented lives in Churchill Street, Manchester.  Have you tried checking electoral rolls for this address?

So either the letter was written pre 1921 or before she married.

[IgorStrav]

What date are you guessing for the letter?

Was Katherine a child at the time (can you tell from the handwriting?)

Snap Girl Guide



Added:  and do you know who 'L' is?