Foundling Hospitals in Manchester, 1860?

[Romilly]

Having spent years trying to find a Birth or Baptism for my Grandfather William James Wilson, born Manchester in 1860, I’m now wondering if he was either a Foundling, or was adopted by a Wilson family at a young age.

Does anyone know, - was there a Founding Hospital in Manchester at that time?

I am also aware that adoption prior to 1927 would have been an informal affair, with no records available, but it’s a possibility...

Romilly.

[LizzieW]

Did he have any siblings for whom you've found their baptisms.  I only ask because my gran was one of 6 children and I found 5 baptisms but not hers, so I looked at the baptisms of the child older than my gran and the one younger and found they were baptised at the same church (different times), so I looked on Ancestry for that church around the date of birth of my gran.  I found her baptism, but instead of putting her name down, the parish clerk (I presume) had written her father's name down instead of hers,  whilst also writing her father and mother's names in the correct box.  Of course, that also meant that she had gone down as male.

As I knew my gran - she lived with us until she died - I know she was definitely female having produced 10 children, 2 died as babies, one as an adult with TB, but the others, my mum, my aunts and uncles I knew too.

[Romilly]

Sadly LizzieW, I know nothing about any family my Grandfather might have had.

Because my Father was 30 years older than my Mother, and died when I was 5, there’s no one alive to ask.

I’ve been looking for him since I first started looking at my family history, in the late 1970’s.

I’ve been asking for help with finding him on here since 2005, but nothing definite found... Unfortunately the names are very common, and I have no additional information to go on. I have tried to ‘gather the previous threads’, but can’t seem to be able to do it on this tablet:-(

Thanks for your reply though.

Romilly.

[LizzieW]

Were your parents married?  What name did he give as his father on the marriage cert?  Of course, that probably doesn't help as he might not have told the truth.

Have you had your DNA done, you might get some matches.

[Romilly]

It’s my paternal grandfather William James Wilson who’s the problem, not my Father!

Yes, I’ve tested with Ancestry, uploaded to My Heritage, FTDNA and Gedmatch. Also tested with Living DNA and 23andme.

Because my late Mother also tested with Ancestry before she died, I can split matches into Paternal/Maternal sides.

My strongest paternal DNA matches show links to the Kean and Butler families from Manchester. No significant Wilson matches and no paper trails.

Hence my conclusion that he might have been adopted or a founding.

Romilly.

[LizzieW]

I know it's your grandfather, I just thought your father might have given his father's name on his marriage cert.

I have the same problem with my g.grandfather.  I have had quite a few matches who match with each other on the same segment and they all lead, by various branches of the trees, to the same man born in London in 1717 died 1796.  However, finding out which of the people on the trees is the parent of my g.grandfather is almost impossible.  Just from an approximate age I have a couple of possibilities of women who could be his mother but no proof and, of course, his father could have been anything from 16 to 50+ years older than g.grandfather.  I think he was illegitimate and fostered out to another family to cover up the shame (rich Jewish families).  I don't think I'll ever find the truth but, at least, I now know his origins.

[Romilly]

My Father gives his Father’s name as William James Wilson (deceased) on his Marriage Certificate in February 1946.

My Grandfather William James Wilson gives his Father as William Wilson (deceased) Occupation: Mason on his Marriage Certificate in June 1893.

On paper that all looks straightforward... However, there isn’t a William Wilson (Mason) with son William James Wilson on any of the earlier Censuses.

I fact I can’t find my Grandfather anywhere before he married my Grandmother Margaret Rees in Swansea in June 1893.

And so it’s either a name change, an adoption, or he was out of the country for some unknown reason.

Romilly.

[LizzieW]

Where was your father in 1939?  As he was much older than your mother had he been married previously?  Have you found his baptism?

I'm sure you've been all through these ideas before.

[Romilly]

On the 1939 Register my Father’s living in Park Lane, Wembley, Middx with some of his brothers. He’s a Local Government Officer with the L.C.C. He’s Single and only married once, when he married my Mother in February 1946.

Yes, I’ve found all of the Baptismal Records for my Father and his brothers, - all in Swansea between 1894 and 1904.

Everything is fully accounted for after my Grandparents Marriage on the 22nd June 1893 at St Mary’s Parish (C of E) Church, Swansea, Wales.

That’s why it’s so frustrating not being able to find anything else at all for him before then.

Romilly.