John Herbert Palmer

[Dundee]

Perhaps she was hiding from her first husband.  Still a bit weird though, she could have picked a different name.

Debra 

[Pheno]

Yes, why would Mary Ann Mildenburger masquerade as Florence Edith Palmer, why not Mary Ann Palmer for all those years.  Strange.

Pheno

[Mofamily]

Hi everyone.

What fantastic work!  I had seen the original 1939 census and noticed the amendments, but couldn't read the Mary Ann bit.  Now I see!

I had also seen the BMD entry for Florence Palmer and Henry G Day and didn't realise the significance of Mary A Mildenburger.

The coincidences are even closer.  You say Mary Ann Mildenburger was living at 9 Stanley Street, Newcastle in 1923.  That is in Elswick which is a few streets away from the last address of John Herbert Palmer when he lived in Elswick at 67 Greenhow Place (although Greenhow Place is no longer there).

It has to be them.  I suppose it was easier for Mary Ann to masquerade as Florence Edith Palmer as she probably wanted to appear as  Dorothy's natural mother, but who knows.

Thanks again.  It is greatly appreciated.

Mo

[davidlaidler1]

Hello Mo, 
I came to the same conclusion as you about Mary Ann masquerading as my grandmother Florence Edith Palmer.

When my grandmother died she and John Herbert were living even nearer Mary Ann and her husband, Albert, at 1 Stanley Street.

My query is whether she was Dorothy's natural mother!  Or did she just leave Albert and run off with John?  Would John have taken Dorothy to Fulham by himself, from all I know of him he was not only the black sheep of the family but also a very weak character!

The family he left had three different stories about him - he never came back from the war (he did), he committed suicide (he didn't), he emigrated to either Australia or South Africa (he didn't ), guess they couldn't face up to being deserted.
 
Awaiting a couple of certificates from the GRO and will see if they throw any light on this sad sage.  My late mother was wonderfully cared for by paternal aunts, for which I'm thankful.

David

[davidlaidler1]

Hi Chris,
Thanks for your message, for some reason Roots Chat won't let me send a personal reply.
 I hadn't realised your link with Janet, she was going to let me have a copy of your research but hasn't done so as yet so I took up my research again after many years.  Much more material is now available.
It most definitely is our John Herbert Palmer.
From 1930 - 1939 Mary Ann Mildenburger was living with him in Fulham, for the first seven of those years she masqueraded as my deceased grandmother Florence Edith Palmer.  In Mary Ann's marriage certificate to Geo Day she is shown as 'otherwise Florence Edith Palmer.'
On 19 December 1943 John Herbert married Alice Charlotte Clara Hunt in Fulham and they went on to have a son, Christopher.  I have copies of both certificates, without a shadow of a doubt it is our John Herbert.  I fear Christopher may have died in 2017 and am awaiting his death certificate to confirm his death.
Some years ago I discovered Dorothy Palmer, about whom none of the family knew and a month or so ago I learnt that as well as her as an aunt I have another uncle in Christopher.  I wonder if Alice and Christopher knew anything about John Herbert's North Eastern family.
There are two children listed in the GRO index who may be Dorothy's, that's the next avenue to go down as well as trying to discover if Christopher had any children - would be good to be in touch with them.
I'd be interested to see how my research ties in with that which you have been doing, hopefully Janet will let me have a copy.
All good wishes.
David

[davidlaidler1]

Just discovered why I cannot send a personal message, have to have three posts!  I re-joined a little while ago after a number of years away from researching.
Dorothy's Birth Certificate does show Florence Edith Palmer as her mother, my comment about Mary Ann Mildenburger was somewhat 'tongue in cheek', however, if John was willing to allow her to masquerade as his deceased wife he could easily have given false information to the Registrar when registering Dorothy's birth.  Guess we'll never know and will have to give him the benefit of the doubt! Interesting that none of her siblings ever mentioned her existence, ? self protection on their part as they surely must of known about her and their father's deserting them was too much to bear.