Morning, looking for help with a rather mysterious (and sad) family please. Apologies in advance for the long post but it seemed sensible to present what I have found out so far. I have used the GRO, freeBMD, ancestry and find my past.
I'm trying to help someone find her family roots in Merthyr Tydfil, her grandmother being Olwen Manning, born 1912 in Merthyr Tydfil. Registered in the April - June quarter, mother Evans. Vol 11a, page 1673. A copy of her birth certificate 'issued for the purposes of the Education Act 1921' gives her date of birth as 19 June 1912 (slightly different to what is on the 1939 register), born at 9 Quarry Row, Merthyr, father Thomas Manning, a boiler stoker at the brickworks, mother Catherine Manning, formerly Evans.
All the lady I'm helping knows is that her grandmother spent some time in a children's home, and had siblings Evan, Kate, and David (who had a daughter called Olwyn). She believed that David ended up in London, Kate in Birmingham and Evan stayed in Merthyr Tydfil. Possibly another older brother who was in the navy but drowned.
So now the puzzle starts as there are no other Manning - Evans births in Merthyr, nor a Manning - Evans marriage.
But looking for Evan in 1911 I found a promising family at 10 Sunny Bank, Merthyr (RG14; 32470; 135), of
Thomas Manning, aged 51 (1860), married, born Merthyr, labourer at the brickworks
Catherine, aged 41 (1870), married, born Cefn Coed
Evan, aged 9 (1902)
Catherine, aged 5 (1906) and
David, aged 2 (1909)
They are listed as boarders with a widow named Jane Ann Lloyd who has a 3 year grandson (Harry Lloyd) living with her too, so i'm guessing that the Mannings aren't related.
The census says that they had 7 children, 6 still living; the 'number of years married' box is blank, with a ? added. Even with this new info on births, I can't find any other registrations, at least not with an Evans mother.
Searching for the children produces a number of workhouse entries where they are listed as Mahoney, father named as Thomas Manning, known as Mahoney. The first one is an admission on 12 August 1913 of Evan (aged 11y, 8m), Susan (7y, 8m - presumably Catherine from the 1911), David (4y) and Olwen (1y 2m). Taken in by the NSPCC, as destitute, of the Old Parrot Inn, Merthyr. Father Thomas Mahoney, of the same address, mother listed as Margaret. There is a very sad piece in the (Merthyr) Express on this story, with the mother named as Catherine, though the children aren't named. There is a later summons of Thomas for neglecting to maintain his children.
The 3 older children were discharged to the Merthyr Tydfil union school in Aberdare on 15 August 1913. Evan was sent to the St Mary's RC Schools in Southall, Middlesex, on 3 October 1914, his brother David following on 14 October 1919. In 1921 Susan (15y, 6m) was an inmate at the Cottage homes in Aberdare, Olwen (aged eight) at the Cottage Homes in Trecynon. All records so far are as Mahoney, mother listed as Catherine or Margaret, some say both parents are dead, though Thomas died on 15 April 1919 (having been admitted to the workhouse the day before by his spouse Catherine). Catherine appears to be on the 1921 as Catherine Manning, widow aged 50, domestic servant to a colliery manager at Plymouth colliery, and probable death and burial in July 1939 from Tydfil Lodge (a public assistance institution).
In 1939 Olwen is listed as an inmate at the Convent Of The Good Shepherd Lodge & Presbytery, Cardiff; date of birth recorded as 12 July 1912 (so aged 27). No idea why she was an inmate aged 27, though her grand-daughter says she had been thinking about becoming a nun (but moved to London to work in a children's hospital during WW2 and met her future husband there).
It sadly looks like Susan (Manning) ended up in the Cardiff mental hospital by 1939 and died aged 49, but Kate, Evan and David (as well as Olwen) married and had children. So I'm not looking for anything further on them.
Now looking for the family as Mahoney i found an entry in 1901 which appears to be them, though again, no birth registrations found, and ages are different. However other details match so i'm sure it's the right family.
They are at 'under 25 Quarry Row' in Merthyr (I have discovered that 'under' means the cellars under the houses in the street, awful conditions and overcrowded). It is close to the house where they were in 1911. RG 13/5031 125 31
Here is Thomas Mahoney, married, aged 38 (1863), a boiler stoker,
Catherine, aged 40 (1860), married, and
William, aged 9 (1892)
Thomas, aged 5 (1896)
Catherine, aged 3 (1898).
All born Merthyr Tydfil, and listed as visitors.
I then managed to trace Catherine (Kate) admitted to the workhouse in Merthyr in July 1901 (as Manning), transferred to Nazareth House home for orphans in Cardiff in 1902, and still there in 1911, a possible entry in 1921, born Wales, in Birmingham, plus a marriage in Birmingham in 1930, one child mother Manning.
But nothing on the other two, nor one in the navy. Nor can I find any of them in 1891 or earlier. Very difficult without knowing marriage or parents. Quite why Thomas used Mahoney as well as Manning is a mystery, but unless we eventually find his parents - maybe they were Irish as I believe Mahoney is an Irish name - I'm guessing we will never know.
Any help gratefully received, and apologies again for the long post (but thanks for reading).
