Newbie help please - have hit a brick wall

[morganvj]

My paternal grandmother only discovered the name of her father (per birth certificate at least) when she reached pension age, and my father went to London to get hold of a copy of her birth certificate. The father's name was not that of the man she had been raised by.

While my father is alive and well I'd like to help figure out the story.

I've registered with ancestry.com but I'm struggling. Nothing when I look for the usual registrations.

Can anyone help point me in the right direction please?

My grandmother was Barbara Esme. She was born in 5 Belgrave Terrace, Stockwell, London on 11th October 1919. According to her birth certificate, her father was Henry COWAN. Her mother was Frances Cowan, formerly Knight. The address for both was 53 Bernard Street, Russell Square. Henry's occupation is given as Electrical Engineer.

I can't find a marriage certificate for either parent.

NB When Frances married another man (who my grandmother believed to be her father) she gave her previous surnames as "Cowin or Knights".

Any suggestions would be very gracefully received!

[jorose]

Hi there,

Was Frances Cowan/Knight the informant on Barbara's birth certificate?
When Frances (re)married, did she give herself as single, widowed, or divorced?
What was her age at the later marriage, and father's name listed?

It is quite possible that Barbara's parents were not married, and that the information Frances gave in 1919 was to protect herself and her child from the stigma of the time surrounding births out of wedlock. She would not have been the only woman towards the end of WWI to find herself in this situation, certainly.

Judging by adverts in the 1910s at www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk, 5 Belgrave-terrace, Stockwell was possibly being run as a private maternity home.

https://www.findmypast.com.au/1921-census
Barbara appears here (as Cowin).
The information from Frances' known marriage will help figure out where she might be in 1921.

[jim1]

While it's true father's names are often made up I'm not sure
that applies here as I would expect to see Cowin formally Knight
rather than Cowin or Knight if she was trying to continue the deception.
Maybe you could approach your father & ask him to take a DNA test.

[ciderdrinker]

Hi
I've found them on the 1939 at Glenfield Firth Drive Leicestershire.
Surname Cherval lawrence
Mother Frances born 21 Aug  1889 .

There are no births in that quarter but Dec 1889
Knight    Frances Annie        Birmingham    6d   153    
Knight    Frances Daisy        Stockbridge    2c   95    
Knight    Frances Mary        Worcester    6c   277    

To be honest she doesn't seem to any  of them.

Ciderdrinker

[AMBLY]

Frances Cowin, or Frances Knights, married Geoffrey C Lawrence, Sep Qtr 1922 in Leicester

There is a death:
Geoffrey C Lawrence age 66, Leicester, Dec Qtr 1953, 3a, 594
Frances Lawrence age 64, Leicester, Dec Qtr 1953, 3a 627

Cheers
AMBLY

[softly softly]

In 1921 Barbara was in a children's home in Herne Bay, Kent.


Barbara Esme   Cowin   Boarder   Female   1919   1   Brixton, London, England

John

[LizzieL]

The address for both was 53 Bernard Street, Russell Square.

Looks like a boarding house, doing an address search on censuses.

[LizzieL]

Hi
I've found them on the 1939 at Glenfield Firth Drive Leicestershire.
Surname Cherval lawrence
Mother Frances born 21 Aug  1889 .

There are no births in that quarter but Dec 1889
Knight    Frances Annie        Birmingham    6d   153    
Knight    Frances Daisy        Stockbridge    2c   95    
Knight    Frances Mary        Worcester    6c   277    

To be honest she doesn't seem to any  of them.

Ciderdrinker

I've come across a number of people in 1939 whose day and month of birth was correct but the year was 1 out. I think more often 1 year later than 1 year earlier. There was a thread on RC some time ago
So might be worth looking at Q3 1888 and 1890

[AMBLY]

Today, the address on Barbara's birth is known as Woburn Court, 53-55 St Bernard Street. It was a boarding house in 1911 too, owned by a Fanny Nelson - one extra census page just full of boarders and servants.

Noting: on the 1922 marriage index , Frances is "Cowin" - or  Knights - with an 's".

Now, this is left-field............Henry Cowin, Electrical engineer, the year after the war ended. 

Geoffrey Chevell Lawrence, was in a similar line of work........Engineer. Graduated from Durham University, Mechanical Engineering, Marine Engineering. In 1917 described as fit in all aspects for --- capable of performing the duties of an Engineer Officer in charge of Machinery on a small Navy ship. He has in due course, attained power of command over men and has above average
officer qualities. Zealous. Capable.....

Born 6 Sep 1887 Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk, enlisted in the RN on 26 Aug 1916
Entered with Seniority, Eng Sub Lt
Served in the Home Fleet until end of war. Last ship appointed to, 5 Apr 1919
Demobilised 19 Apr 1919
Re-entered as Special Reserve 20 Apr 1920, Engineer Lt, until 1932.

Perhaps should explore the possibility that Henry Cowin and Geoffrey C Lawrence could be one and  the same man?  Which is where a DNA test for OP's father would come in doubly handy.

And as  chatter Jorose asked of the OP above,  the details of the 1922 marriage cert & the 1919 birth may hold many clues - particulary interested re her father's name in 1922, who informed 1919 and - also the spelling of Henry's name as COWAN or COWIN

Cheers
AMBLY