Any Historians out there

[jackie j]

Hi we are trying to find out where my mum lived. Its a long story.
Mum was born in 1912 in the Eastend of London, at the age of five she went into care, this is the hard bit, we dont know where ( why didnt we ask ) she talked a lot about Wanstead Flats. I have today found her Holy Communion book given to her on her confirmation, she was confirmed by the Right Reverand the Bishop of Barking at All Saints Forest gate in May 1927.
She went into sevice but we dont know when, she then joined the wren's just after the war started ? We have some photo's with Elmore on the back. Elmore what ? Where ? No idea if this was in London. We think she may have been around the Sussex downs maybe during the war. Whilst in care she had a very good and kind house Mother.
We know we can send off for her sevice records at a cost of £30.
Big ask I know.

[ginger ninger]

Hi JJ, I've been having a dig about on the net and found this site. You might be able to get an idea about "Wanstead Flats".

http://www.newham.gov.uk/nr/rdonlyre...ewhamstory.pdf

If you type in The name of the flats it gives you quite a large choice to look at. Hope this helps, good luck.

[selfraising]

Do you know where in the East End she was born? Would local social services have archives?

[jackie j]

Hi JJ, I've been having a dig about on the net and found this site. You might be able to get an idea about "Wanstead Flats".

http://www.newham.gov.uk/nr/rdonlyre...ewhamstory.pdf

If you type in The name of the flats it gives you quite a large choice to look at. Hope this helps, good luck.

Thanks

Do you know where in the East End she was born? Would local social services have archives?

We only know what she said, she was a true eastender. When she died we were asked where, for the death certificate and it was only then that we thought we have no idea.
So wished we had asked more. We come unstuck many times, as no name of father on birth certificate, went into care aged 5 ish 1917, what that must have been like. No idea where she went into care, no names but always assumed it was a Dr Barnardo's.
Think if we really want to know we will have to go to London.

[ginger ninger]

Jackie, have you tried the salvation army? There really good at this kind of thing...it might be worth a try. Are there any care records you could ask about? I see you said you haven't any idea where your Mum went into care, but do you have any idea which area in London it was...might be worth a stab in the dark!!!

[jackie j]

Jackie, have you tried the salvation army? There really good at this kind of thing...it might be worth a try. Are there any care records you could ask about? I see you said you haven't any idea where your Mum went into care, but do you have any idea which area in London it was...might be worth a stab in the dark!!!

Unfortunatly no its a stab in the dark to try and find out more. We know she went into care cos her mum was at work and her brother started a fire accidently. She thinks there was between five and seven kids, we know of one brother and one younger sister ( 13 years younger ) both deceased.

Just found something born Holborn

[jackie j]

Just found Nan's birth and death 21st July 1889 - 1970.

[Two_Sheds]

Have you tried Genes Reunited? It's not always totally accurate, but might give you some clues (if someone else has done part of your family tree already)

[lindyloo]

try a post on bg forum ( british geneology) always helpful. i would say exactly what your op says, and ask for help and advice where to start. loads of advice and facts will ussually come back to you

[quark1]

Jackie - one key document which would be of help is the 1921 census and later 1931 (was this the one largely destroyed by fire during the war?) - but unfortunatley that will be under wraps for a few years yet.

This website may be able to help and you could post asking for anyone who may have known your mum around the 'lost years'

Missing You - missing persons - search lost friends, relatives, forces, family, army, raf, navy

I went looking for my mum and had several replies - all well-meaning, but sadly inaccurate. This site also promotes various TV progs - the 'find my family' apps close at the end Sept - so be quick if you want their help! I 'drew' their attention to help find father and g/father - but I think the chances are remote and I haven't heard back from them since they called me. Somewhere in France for father.....Possible important Welsh family for g/father - which could lead to a royal drop or two of the blue stuff!

Put an appeal out on the ancestry forum - you'll need to be registered but not necessarily a subscriber. I was contacted by a Canadian - but via another website where a friend had posted appeal (on ancestry) who actually found that my own mother was also adopted when she did research when visiting Scotland - very kind.

One trick with genesreunited is to look through the names/places and perhaps then go to the sister site friendsreunited (free! - oh how I like free!) and look for schools/places/workplaces and see if you can match 'likely' people looking for people of the same era/name/place. Found members of my mother's adoptive family here - by being a bit clever and following above methods. Haven't been here recently but sending messages 'was' free.

Are you still looking for any of the other siblings? If so - do you know the names or are you still in the dark - would seem possible as you don't seem to have an accurate number of siblings from your late mum.

Searches of the bmd indexes can be a good assist - constantly growing and being updated

FreeBMD Home Page

Also for those who may be looking for Brits born overseas - this index is free to view at the moment

Familyrelatives.com trace your Family Tree and Family History using Scottish records, Medical Records, Military Records, School Registers, US Civil War Roll of Honor

Military

:: CWGC ::

I found an otherwise unfound marriage here which was mentioned in the obit.

Also you could try and contact the church where your mum was confirmed to see what records they hold about that event - other than name/date - it may contain school/home address?

Loads of other places as mentioned above.

In your case would a letter to social services help - I'm guessing that your mum's file would be in the central archives now rather than the local authority. I'm pretty sure that some national records were lost during the war - 1931 census rings a bell as mentioned already - hopefully your mum's will still be available. In the case of a deceased person I'm guessing confidentiality may not still apply - so a photocopy of the d/cert to accompany any enquiry might help.

You can also get leads by search engines - you sometimes just have to ask the question inside out and back to front - and 'think outside the box' - a dreadful hackneyed expression but oh so true.

Need any help - I'll be happy - but I'll have to clear down my PM messages and we can continue via our own external emails if you're happy to exchange?

Lesson to us all - SPEAK to the LIVING while you can - I say this every time something like this comes up - my adoptive mother gave me, many years ago, the key piece of info that opened the door to most of the info I'd been seeking without having to go social services etc - my ORIGINAL birth name. Current Technology assisted with the rest. An adopted person will never find themselves of the register under their new name. And if they're never told - and some aren't - I quite frankly have no idea where you'd start other than your b/cert (adop/cert) and go to GRO records.

Good luck with your search.

[jackie j]

My BIL is searching as he is the one who does the Genes reunited stuff, he has traced my dads family back to 1700 and something, could be a bit of blue blood in there as well.
My Nans family is another matter and the surname derives I think from dutch connections.
Nan never married but some of the birth certificates have a man's name as father but not my mother's.
As quark says ask all the questions about family cos you never know, my mum was quite a private person and we just didnt speak about matter's such as this.
We cant find where nan was living before mum was born. We may have to wait till 1912 records become available. We would like to find out what happened to her other siblings, I know my mum was shocked when at the age of thirteen nan wrote to tell her she had a sister. They always kept in touch for some unknown reason, mum also sent money home to nan once she started working in service. Nan came to live with us before her death. She was very strict with us. We always went to see her during school holidays to Southend on sea.
Thanks for everyones help though.

[jackyspratty]

Really wish you all the best with this jackie. I have some of my family tree and would like to do more. Like you say makes us realise how little we know, and makes me think about what info I want to get together for my boys.

Mr jackiespatties mum has traced a lot of her family history and has written down stories and memories and colated them all together in a booklet with photos and family tree. Its fantastic. Its all the personal memories I love. Need to start writing down some of my stuff for the boys.

Good luck jackie! keep us posted

[jackie j]

Really wish you all the best with this jackie. I have some of my family tree and would like to do more. Like you say makes us realise how little we know, and makes me think about what info I want to get together for my boys.

Mr jackiespatties mum has traced a lot of her family history and has written down stories and memories and colated them all together in a booklet with photos and family tree. Its fantastic. Its all the personal memories I love. Need to start writing down some of my stuff for the boys.

Good luck jackie! keep us posted

My sister keeps saying she ought to write a book as she has more memories than me. I cant remember much about my childhood and I often wonder if I shut it all out after loosing dad at the age of 6.
A couple of cousins have reshearched dads side but that was easy as they were local, dad used to jump in the river when it was bath time to get out of having a bath, he was one of nine children that lived.
Mums side is the tricky one. Will keep looking though.

[SueA]

No idea if this is any use Jackie but there is a place called Elmore in Gloucestershire with a mansion called Elmore Court which had domestic staff, maybe your mum was in service there?

[Alison]

Sorry if you've already answered this but I'm getting a bit lost, have you managed to find your nan in the 1911 and earlier census at all as that should tell you where she was living. If not then feel freel to PM me here name and any details and I'll see what I can find as I have access to quite a few records due to my own searches for long gone relatives.