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My Great Grandmother, Mary Harrison nee Donlan is missing!
I have her married to James Harrison of Frome Somerset in 1899. They were married in Leeds. In their census return of 1911, they are living in Kingston upon Thames, she is listed as being from Brighton Sussex & they have three children, James, Emily Maude & Albert. As far as I can see there were no more children later. After husband James died, Mary re-married to become Mary Kelly. She died in April 1947. I cannot find a Mary Donlan listed as being born in Brighton c1865. Can anyone help?

Regards

Allan

1911 for reference:

HARRISON, James Head Married 12 years M 56 1855 Gardener Frome Somerset
HARRISON, Mary Wife Married 12 years F 46 1865 Brighton Sussex
HARRISON, James Son M 9 1902 Maidenhead Berks
HARRISON, Emily Daughter F 6 1905 Slough Bucks
HARRISON, Albert Son M 2 1909 Reading Bucks

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Registration District: Kingston
Sub District: Kingston
Enumeration District: 7
Parish: Kingston on Thames

Address: 19 Fairfield Place Mill Street Kingston upon Thames County: Surrey

Allan - what was her father's name and occupation on her marriage certificates? This is vital in order to trace her.

Where were they on the 1901 census?

Where did you get her maiden name of Donlan from?

Is this the marriage you think is theirs?

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page
Marriages Jun 1899
Armitage Elizabeth Ann Hunslet 9b 471
?Donlan Mary Hunslet 9b 471
?Harrison James Hunslet 9b 471
Wilkinson William Hunslet 9b 471

Because it's not! - Mary Donlan married William Wilkinson:

West Yorkshire, England, Marriages and Banns, 1813-1922
Name: Mary Donlon (looks like the A changed to an O on the original)
Birth Year: abt 1880
Age: 19
Marriage or Bann Date: 4 Apr 1899
Parish: Hunslet
Father's Name: Francis Timothy Donlon
Spouse's Name: William Wilkinson
Spouse's Father's Name: Francis Wilkinson

If this isn't the marriage could you give details of the correct one please?

James Harrison married Elizabeth Ann Armitage:

Yorkshire Marriage indexes for the years: 1899
Surname Forename(s) Surname Forename(s) Church / Register Office Registers At Reference
ARMITAGE Elizabeth A HARRISON James St Mary the Virgin, Hunslet Leeds CE23/I/300

You will need to get one of the children's birth certs to confirm Mary's maiden name.

Whereabouts did Mary die in 1947? And when and where did she marry Mr Kelly?

Which one of the children is your grandparent, and does the father's occupation on their marriage certificate match that of James on the 1911 census.

In your opening post you give the daughter's name as Emily Maude but the 1911 just gives the name of Emily. I'm not, at first pass, seeing a birth for an Emily Maude that matches.

Yes that was the marriage I thought was theirs! I got it from Free BMD. Because I don't have enough information yet to confirm I am at least looking in the right area, I haven't got the marriage certificate. I have to admit, I thought it strange they married in Leeds, when they were both from the south of England & were living in the south on the 1911 census.
Maybe I ought to change my line of attack.

Thanks MarieCeleste

Have just noticed that on the original of the 1911 they have not entered anything in the column for marital status - it looks like the word "Married" was entered later by the census official.

James did put "12" in the years married column - I wonder if they weren't legally married?

I'm struggling to find registrations of the children's births, or to find the couple on the 1901 census.

Allan, have just seen your response and agree you need to have a re-think!

To get you on the right track - are you 100% sure that the 1911 family is yours?

Which one of the children is your grandparent?

We're happy to help unravel this mystery but need more info from you.

I cannot find any of the children's births!

Emily Maude was my grandmother. She became E M Green. Her father was identified only as a labourer on the marriage certificate, I don't have her birth certificate yet. I do not know any details about Marys' marriage to Mr Kelly, other than the surname on the family headstone.

???

Marriages Dec 1924
Green Lewis E Harrison Wakefield 9c 18
Harrison Emily M Green Wakefield 9c 18

Allan, might this be your Emily Maud's death?

England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2005
Name: Emily Maud Green
Birth Date: 23 Jul 1904
Date of Registration: Sep 1990
Age at Death: 86
Registration district: Wakefield
Inferred County: Yorkshire
Volume: 5
Page: 1330

If so, at least gives us an actual birth date to work from.

Mystery has always shrouded the staus of my grandmothers legitimacy. She was always a little slow in coming forwards when the subject came up & always happy when the subject changed apparently. I have had difficulty all along with the Harrison line. The 1911 family matches my knowledge of two of the children Emily & her brother Albert, but there could be another family Harrison with two siblings with the same name. I am sorry I cannot give anymore information, as I just don't have it.

Yes, most families have those skeletons!

I know such info is hard to come by, but do you at least know what part of the country the family were from/lived in?

Is Kingston upon Thames a likely area, or are they from Yorkshire?

Yes they are my grandmothers birth & death records, 23.07.1908 & 30.09.1990 respectively.

Allan, the death record gives her birth year as 1904, but you say birth 1908?

(EDIT: Birth years on death records are only as reliable as the information given by the informant - I got my own father's wrong).

just throwing that date of birth in the mix for 1904


England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915

Name: Emily Maud Lee
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1904
Registration district: Knaresborough
Inferred County: Yorkshire - West Riding
Volume: 9a
Page: 123



1911 census

Address: 20 Albany Road Bilton Harrogate

Name Relation Condition/ Yrs married Sex Age Birth Year Occupation Where Born

LEE, John Henry Head Married M 59 1852 Joiner Journeyman Yorks Kirby Moorside Yorkshire
LEE, Emily Wife Married 16 years F 50 1861 Yorks Leeds Yorkshire
RATHKE, William Ernest Son Single M 28 1883 Joiner Journeyman Yorks Leeds Yorkshire
LEE, Ethel Daughter Single F 29 1882 Waitress Cafe Yorks Harrogate Yorkshire
LEE, Alfred Stoke Son Single M 27 1884 Plasterer Yorks Harrogate Yorkshire
LEE, Dennis Son Single M 15 1896 Apprentice Jeweller Yorks Harrogate Yorkshire
LEE, Douglas Arthur Son M 13 1898 School Yorks Harrogate Yorkshire
LEE, Doris Daughter F 11 1900 School Yorks Leeds Yorkshire
LEE, Emily Maude Daughter F 6 1905 School Yorks Harrogate Yorkshire

I always believed Emily was from Slough Berkshire, which is why I think the 1911 census is the correct family. How my Grandparents met I don't know. Whether Grans family moved up to Leeds or my grandfather was stationed down in Berkshire in the army I just don't know

Did I say she was born 1908. If so I am sorry, she was definitely born in 1904.