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For ref to see if an older sister might have been the mother of Annie, if the story got confused?

1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Cornwell Buildings, 5, Bath, Somerset, England

Harry Gerrish Head Married Male 39 1862 Batheaston, Somerset, England Ostler
Ellen Gerrish Wife Married Female 40 1861 Mountain Ash, Monmouthshire, Wales -
Harry Gerrish Son Single Male 17 1884 Bath, Somerset, England Stable Lad
Eliza Gerrish Daughter Single Female 15 1886 Bath, Somerset, England Corset Maker
Florence R Gerrish Daughter Single Female 12 1889 Bath, Somerset, England -
Annie K Gerrish Daughter Single Female 11 1890 Bath, Somerset, England -
Lily Gerrish Daughter Single Female 8 1893 Bath, Somerset, England

That’s very interesting. Could be Gladys May as mothers maiden name is Gerrish. Without the birth certificate there’s no way to prove the child is Florence’s or is there?

No you'd need to buy the cert really,you can get a PDF download from the GRO for less than the cost of the paper cert'

https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/menu.asp

It turns out not to be her. It seemed so hopeful but her mother has the wrong Christian name and no one else in the family has that name either.
The dates may be similar but I can’t find any mention of a child around 1910-1914

Glyn, just out of interest how did you find out mother's christian name?

I went to Gladys May Gerrish and found her birth record. It was for the date you said and her mothers maiden name was Gerrish. Couldn’t find out much more so I tried Ancestry and her name came up in a family tree. Document and details the same and she married a relative of the family but her mothers name was Mabel Gerrish.
There are quite a few Gerrishes in the Somerset area. Another Gladys May Gerrish was born nearby in 1913, but she had both parents listed.
So I’m still trying to trace this child, Annie or whatever, if she existed. Florence was a photographers assistant which was part of the family story so it seems likely the rest is correct.
I also did as you suggested and tried the other daughters and the sons but none had children around that time, and none of their children were called Annie or Gladys
Thanks very much for your help
Glyn

Anyone have any ideas as to how I can discover this child Annie Gerrish if she in fact existed? I’ve run out of ideas. Help!!

It seems that this story has been verified by Sonia’s daughter. Once a year or thereabouts Sonia and her sister would go with their mother up to Bristol to visit “cousin Annie”
Whether the story has been altered at all since that time, possibly wrong Christian name, I don’t know. The understanding came later when Sonia was older that the mysterious “ cousin” was an illegitimate relative of her mother’s
Can anyone suggest any other avenues of investigation?
What happened to illegitimate children?
It seems she was in some sort of home or institution possibly.
Thanks
Glyn

Glyn, please correct me if I've lost the plot a bit lol have read back and looked again for a birth for 'Annie' ,and assuming that if Sonia remembered visiting her as a child it would be l920s/30s have also looked on the 1939 reg for 'stray' Gerrish/Roffey females in Bristol. Also marriages and deaths.

Deaths Sep 1924 (>99%)
Roffey Florence R 35 Bristol 6a 1

But if Florence R Roffey died 1924,Sonia can't have been remembering visiting with her mother? Would it be step mother? is it possible that the story has been confused over the years?

Are there any photographs that might show 'Annie' ?

Sorry it’s my fault for being so obscure.
My friend Lynne born 1949 remembers visiting Cousin or Auntie Annie when she was about 3 years old, and was taken either to Bath or Bristol to meet her.
The family story was that Annie was the illegitimate child of one of the Gerrish girls, possibly Florence Ruth, who as you say died in 1924.
Lynne is Florence’s grand daughter.
Florence had two children with Albert Roffey, Sonia and Dorothy. The family story was that Florence was told by Albert to leave Annie behind when they were married.
So Sonia and Dorothy used to visit Annie every year, and when Sonia died her husband took Lynne ( Sonia’s daughter) to visit Annie. I think it was just once.
Does that clarify things? I hope it does.
Glyn

Yes thanks Glyn it means that if Lynn visited when she was about 3 that 'Annie' was still alive then so should be somewhere on the 1939 register. :-)

For elimination purposes only
death
First name(s) ANNE
Last name GERRISH
Gender Female
Birth day 3
Birth month 8
Birth year 1910
Age -
Death quarter 2
Death year 1979
District Bath
County Somerset
Volume 22
Page 0060
Country England

which is this one , maiden name Thorne

Gerrish Household (3 People)
4 Daffords Buildings , Bath C.B., Somerset, England


Herbert V (Ronald R) Gerrish 10 Apr 1904 Male Builders Labourer (Heavy Work) Married 266 1
Annie (Anne) Gerrish 02 Aug 1910 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 266 2
Marian Olive Russell (Gerrish) 13 Oct 1935 Female Under School Age Single 266 3

I need more help!!!
This bit of information seems even more obscure.
Florence Elizabeth Roffey died in Bristol in 1924. Albert Isaac Roffey had to keep working so the girls Dorothy aged 10 and Sonia aged 2 were cared for by a Mrs Hillier in Bristol. This lady wasn’t very nice to them according to Sonia. She had two sons Lloyd and Eliot or Elliot.
Can anyone find out more about these things?
Glyn

There's a Mrs Hillier in Bristol 1939 with son Lloyd, but other son is Douglas not Eliot. Not seeing an Eliot with that surname?

Possibly.....

??

Births Dec 1918 (>99%)
Hillier Lloyd G Jesty Bristol 6a 20

??

Lloyd Hillier on the 1939 Register

Hillier Household (6 People) 11 Filton Avenue , Bristol C.B., Gloucestershire, England

Catherine Hillier 06 Aug 1895 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Widowed 79 1
Douglas Hillier 20 Sep 1918 Male Plumber Single 79 2
Lloyd Hillier 20 Sep 1918 Male Aircraft Fitter (Assembly) Single 79 3
Leslie Larcombe 21 May 1912 Male Clerk Aeroplane Works Single 79 4
Idris Williams 04 Mar 1915 Male Night Telephonist Single 79 5
Wilfred Evans 31 Aug 1917 Male Aircraft Fitter Assembler Single 79 6

Marriages Jun 1918 (>99%)
Hillier Gilbert C Jesty Yeovil 5c 725
Jesty Catherine Hillier Yeovil 5c 725

Gilbert C Hillier died 1936.

Lloyd and Douglas were twins......

Births Dec 1918 (>99%)
Hillier Lloyd G Jesty Bristol 6a 20

Births Dec 1918 (>99%)
Hillier Douglas H Je__y Bristol 6a 20

There is a tree on here with both Douglas and Lloyd listed, Catherine & father Gilbert (1892) also.

If it is the correct person........there is a photo of Catherine Hillier nee Jesty on Ancestry if you would like it?