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I'd be grateful if anyone can help me sort out what happened to Maud after 1901. It is a strange one as I know who her father is but I have no idea of her mother.

Her father is James Elsegood (1847-1924). He was something of a ladies' man having 3 wives and 1 or 2 liaisons that we know about. First wife was Mary Ann Willetts. They had 5 children, including one named Maud Lilian (1875-1900). Mary died in 1878 and in 1880 he married Hannah Still. As far as I know there were no children and she died in 1881.

In 1882 James fathered a child, Sidney, with Hannah's sister Olive Still. Sidney was registered as Elsegood and his birth cert. shows mother as Olive Elsegood (formerly Still); however, they were not married.

The next child born appears to be Maud(e) Alexandra. I can find no birth registration but I have 3 possible dates from school records - 12 March 1884 or 10th or 15th Feb 1885. and a birth in Shepherd's Bush or Bayswater (from censuses). It is possible that Olive Still was Maud's mother as well as Sidney's but, if that were the case, I would expect her to have been properly registered as Sidney was. The other explanation is that James was with yet another lady who was the mother of Maud but I have no indication of what her name might be.

Olive Still died in 1888 and in 1891 James married Fanny Willoughby with whom he had 2 further daughters.

In 1891 Maud is with her paternal grandparents James and Catherine Elsegood. She was baptised 13 April 1895 when her parents are given as James Elsegood and Mary Ann. Mary Ann may be the Christian name of her real mother or may be completely made up. The address given is the home of her paternal aunt and her husband i.e. Ruth and George Shear. Maud is certainly living with them in 1901and she is a draper's assistant.

After 1901 she just disappears. I haven't found a marriage or death nor does she seem to be in the 1911 census. I wonder if she decided to take on her mother's name in which case I may never find her.

I'm sorry this is a bit long but thought you needed to know the background. If anyone can see whether they can trace her after 1901 or can give me any further advice I would be very grateful.

I have to do something else now but will try to get back later tonight or in the morning.

Maude's baptism, for location:

Maude Alexandra Elsegood
in the London, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1923
Name: Maude Alexandra Elsegood
Gender: Female
Record Type: Baptism
Baptism Date: 13 Apr 1895
Baptism Place: St John the Divine, Kennington, Lambeth, England
Father: James Elsegood
Mother: Mary Ann Elsegood
Register Type: Parish Register


And censuses for our reference:

Maude E Elregood
in the 1901 England Census
Name: Maude E Elregood [Elsegood]
Age: 19
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1882
Relation to Head: Niece
Gender: Female
Birth Place: Bagswater, London, England
Civil parish: Lambeth
Ecclesiastical parish: Christchurch North Brixton
County/Island: London
Country: England
Registration district: Lambeth
Sub-registration district: Kennington Second
ED, institution, or vessel: 20
Neighbors:
Piece: 422
Folio: 74
Page number: 29
Household schedule number: 236

[ With George R Shear, 39, Islington, and Ruth R Shear, 33, Lambeth.]



Maud Elsegood
in the 1891 England Census
Name: Maud Elsegood
Gender: Female
Age: 8
Relationship: Granddaughter
Birth Year: 1883
Birth Place: Shepherds Bush, London, England
Civil parish: Camberwell
Ecclesiastical parish: St Jude
Residence Place: Peckham, Camberwell, London, England
Registration district: Camberwell
Sub registration district: Peckham
ED, Institution or Vessel: 38
Neighbors:
Piece: 481
Folio: 62
Household Members (Name) Age Relationship
James Elsegood 69 Head
Catharine Elsegood 69 Wife
Stanley Elsegood 13 Grandson
Maud Elsegood 8 Granddaughter

In the margin of the baptism record image, it says "Adult".

In 1891 your Maud is Maud E, not Maud A.
Maybe the enumerator's mistake - but are you sure this is the "adult" baptised in 1895?

?

Births Mar 1885 (>99%)

Haylock Maude Alexandra W. Ham 4a 240

MMN---Rawlings.

You have found birth dates of 1884 and 1885 in school records - but the censuses say 1882 and 1883.

The 1895 baptism shows James Elsegood's occupation as 'Tradesman'
A 10-year-old would hardly be described as 'adult'

Address is 41, Brannah Road

Re: the birth suggested by Kay

That child is on censuses with her parents

Is it realistic to think that a man would have two daughters named Maud? Especially as the one born in 1875 was very much alive..............

Name: Miss Maud L Elsgood
Gender: Female
Departure Age: 23
Birth Date: abt 1875
Departure Date: 10 Dec 1898
Departure Port: England
Ship Name: St Paul

James had two brothers and two sisters at least (1861 census)

Summary Book.1911.

Name: Elsegood Miss
Number of Males: 1
Number of Females: 1
Household schedule number: 139
Street Address: 20 Deloraine Street
Civil parish: St Paul Deptford
Ecclesiastical parish: Deptford St John
County/Island: London
Country: England
Residence Year: 1911
Registration district: Greenwich
Registration District Number: 28
Sub-registration district: Deptford South
Sub-Registration District Number: 3
ED, institution, or vessel: 23
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece.

Ther are no other details attached to the name,only its a private house.



Also this,,,

Detail Source
Name: Elsegood Mr
Number of Males: 2
Number of Females: 2
Household schedule number: 240
Street Address: 51 Gibbon Road
Civil parish: St Paul Deptford
Ecclesiastical parish: Peckham St Mary Magdalene
County/Island: London
Country: England
Residence Year: 1911.

Same area Mr Elsegood listed as a Shop.

That is Edith Emily born c1876, plus her brother Edwin Victor

Thank you all for your efforts on my behalf.

I am not concerned that my girl is Maude E and not Maude A in the 1891 census. This sort of enumerator's mistake is fairly common.

Yes, I do think she is the "adult" baptised in 1895. She was at St John the Divine School for almost 3 years from 1894 to 1896. The authorities there may have insisted on her baptism. As far as the "adult" bit is concerned, I think that particular priest called anyone who was a little older than usual an adult. I was puzzled by that when I saw it so I checked the next entry of James Edgar Park, also marked adult. He was also 10 years old.

As for the birth dates, you have Maude as 19 on the 1901 census, ArgyllGran, but the original image clearly says 17, which would give a birth date of about 1884.but in any case I always check a few years either side of any given date.

ErikaH, James had 7 siblings though 3 died in childhood. My late brother and I checked the other siblings as best we could and there was no reason to think that Maude could have belonged to any of them. The only other thing we could think was that perhaps James Elsegood "took up with" a lady who already had a daughter Maude, but it seems odd that the girl would have lived with different members of James' family and was considered a grandchild and a niece if James wasn't her father.

Kay????, I'm not sure who the Elsegoods in the 1911 Summary Book are. One of James' brothers did live at St Paul's, Deptford but he died in 1896 and I am not aware that he had a shop. There are other unrelated Elsegoods around.

Thank you all for taking the time to look at my brick wall. It is much appreciated.

EDIT I see that ErikaH has told me the names of the Elsegoods Kay???? found. Thank you

Although Maud is clearly logged as such in some records, I will throw into the mix that her name could be wrongly transcribed on the GRO index.

I remember a friend researching a Maria, who she lost track of.
She reappeared in later records as Maud, which could be because of the misreading of old style cursive writing.

I hadn’t thought of a mistranscription by the GRO but it is possible. I had checked all births between about 1880 and 1886 under the names of Elsegood and Still and had also checked Matilda as a name. I know Matildas were sometimes called Maud. I find it hard to believe that her birth wasn’t registered. I am beginning to lose hope of finding her but never say never. After 10 years of research and a bit of lateral thinking I found what happened to my great grandfather after 1881. A lot of trees on Ancestry had him dying in the workhouse in the 1880s but I was sure that man wasn’t him and I was right. He didn’t die till 1922. So maybe I’ll still sort Maude out one day.

There is certainly no mistranscription of the baptism record -the image is very clear, and the writing equally so.
;-) ;-)

Elsegood
Maud
—
—
—
National School Admission Registers & Log-Books 1870-1914
Camberley, Surrey, England
Elsegood
Maud
1898;;;;;This Maud is actually down as Mabel father James Victoria Terrace,,,,birth date given----26 NOvember 1898, ,,,,
—
1910
National School Admission Registers & Log-Books 1870-1914
Camberley, Surrey, England
Elsegood
Maude
1885----this Maud NOK is Ruth Shear (aunt) 41 Bramah Road.and Maude DOB is given as---10 October 1885,
—


1894
National School Admission Registers & Log-Books 1870-1914
Camberwell, Surrey, England

One of the school records mentioned in the OP :

Mand Elsegood
in the London, England, School Admissions and Discharges, 1840-1911
Name: Mand Elsegood
Gender: Female
Age: 8
Birth Date: 12 Mar 1884
Admission Date: 20 Jun 1892
School: Peckham Park School
Father: James Elsegood
Notes: Peckham Park School (0352) opened in 1876

Address: 37 Elcot Avenue.



The others in the OP don't seem to be on Ancestry - unless this is one of them??

Maud Sheer
in the London, England, School Admissions and Discharges, 1840-1911
Name: Maud Sheer
Gender: Female
Age: 8
Birth Date: 15 Feb 1885
Admission Date: 20 Feb 1893
School: Woods Road School
Father: George Sheer
Notes: Woods Road School (0543) opened in 1881. Renamed John Donne Primary School in 1951

Address: 8 Dundas Road.

37 Elcot Avenue:

James Elsegood
in the London, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1965
Name: James Elsegood
Electoral Date: 1891
Street Address: 37, Elcot avenue
Ward or Division/Constituency: Peckham
County or Borough: Southwark, England


He's also at that address in 1890, 1892, 1893, 1894.
No 37 isn't listed in 1895.


8 Dundas Road, Peckham isn't listed in 1893 or 1894

ArgyllGran - Re. the school records for Maud. The one for Maud Sheer (Shear) is her but I think George Shear is named as guardian rather than parent, as she was living with the Shears at the time. I am not sure why Maud is called Shear but it may be an assumption on the part of the school.

The Peckham Park record shows James Elsegood as Parent/Guardian and I think this is probably grandfather James as guardian. At the time she was living with him at 37 Elcot Avenue. I believe he lived there from at least 1891 till his death in 1896.

The information about the St John the Divine School came from my late brother who was a meticulous researcher. I don't know where he found it but I would guess possibly at the LMA which we both visited at different times. He also had a sub to FMP so it may have been there. My notes from my brother say that she started at the school 15 Jan 1894 and left 27 Oct 1896. Her birth date was 10th Feb 1885 and her guardian was Ruth Shear. Address 41 Brammah Road. Previous school Woods Road.

Kay???? - I don't think "Mabel" Elsegood can be my Maud who was certainly born well before 1898. She is on the 1881 census as 8 years old and the 1901 as 17 years.

It's all fascinating stuff and I appreciate all your help. I must go now and get some meat in the oven or OH will think he isn't getting his favourite Sunday roast today.

My head is now spinning having spent well over 4 hours trying to find Maude in the 1911 census or elsewhere after 1901. I've tried a variety of surnames and first names and looked at every possible relation she could be living with. The only one I haven't found in the 1911 is Sidney (b 1882), the son of Olive Still so perhaps he and Maude are together somewhere.

The only other possibility I have found is a Miss Elsegood, sailing to Port Said on 2nd January 1914 on the ship Mantua. She is a lady's maid, aged 30, so born about 1883. However without a first name or address this can only be a vague possibility.

I know Ancestry trees are notoriously full of errors but even if people can't afford to keep buying certificates you would think they could use a bit of common sense where dates are concerned. I found a lovely one today. The owner had Hannah Still marrying James Elsegood at the age of 13, having a child Sidney a year after her death, then miraculously springing back to life, popping off to Australia and dying there 40 odd years later! This meant he had James marrying his third wife while wife number 2 was still alive. Doesn't it make you want to tear your hair out?

Anyway, if no-one has any further suggestions about what more I can do to sort out Maude I will leave her for a while. Thank you all for your suggestions and help.

UK, Royal Hospital Chelsea Pensioner Soldier Service Records, 1760-1920
View Original Image on Fold3.
Name: Sidney Elsegood
Enlistment Age: 23
Birth Date: abt 1882
Birth Place: Camberwell, Surrey
Enlistment Year: 1905
Regiment: R H Artillery
Regimental Number: 35900
Attestation Paper: Yes


Sidney Elsegood
Birth 1882
Death 19 Dec 1944 (aged 61–62)
Burial
Camberwell New Cemetery and Crematorium
Camberwell, London Borough of Southwark, Greater London, England
Plot
Square 119, Grave 7771
Memorial ID
218424697


He lived at 31 Acorn Place, Camberwell at least from 1927 , presumably until his death.

Married in 1930:

Marriages Mar 1930 (>99%)
Elsegood Sidney Worsfold Camberwell 1d 993
Worsfold Sarah A Elsegood Camberwell 1d 993

But in 1938 he's with Sarah Ann and Sidney Elsegood junior , who must have been born 1917 or earlier -


In 1937 and 1938 Sidney senior's also with Alice Eleanor Worsfold and George Worsfold.

Marriages Dec 1934 (>99%)
Prop Alice E Worsfold Camberwell 1d 1568
Worsfold George S Prop Camberwell 1d 1568

WORSFOLD, GEORGE SAMUEL mmn HALL
GRO Reference: 1911 J Quarter in CAMBERWELL Volume 01D Page 844

ADDED:


Aha! I think Sidney "Elsegood" junior in 1938 ER is actually Sidney Worsfold - brother of George , and son of Sarah Ann:

WORSFOLD, SIDNEY ALEXANDER mmn HALL
GRO Reference: 1915 D Quarter in CAMBERWELL Volume 01D Page 1463


Sydney Worsfield
in the 1939 England and Wales Register
Name: Sydney Worsfield
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Single
Birth Date: 26 Aug 1915
Residence Date: 1939
Address: 31 Acorn Place
Residence Place: Camberwell, London, England
Occupation: Croniam Plater
Line Number: 18
Schedule Number: 146
Sub Schedule Number: 3
Enumeration District: Aeuw
Borough: Camberwell
Registration district: 25-4
Household Members (Name) Age
Sidney Elgood 57 - 13 June 1882 - general labourer
Sarah Elgood 70 - 1 Aug 1869 - household duties
Sydney Worsfield 24 - 26 Aug 1915 - chromium plater
Thomas Fryer 66

In 1948 he's at 31 Acorn Place:

Sidney A Worsfold
in the London, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1965
Name: Sidney A Worsfold
Electoral Date: 1948
Street Address: 31 Joseph [ 31 Acorn Place on image ]
Ward or Division/Constituency: Camberwell
County or Borough: Southwark, England


In 1921 census, Sidney Worsfold 1915 is in Camberwell with Sarah Ann Worsfold 1872, Rose Worsfold 1902, Alice Worsfold 1907, George Worsfold1910, Stanley 1914, and 1 other

Rose , Stanley and Alice all have mmn Hall.

In 1911 census, Sarah is at 31 Acorn Place with first husband Henry and children.
Married 23 years.

Marriage as Sarah Jane??

Sarah Jane Hall
in the London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1938
Name: Sarah Jane Hall
Gender: Female
Marriage Age: 27
Record Type: Marriage
Birth Date: abt 1869
Marriage Date: 16 Feb 1896
Marriage Place: St George the Martyr, Southwark, England
Father: Henry Hall
Spouse: Henry Worsfold
Register Type: Parish Register


However -

I digress!
That doesn't help find Sidney Elsegood in 1911.
Nor Maud(e).