Genealogy Chat

Carole, Try having a chat with the local library in Honiton about electoral rolls. Unlikely they're online ... yet. Local library archivists can be REALLY helpful - and some will even do lookups for you if it's an easy one. Annie

We have had contact with mother and baby home but they dont have any more details than we already know not even an age of the mother which would be a big help. My Mum went to the social workers and had counciling before they tried to find out more information but they only came up with what we already knew We already had the adoption cert. They tried the courts to see if there were any other records but that was blank aswell.

Wonder why Manchester? OK, it was a 'specialist' Catholic establishment, but surely there must have been others? Seems like a long way to go ....

can searches be done on electoral rolls online? The poor woman is prob dead now.

I wonder if 'McKeown' was her real name ....

Carole, Have you got a death certificate? Annie

Carole, Agree with comments already made - electoral roll is a particularly 'hot' trail to follow. This looks like it might have been a 'wartime romance' which resulted in a baby - in which case, tracing the father will be nigh on impossible without 'personal testimony' from the mother. The timeframe is relatively recent, hence the difficulties ... however, if her link with Honiton was a permanent one, you might be able to do some local detective work. You never know, there might even be someone who remembers her. Have you tried getting 'plugged in' to the local family history/local history organisations there? I've had quite a lot of success by getting in touch with local community associations too. Good luck - keep us posted! Regs Annie

Id have thought the mother and baby home would be your first point of contact. Nudge up the adoption thread on here for better advice.

Have you searched forward for a marriage for Mary Jean? You may have to search forwards in order to be able to then work back. If she returned to Devon, it suggests that she was settled there. Have you looked for her on electoral rolls? Gwyn

I have been searching on and off for the last 25 yrs for information on MARY JEAN MCKEOWN. I would appreciated any tips or advice on where to go next., or if some one knows of an online search for births in Ireland. Here goes:- Mary Jean McKeown had a baby 4th september 1944. I have the birth cert of the child. The problem is on the birth cert it doesnt tell us anything else about the mother except her name! No age. Dont know if she was married. NOTHING so as you can imagine very difficult to search. We have looked at births from 1900 - 1932 which would have made her between 12yrs and 44yrs when she gave birth. We have drawn a blank for England so assume she was born elsewhere ie Ireland. She could also have been married which again is impossible because we would have to view every marriage cert for a male McKeown pre 1944 to see if he married someone called Mary Jean ...........(surname). We Do know that she was a nursing assistant. Before the birth she was living at 52 St Davids Hill Exeter, which was a nurses home. She then went into a catholic mother & baby home in Broom Lane Manchester until after the birth of the baby. when she moved to Honiton Devon. The baby was born in Boundry Park Hospital Oldham. Does anyone have any ideas about what the next step should be apart from waiting another 40-50 yrs for the 1941 or 1951 census! I might just about be alive but I doubt it. Carole (granddaughter of Mary Jean ..............? McKeown