Genealogy Chat

I spoke to a cousin and recently found that my grandfathers' parents were rumoured to have had another child that was sent to an institution or home. For what reason or at what age I do not know.

It would have been somewhere between 1901 when they had a daughter die and 1907 when they had a son, I'm guessing anyway as this is the largest gap. I'm not sure even if the story is true but does anyone know if there is any way of finding out?

I can't find a 1911 census to check if the said child still lived with them then but then again even if the story is true it may have been put in the home or institute before this time.

Hope someone can help with this delema.

Gypsy-joe

Depends how common the surname.
If the two known children were registered in same district then search for another birth in that district.
You could pay for a search at the relevant registrars office specifying parents names.

Hi

If you give us the name and year and area of the child you do know we will have a look for your

Kind Regards

Jane

I have a story very simiular that i tracking at the moment. My mum had a brother who was born sept 25th 1940,but i can't find him on bmd reg. I have put this down to them not being complete.He died a short time after he was born or so it is said. I have been to the cemetery and checked the records. There is even a stillbirths reg ,which will inform you of parents and address. I still didn't find anything.
I am now in the process off going through Parish registers. Looking at a number of different ones. His father was Catholic and his mother a devout salvation army member. If i don't find anything ,then the other possibility is that he was instutionalized.

I will keep an eye on this thread in the hope there will be some valuable info given.
Thanks Donna

Hi Donna,

I see with interest you mention a stillborn register. Is this just for that cemetry or is it nationally?

The reason I ask is that we believe that my G Grandma gave birth to twins in 1931. Mary is still alive but I can find no record of a twin and not sure where to look.

I had been told that if it was stillborn the baby would just be taken away and there would be no record. Also the only way to know for sure was to get Mary's birth cert and see if there is a time on it.

Any information you can give would be greatfully recieved.

Many Thanks

Dawn

Cemeteries should hold a stillborn register.

In my case there was a very nice gent who explained to me that even though the babies were stillborn they would need to be registered by law . It would be in a seperate book with all the other normal entries .
You should contact the cemetery and just ask their advice. Mine were only to willing to help. If you can narrow your time frame down and location, then even better.

Even if the child hadn't been given a christian name by the parents it would still say something like son /daughter of Albert and Jean Smith -the date and the home address.

HOPE THIS HELPS

Thanks Donna,

I know the date of birth as it was a twin and have just found a website for York cemetry which I believe it would be registered with and have emailed them.

I would not have even thought of this if it was not for you, so many thanks.

Dawn

Wouldn't you know it, I have just had a reply from York Cemetry and the stillborn registers between 1926 and 1933 have been lost, so there is no way of knowing if a baby was burried there in 1931.

Oh well, will have to have a re-think. Any ideas anyone??

Dawn.

Another idea is that the baby would have been put in a public grave.
Sometimes a baby would have been buried with an adult ,usually in a woman 's arms who had died around the same day. If you have the date of birth e-mail them back and ask for info about that line of enquiry.

Donna

I nearly forgot.

Deaths need to be registerd within 5 days

Thanks everyone, I'll try the suggestions.

Donna, with things not being as strict then, it may be possible she gave him to a couple who couldnt have kids, an they registered him as theirs? Nowadays it'd be extremely hard and lots of questions asked by the hospital, midwife etc but then it would have been easier....home births, local women delivering babies, etc etc.

Sorry guys I just realized I never replied to Jim or Victoria. The surname was or is Foley. Both Beatrice and Stewart were born in the West Ham area Bea in 1901 she died about 6 months later. Stewart was born in 1907.

There are several births in that timeframe.
The best option is to pay extra for a five year search,specifying parents.

Thanks Jim,

Do you know if I would be able to go to an office and look myself?

Hi Joe
Not a question that I am sure about.
As far as I know you cannot view birth records anywhere.What I do know is a five year search at the local office cost me about £11.50 but they returned my cheque(they only charge for a certificate)
The problem is not all offices will do searches for us genealogists
regards Jim

Does anyone know if I can search anywhere online for children of parents after 1901/02. I would work out rather expensive for me to get BDM to search every name in the region and see if any of the children had the parents I was looking for.

Would I maybe able to do it by institutions or another way?

Hope you know what I mean.

Gypsyjoe