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Frances Sullivan from Waterford gave birth to me in Hammersmith Hospital London. Within a few days she had abandoned me, after a few failed attempts. I know she had another baby 2 years before me ,she ran off and left this child to. This baby she left with her parents in Waterford. I would love to know who i am before i die, not much hope now. I was never adopted, so no paper work around.I have no idea who the family are in Waterford. Maybe lots of brothers and sisters around.

Welcome to the boards Patricia.
As a starting point, may I ask how you know about the other child?
Jan

Who brought you up Patricia? Do they know anything at all about your mother?

Kath. x

Hello Patricia,

To help you we need a bit more information from you. Do you have your birth certificate?

There is one Patricia F Sullivan born in Hammersmith in 1948. If this is you and you do not have your birth certificate, then it may be wise to obtain this to get some other information it may hold.

Please come back with answers to questions on this thread.

Sappho

Hello Patricia,

Some good questions on here. So if your birth certificate tells you nothing other than where you were born, you seem to know that your mother was Frances Sullivan from Waterford. This indicates you would have some idea of her family as you state you have a half sibling who was left to be brought up by grandparents (Frances parents) in Waterford and your grandparents.

Where did this information come from as from what you have said this is our starting point to help you. Unfortunately it appears to be the only lead and we do need to be linked in somewhere to come forward for you.

As you are now on genes, may I suggest you familiarise yourself with the site and what it offers you for searching for your family.

So start with that and then you can move to search heading - top righthand side. Click on there and it will give you a choice of birth, marriage, etc. You can then use the system from there.

You can make a start and then come back on here if you get stuck. You will be encouraged very soon on one name leading to another and then another as you search for your birth mother and siblings.

Try to search the names you have first.

Good luck,

Sappho

not sure who i have replied to, getting lost trying to find away round.

Repost here Patricia, I can't see you have replied anywhere?

If you look to the left of your screen you will see My Threads and your post will show there

Patricia has only 2 current posts to her name, both on here.

Patricia, you've probably sent a personal message - look in your 'Sent messages' box from the drop-down 'messages' tab at the top of the page.

Kath, Jan and Sappho will give you similar instructions assuming you've messaged on of them.

Unless the information you have passed is sensitive, it is better to acknowledge public posts/replies on the thread. Use the 'Add your reply' box at the bottom of the page.

Hello helpers,

I have not been able to get back on this thread until today.

I have asked Patricia to come back onto this thread, but I think she needs help to do this.

Patricia replied directly to me by pm when I asked if she had her birth certificate. She has the cert.

I think she should come back and tell you that it gave no information, I replied by asking her to return to the thread and relay the short info to the thread.

Patricia - you need to come back on here so we can help you. PLEASE DO THIS asap.

Sappho

Have just pm Patricia on how to get back on thread as you have done AmazingGrace08 on here.

Patricia replied to my thread question (birth cert) direct to me by pm and I encouraged her to get back on thread.

This is to clarify for helpers.

Sappho

Just found all your replies , sorry not good on computor did not know where to look.

Now that you have found your way back, could you answer the questions for all of us?

How do you know about your sibling, and have you tried to find any further information about them or about your Mother and her family?

Thank-you

could you please ask again, i will stay with threads. Need a young child to help me. Sorry

I have been told by people who lived in the same street as my mother, that she left Waterford where she had a child 2 years before me. She said her name was Frances Sullivan. Left baby with her parents. She rented a room in Notting Hill after leaving Hospital.From that moment she had no time for me, and within days had left me on Wormwood Scrubs ( grounds of a large prison )The next time was outside a convent in Portabella Road.The last time she asked a neighbour to look after me so she could go to the shops, never returned and had taken all her cloths.

Has there been any information that Social Services could get from the hospital where you were born from her admission paperwork....you must have been returned to her after she left you the second time.,,,,,,,,who was responsible for that.?

Social Services did not find out about me until i was 11 years old. The elderly neighbour just kept me and she registered my birth with not much information.

Patricia,

Now can we start with confirming that you are trying to trace your half sibling or your mother or both?

Can you confirm who brought you up; where you went to school; a file held by Social Services on you yes/no? We need guidance from you what you hope from this.

Your emotions are being felt here and we wish to help. We cannot without some more guidelines.

I grew up in Westbourne Grove, London W.11 and there was a house two doors along belonging to the Catholic Church - it was where the nuns resided. I do not know of the Portobello Convent. I think you could check out the Portobello Road convent to see if they hold any records of the story you have been told. Check online to see the address before you make a journey.

I find it hard to believe that the neighbour 'solely' would have been able to register your birth without some sort of supervision by the authorities - it would be most unusual even then. The neighbour must have been involved in some way to be allowed to do this. There was also a house in Westbourne Grove call Family Service Unit, now taken over by Samaritans I think. Being in NZ I have lost touch, but I would contact these agencies in the local area to see if they can help.

I still think that if the story of Frances Sullivan from Waterford is true, then with a name and place you should start with that - search All Records and then Search Trees. With records try guessing the age.

Good luck,

Sappho

I think something isnt right here,,,,,

I think you need to seek the help of SS to gain what the hospital records can reveal.

Patricia-----this is the Irish web address for missing people where you can widen your search with placing a message incase she returned to Ireland......

www.MIssing.WS.

www(dot)Missing (dot)WS


EDIT>>>There are two marriages 1949 in Pancres and 1951 in Woolwich,one as Frances and one as Frances P.

Also your birth is registered under two surnames,,,,,,,,Shepherd and Sullivan.?

On certificates it states who the informant is from the data given to the registrar & including their current address ??

So this was definitely done by the neighbour.

:-S

I cant see how some "elderly neighbour " just kept you!!

So if she just kept you when was your birth registered?


There is a "foundling" museum in London they may help with unwinding your story If she left your older sister with her parents are you still in contact with her?