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I am looking for information regarding Shirley A Shanks born June 1943 in West Ham to Mabel Caroline Annie Cottrell and Edward Shanks. I found out yesterday that my father, who passed away in 2002, had a sister than we were not aware of. Her name was Shirley A Shanks. I am looking to build our family tree but if there was any chance of making contact with my father's family then that would be fantastic.

Hi Barrett.
Is this person still living, as far as you know?
If so, people will be a little cautious about helping, so you might need to say why you are making the query.
Also, 'any information' is very vague, so it would help to say what it is you are hoping to discover.
Jan

Seconding what brummiejan said

As your surname is the same, is this purely for FH purposes, or something else?
Have you ever been in contact with her? If so, do you have other clues which might help?

The person she might have married in 1980 has quite a common surname.

That marriage might have been tied to a different birth I think? poss one in Kensington?

mother Mabel died 1965.

Have you checked trees on here for Shirley? also your own name?

Thank you everyone for the guidance. I have added to my original post and hopefully it explains who and why :)

I did check trees and could not find the right Shirley Shanks. Yes Mabel passed away in 1965, at which stage she was estranged from my Grandfather. I say estranged but I actually have no idea if they ever divorced.

Barrett, can I just ask how you found out about Shirley? It seems this was not from your father.
When you say Mabel was estranged from your grandfather, I assume your father still had contact with them both? (There is a point to these questions, not just being nosy!).
Jan

I found out through researching my family tree - there is a record showing Shirley as the younger child of Mabel and Edward, who was born 2 years after my father. I was also told by my mother before she passed away that my father had a younger sister (possibly half sister). I am not sure that my father knew about her. My grandmother passed away in an asylum so my father had very little contact with his mother. He lived with his father and taken care of by other people within the family, I believe. I never knew Mabel as I was just 1 when she passed away. My Grandfather later remarried and this lady became the only grandmother I knew.

Just a thought that Shirley might have been fostered by one of Mabel's family?

Mabel had two sisters and a brother according to an Ancestry tree, the sisters and brother all married in the 1930's , might be worth following through to see if they had children ?

As Shirley was born during the war, and your grandmother suggested she might be a half-sister, I am wondering if there was a story there which might have bearings on the estrangement. It's possible that Shirley was adopted isn't it.
Have you tried asking other family members if they know anything? Including relatives of your grandfather's 2nd wife? These stories often get passed down in families.
Jan

Hi - I know that her brother had 3 children and I have tried making contact with one of them to find out if they know. Mabel had twin sisters too and as far as I can tell there are no children for either of these sisters. The biggest issue I am up against is time and the ages of people who may know and my second issue is I did not really know any of the family on my fathers side. I am struggling to find who to talk to. I will keep trying though. With regard to being fostered, my mother said someone in the family adopted Shirley - actually it may be fostered rather than adopted but I have no idea.

Barrett I think the sisters did have children. one of them I think had a son quite a number of years after her marriage, that 'might' suggest they could have been childless at the time Shirley was born, I'll PM the names and you can see what you think.

oh wow thank you . I will have a look into the other children

The name above and 1943 is tree listed on this site,perhaps by a shared family member?

Also Barrett, look for Pomeroy as per the person mentioned in PM, appears to possibly be a member here.

I think I have just messaged someone with the correct family tree under the name Pomeroy so fingers crossed.

Hi Barrett,

Did you manage to track down Shirley A Shanks? If not I think it could possibly be my mum!

Welcome to genesreunited, Dawn.

Just in case Barrett is not checking this thread, you could click on his name and send him a pm.

Many thanks I will do!