Find Living Relatives

Lee,

I'm going to PM you the Facebook page for the woman who has Catherine in her tree. Perhaps you can make contact that way.

Rose

FMP 1939 register allows a street//road search,




ancestry doesn't,

thank you for clarifying the birth certificate question.

I'll speak to my cousin and suggest putting an ad in the news if they still run that feature.
I'm aware it connects people as my mum contacted her relation John who she hadn't seen for many years via this. Strangely he lives in Kent

It may well be the older children were told by their mother that the norrises had the baby to explain where the baby went but whether this was really the case we won't know till she is found.

Hawthorn Crescent is just down the hill, very near Cosham railway station.

I have no connection, just happen to know that area.

I don't know if the local newspaper still runs a free column which they had.
The paper is called The News,and is widely read in Portsmouth and surrounding districts.
They ran a feature called ' Where are they now ? 'where one could enquire about friends or family members. If you do write, it would be best to make your message brief, but not too explicit about circumstances. I have known the column to be quite successful, even reuniting people from some time ago, such as your case.

EDIT
Electoral lists for the area will be in Portsmouth's main library.

Copies may also be in the County Record Office in Winchester

It would be unusual for a family to know the name of a child's adoption family.

Just to clarify, which family moved from where, after the war.?

You asked if a new birth certificate would be issued and show on BMD - the answer is no. An adoption certificate is registered with the GRO, but is not publicly available, a short form birth certificate is issued which does not name parents.

An individual or their representative can obtain a copy of the adoption certificate which does name the adoptive parents, but not sure if anyone else can.

thank you

Possible parents of the 1945 child:

Marriages Dec 1937 (>99%)
Martin Winifred E E Norris Portsmouth 2b 1196
Norris Cecil G R Martin Portsmouth 2b 1196


Winifred Ellen E Norris
in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
Name: Winifred Ellen E Norris
Death Age: 82
Birth Date: 18 Jan 1916
Registration Date: Oct 1998
Registration district: South east Hampshire
Inferred County: Hampshire
Register Number: H47
District and Subdistrict: 5013
Entry Number: 219

In 1939 they were living in Portsmouth proper, not Wymering or Cosham:

Winifred E G Norris
in the 1939 England and Wales Register
Name: Winifred E G Norris
Gender: Female
Marital status: Married
Birth Date: 18 Jan 1916
Residence Year: 1939
Address: 237 Hawthorn Crescent
Residence Place: Portsmouth, Hampshire, England
Occupation: Unpaid Domestic Duties
Schedule Number: 204
Sub Schedule Number: 2
Enumeration District: EBEF
Registration district: 90/1
Inferred Spouse: Cecil Y R Norris
Household Members:
Name
Cecil Y R Norris - fish caterer assistant
Winifred E G Norris


Cecil Geroge R Norris
in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
Name: Cecil Geroge R Norris
Death Age: 60
Birth Date: 26 Aug 1916
Registration Date: Jul 1977
[Aug 1977]
[Sep 1977]
Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep
Registration district: Portsmouth
Inferred County: Hampshire
Volume: 20
Page: 0779

Historic Electoral Rolls for Portsmouth area don't seem to be online

You'll probably have to enquire at the local council offices:

https://www.hants.gov.uk/librariesandarchives/archives/collections/electoralregister

No registers were compiled 1940-44, because of the war.

hi re sending msg: I have messaged the member but have not had any response from her.

re 1939 thank you for looking. Is there any way of checking 1940s onwards?
would you know if they were adopted would they have new birth certificate issued in their new name which would show on bdm? Or would it just be the original certificate on bdm and the adopted certificate would be held elsewhere?
there is a janet c norris born 1945 portsmouth details on bdm.

There were no Norrises in Norwich Road in 1939.

Don't know about the 1940's.

Have you made any attempt to contact the member who has this name in her tree?

hi all
I have spoken again to my cousin and she was told years ago by an older sister that Catherine was given to a family with surname Norris who lived at Norwich Road Wymering cosham.
can anyone tell me if there is a way of finding out if a family lived at Norwich Road back in the 40s?
apparently they moved away when auntys' husband returned from the war.

Hi yes if it's the same janice she would be my half sister. did have brief contact some time ago but unfortunately she didn't want to meet and contact ceased.

There's a Janice who has Hetty in a tree on here. Do you know her?

Rose

they are all siblings

There are 12 Tolfrey/Sheppard brths in Portsmouth on freebmd - plus one in another registration district

yes that's correct. Catherine was a war baby unfortunately no-one knows the name of her father. Hetty never spoke about her but it's understood Hetty didn't want to give her up but had no choice. Catherine had 2 older sisters who spoke about her from time to time, as kids do. As years past memories fade and get muddled. My cousin recently mentioned she may have another sister but wasnt sure. Now we know for definate and she would really like to find her and get in touch with her.

I wonder if Catherine's adoptive parents kept her middle name. The GR member with Catherine in her tree is named Ann.

Is it possible that the tree owner is actually Catherine? Perhaps the family moved to Australia and "Ann" isn't sure where she was born?

All just speculation but using world membership I can only find the one birth for the name Catherine Tolfrey so it is definitely worth trying to contact the member (and just hope she is still able to be contacted through Genes).

Kath. x

The only Catherine Ann Tolfrey born in Portsmouth 1945 has mms Sheppard, per FreeBMD.

EDIT:

Oh, I see - her mother Hetty B Sheppard married Mr Tolfrey in 1936 in Portsmouth.

Births Dec 1916
Sheppard Hetty B (mms Houghton) Alverstoke 2b 834

Yes the adoptive name would be different, but she's in your tree under her birth name..................................and it's not a common name, especially when taking the birth year into account