Help with missing grandma!

[Barmaid]

Hello you guys, thought I would post this on here, because there is always someone who sees something I don't.

I am helping a friend to try and find out what happened to his grannie. This is what I have been told. She was born in Peterborough area in 1889 - one Rachel Paul. I think her middle name may have been Ann. In 1908 she had an illegitimate child, Leslie, who was fostered out. Rachel then disappears. Apparently she had a sister who was known as Winnie Wilson. Her birthname was Wilson, but she also married a Wilson! Apparently Rachel does not appear on 1911 Census.

Anyway, this is what I have discovered. Rachel was daughter of Donald and Rose Paul. Born in Peterborough in 1889. She is on 1891 and 1901 Census. I have found her (I think) on 1911 Census in Peterborough. On 1911 Census, with her family, Winifred is also shown but with the surname Paul. I query whether Winifred was Rachel's daughter rather than her sister. I have found a Rachel Ann Wilson who marries William Wood in Whitby in 1909 (although this doesn't sit with what the 1911 Census says about Rachel Paul). I have then found a Rachel Ann WIlson who died in 1978 in Wakefield (her birth having been Dec 1889). I think this could be our lady (although I am happy to be corrected by the brainier ones on here. So my theory is that she has married (perhaps using a false name) following an relationship with a Wilson. Does anyone have any alternative suggestions, please?

My friend really wants to know what happened to his gran - and indeed whether he has any aunts and uncles!

[craft1948]

Is this the same Fancis Paul who married a Rose Shortland?

[craft1948]

sorry Leslie Paul.....

[Barmaid]

Yes that's the one. My friend is Les and Rose's son.

[craft1948]

Well I've checked emigration and can only find one RA Paul who emigrated in 1911 to New Zealand on 29/9/1911 on board the Remuera, but the transcript is dodgy, as it says she's a Mrs and a Housewife but gives her Marital Status as Single...

[dothawkes31]

Who was she travelling with craft? It would take a strong character to go out the NZ on her own in 1911. Were there others on the journey that may have come from the same area? On the passenger lists for Canada I used for my father-in-laws brothers it gave their home addresses before emigration

[craft1948]

No it's not her............single also means unaccompanied by husband or wife, and she also had a child Miss M Paul with her.

[Barmaid]

Hmmmm Crafty - you might have something there. I had looked at that one very quickly but not read it properly. She is travelling with a Miss M Paul who is aged between 1 and 12. I would have to assume the Miss M is a child of hers. Yet this child is not in the "infant" column so should have been alive at the time of the 1911 Census. In which case, where was she?!

[dothawkes31]

Did we ever look at whether Rachel used her mothers maiden name at all?

[dothawkes31]

It would be perfectly legal for her to do that as there was no surname on any birth registration for the child up to 1972. The full copy showed the parent(s) names but only the christian name of the child. a short free copy used the surname of the father for the child if legitimate and the mothers surname if illegitimate, if she had to have prooh of identity and she did emigrate she and she was born before her parents married she may have had to travel with her mothers maiden name.

[B00]

Escuse me ladies, but each time I see this in recent posts im so tempted to reply "Have you looked down the back of the sofa?"

[dothawkes31]

LOL, I'm off out, keep smiling B00!

[Barmaid]

I did a little sniffing around on that Dot - her parents were married in the Sep quarter of 1889. Rachel was born in Dec quarter (so they were cutting it a bit fine). Mother's ms was Moulding.

[Barmaid]

lol B00. Yeah, i was expecting a question along the lines of "where did you leave her?"

Cheers Dot.

[dothawkes31]

dec quarter for registration, she could have been born back to mid august and still be registered legally in the last quarter which is september to december registrations, legally a child had to be regsitered within 6 weeks, she could have had both parents names on the regstration, still be indexed under the fathers name but still be illegitimate in law if they were not married

[dothawkes31]

sorrr barmaid, just as the screen closed down before i went to asdas i was re-reading that total rubbish I just wrote lol Sept quarter marriages took place between july aug sept but dec quarter birth registrations could have taken place from mid sept to end dec cos of the 6 weeks allowed.