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***** UPDATE *****
Have received Lilby/Silby's birth certificate and she is my Lilby.
Born Lilby/Silby Myrtle JEFFREY
July 7th 1888
Mother Jessie Matilda JEFFREY formerly FOX
Father Alexander Jeffrey whose occupation is noted as a bank clerk

Luckily hadn't done too much research on the "step father" William Ernest Messervy although what I had done was relevant to Jessie's life with him.

The 1891 and 1901 census returns all indicated that William Messervy was Lilby's father asalso did her marriage cert so mystery as to why no mention of her natural father until we found (thanks to Janey) her birth cert

Huge thanks and on the right track but how easy to get led astray (as it seems our ancestors sometimes did......)

I polish my nails. ;)

So Barbara had Jessie's birth:

Births Mar 1864
FOX Jessie Matilda Camberwell 1d 566

but there doesn't seem to be a Jeffrey-Fox marriage.

As for William Messervy being shown as her father -- since there was no formal adoption at the time stepchilden were often just treated as children, used the stepfather's surname, and were recorded that way. The less nice stepfathers didn't record stepchildren under their own surnames. (My gr-grfather was one of them; my gr-grmother's daughter from before marriage didn't get the surname, wasn't in the family photos ...)

Off to find Alexander Jeffrey now? You're very lucky to have a father's name. No such luck, in most unmarried-parent cases.

I am definitely trying to sniff the illusive man out so I am looking on the census returns to see if there are any bankers out there (looking on 1891 at the mo)

Couldnt find Jessie married to anybody so will take a while but I will get somewhere ;o)

Thank you again everybody

re : Jessie I have got a way back with her family as they were all nice and sensible and married each other plus noted their children on the census returns so all good
They were all a line of french polishers and linen drapers

Did you always want to be Scottish?

Most Alexander Jeffrey-s seem to be. ;)

Funny you should say that ;o)
I noticed that whilst surfing on An*****try, so far I have a lot of Welsh, Irish on two branches, Cumbria and my Aunt is desperate some Scottish bless her.... we have some Drummonds way back up to 1810 and so far they are all in Cumbria (she was hoping they may have been our Scottish influence)

But Alexander Jeffrey eh, I am thinking he may well be Scottish so am hoping ....