Find Ancestors

Sorry for misleading data.
Obviously didn't have brain in gear
Glad someone is awake Madmag.
Thanks

The office in Folkestone has now closed and records have been moved, then moved again in recent years.

If you go to this link and scroll down, it will tell you that records are in Kent district.
Click on the links to find who to contact....

http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/reg/districts/elham.html

You could explain simply that you are looking for...and not found Margaret BELL and wondered whether it had been wrongly entered.
You could ask if they could check if Margaret Bails mother was Esther.
If it was, you may be able to order the certificate over the phone, while you are talking to them. Some will do this, others won't.

I used this approach last week when checking whether I had found the correct death record for someone with surname ROBERTS.
Many will check a known fact, ..ie. was the mother Esther , but you couldn't say Who was the mother of ( whoever)?.... They wouldn't tell you without you paying for the certificate.

Gwyn

im not sure if she would have been baptised, but if you don't mind checking when you go that would be brilliant Gwyn thank you so much!
So do i just ring the local registry office and ask for details? Sorry im still quite new to all of this!

I think the one found by brummiejan is worth a try. There is no Margaret Bail on the 1901 census, and no death of a Margaret Bail before 1901 (although there were Bail families in the area). I would contact the local registry office first to establish if the mother is Esther Jane Bell, unmarried. They probably won't tell you exactly, but might say something that makes you think it is worth shelling out your money.

Is Margaret likely to have been baptised?
I will be going to check parish records soon (ish) at Canterbury Cathedral Archives and could look out for her.

Folkestone library usually holds baptism registers on film, but is closed at present for building renovations.

Gwyn

oh didn't spot that, thank you!

Careful - Michael has posted Marriages by mistake.

Ok, so the next thing for me to do is order the birth certificate to see if that is her! i suppose Greenwich isn't too far from Kent...it will be so lovely to get to solve the mystery of Margaret Ann Bell!!

Just to point out they had another daughter, though a bit young to have a baby 1897:

1891 England Census

Name: Esther E Bell
Age: 44
Estimated birth year: abt 1847
Relation: Wife
Spouse's name: Edward
Gender: Female
Where born: Folkestone, Kent, England

Civil parish: Folkestone
Ecclesiastical parish: St Michael
Town: Sandgate
County/Island: Kent

Registration district: Elham
Sub-registration district: Folkestone

Edward Bell 45
Esther E Bell 44
Edward Bell 15
Esther J Bell 11
James Bell 9
Ellanor Bell 5
George Bell 3

Good news about "Granny Knight" - must be your Margaret then.
Michael might well have the birth record - it would fit her age on census (and birthday elsewhere!). And likely Esther (if it's her) would have gone elsewhere to give birth. Might be worth getting the cert.
jan

Maybe death of Esther?

Name: Esther J Knight
Death Registration Month/Year: 1964
Age at death (estimated): 84
Registration district: Ashford
Inferred County: Kent
Volume: 5b
Page: 39

Gwyn

EDIT - Doh !!

Marriages Sep 1867

BELL Edward - Elham 2a 1357
HOLNESS Esther Emma - Elham 2a 1357

this is brilliant! I think you guys are spot-on..looking at the second marriage made me remember that my grandad used to talk about a 'granny knight'!!
So that would make sense, all i need now is the birth record for margaret...
you are all fab i never would have been able to get all this information without you, thank you!!!

Deaths Dec 1917

Vye Thomas J 39 Elham 2a 1370


Gwyn

Might she have married a second time?

Deaths Dec 1917 (>99%)
Vye Thomas J 39 Elham 2a 1370

Marriages Sep 1919 (>99%)

Knight Robert W Vye Elham 2a 3414
Vye Esther J Knight Elham 2a 3414

Thank you for helping me!
I think Esther J Bell is looking very likely to be Margaret's mum, it would add up as to why Margaret is living with her nan and grandad in 1911 (and still has the family name).
But i wonder what happened to her mum and why i still can't find her birth record? Any ideas where to go from here?
Thank you again!
Lynsey

Esther Jane married Thomas Vye in 1901


VYE, Thomas John Head Married M 33 1878 Fish Hawker Houghton Kent VIEW
VYE, Esther Jane Wife Married
10 years F 32 1879 Folkestone Kent VIEW
VYE, Vera May Daughter F 6 1905 Folkestone Kent VIEW
VYE, Louisa Jessie Daughter F 3 1908 Folkestone Kent VIEW
VYE, Mabel Grace Daughter F 0 (6 MONTHS) 1911 Folkestone Kent VIEW

Registration District:
Elham Sub District:
Folkestone Enumeration District:
21 Parish:
Folkestone

Address:
60 Sidney Street Folkestone County:
Kent

Best I can find on Freebmd (Folkestone coming under Elham):

Births Mar 1898 (>99%)
Bail Margaret Elham 2a 1047

Right, this is them 1901. This Margaret is described as daughter though presumably not. Might be worth considering as it would fit with no father around.

1901 England Census

Name: Margarete Bell
[Margaret Bell]
Age: 3
Estimated birth year: abt 1898
Relation: Daughter
Father's Name: Edward
Mother's Name: Ertha E
Gender: Female
Where born: Folkestone, Kent, England

Civil parish: Folkestone
Ecclesiastical parish: St Michael and All Angels
Town: Folkestone
County/Island: Kent

Registration district: Elham
Sub-registration district: Folkestone

Edward Bell 55
Ertha E Bell 54
Ertha J Bell 22
James Bell 20
George Bell 11
Margarete Bell 3
Franics Carey 5