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Hi, I know the birth & death details are correct (as I have those certs). I have applied for copiesof the marriage certs for French. I have tried Shaftsbury homes - who seemed to own Sudbury Hall but they have no records. Unfortunately, while my Grandmother was alive she didn't feel able to talk about her past to my mum. Now my mum is elderly and quite poorly, she is really anxious to try and find anything out but I must admit every avenue I have tried, I get no where. I just wish the 1921 census was available now!
Many thanks for your replies.
Kind regards
Carol

PM to me.....dated 13th August

Hi Flick, Thank you very much for your help. Apologies for not replying, I had no idea that things happened so fast on here and as I am new to all of this, I don't really know how it all works but I didn't mean to upset anyone!! :(
Ethel did indeed have at least one child (my Mother) but the child I was enquiring about was 6 years before my mother was born and something that no-one knew about - so I can only assume that the baby died or was adopted. Ethel went into service from Sudbury Hall Orphanage in Sunbury around 1919 and from there until 1931 no-one knew where she was. But as far as the family knew, in this time she married (which was rumoured to be a bigamous marriage) and kept moving around until my mother was born in 1931. I have absolutely no idea where she was in this time or how to start trying to find out. I found an old letter from her brother (dated April 1925) which refers to Ethels new husband and baby, which was a complete surprise!!

Reply

Carol, this is part of your reply on a previous thread of yours:-

Carol 13th August 2010 21:40 Request review

"Thank you all for your help. Apologies I hope I haven't upset anyone - I don't really know how to use these 'threads'!! The birth & death details are certainly correct for Ethel."

This is the birth and death for Ethel that Flick found so can you confirm again that these are correct

Birth
Name: Ethel Marena Stevens
Year of Registration: 1903
Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun
District: Islington
County: Greater London, London, Middlesex
Volume: 1b
Page: 216

death
Name: Ethel Marena Bell
Birth Date: 12 Mar 1903
Death Registration Month/Year: 1976
Registration district: Surrey A
Inferred County: Surrey
Volume: 17
Page: 0415

if these are correct, it would seem appropiate to purchase some certificates ie:

marriage
Ethel M Stevens to Ernest G French
Spouse Surname: French
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1923
Registration district: Battle
Registration county (inferred): Sussex
Volume Number: 2b

marriage below.......re posting lower down page, this marriage is not the correct one

Ethel M French married Samuel BELL
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1934
Registration district: Norwich
Registration county (inferred): Norfolk
Volume Number: 4b
Page Number: 288
Find Spouse: Find Spouse
Page Number: 130


Flick also found these births .............purchasing the certificates would perhaps also confirm some of the above info:

Births Sep 1923
French Ronald G.... Stevens ...Battle 2b 73

Births Dec 1926
French Kathleen M ...Stevens... Battle 2b 56


Have you been able to confirm any of this info as yet with certificates?

I wonder if anyone could help me find information about my grandmother Ethel Marena Stevens (born 12/03/1903, Islington, London). The 1911 census shows her as living in Royston Home for Little Girls in Royston. I know that she then went to Sudbury Hall Orphange in Sudbury, Middlesex. I am unable to trace any info from Sudbury Hall. But then there is no trace of her until we have details of her on my mothers birth certificate in 1931 (Myrena Pearl French 12/10/1931, Paddington, London). Her name on my mum's birth certificate appears as Ethel Holmes French! The family story is that she went from Sudbury Hall into service - maybe on the Isle of Wight but ran away, then had a bigamous marriage (could this be the Holmes?). This could have been around 1924/1925 and it is thought she may have had a baby around then, but if she did,no-one knows what happened to it. My mum's father was Philip French but as far as we know they were not married (as the family disapproved), so I think she was just using his name. (on mum's birth certificate it says father unknown). There is also a vague recollection of a family story that she may have travelled around during this time as a chorus girl.
I would be really grateful for any help or tips, as I have been searching for info for several years.
Many thanks