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Hi everyone!

I wondered if anyone can help me...
I am searching for my Nan's mum, her name is Margaret Annie Mary Willis (married name Walker). Her date of birth is 25th July 1907 and was born in Torquay. We have very little to go on as she left the family when my Nan was reasonably young.

It is very possible she re-married after she married George Walker. I know she definitely had 2 daughters (one being my Nan, Joyce Irene Walker and another called Barbara) , but we expect she went on to have another family, who may not even know about my Nan or Barbara

Any clues or leads would really help as we know very little about her whereabouts after the 1930s. My Nan was also in a children's home in Devon with her sister in the 1930s but again my Nan cannot remember the name of it!

Corinne

Hi Corinne

I hope you get the help you need to find answers for your nan. :-)


NOTE:-

It was at my suggestion that Corinne has posted this request here, she has got the same request on the FLR board, but I really think she will get more help on here. :D

Mary

I forgot to say.........I have looked through the death indexes using just the date of birth, no name, to see if there was a likely looking death, but nothing! :-(

Mary

Births Sep 1907 (>99%)
Willis Margaret Annie M Newton A. 5b 121

There are lots of deaths for Margaret with birth date 25th July 1907.
The marriage was in Plymouth in 1928.
If she left Devon, and only used the name Margaret, then many could be applicable to her. Also all those deaths not stating exact birth date.
Not yet seeing a new marriage.
Sorry to be so useless.

I have sent a PM to Corinne giving details of the first marriage and two children (information that she may or may not already have?)

Thankyou for your help everyone. I actually have her birth certificate, she was born to a Harcourt Cooper Willis and Annie Maud Willis (formerly Churchward) so the one on the 1911 census can't be her?

Can anyone tell me, when someone re-marries will they be listed with their maiden name or previous married name?

It is usually their previous married name but it all depends on whether they are trying to hide something..............

This is probably the 1911 census -

WILLIS, H C Head Married M 26 1885 Painter And Decorator St Mary Church Devon
WILLIS, Annie Wife Married
4 years F 24 1887 Torguay Devon
WILLIS, Annie Daughter F 3 1908 St Mary Church Devon
RG number
RG14 Piece
12784 Reference
RG14PN12784 RG78PN734 RD272 SD6 ED25 SN146

Registration District
Newton Abbot Sub District
Torquay Enumeration District
25 Parish
St Mary Church

Address
3 Church Road St Mary Church Torquay County
Devonshire

1911 census states 1 child born

PM'd vaguely possible 2nd marriage 1964. Essex.

Births Mar 1922 (>99%)
Willis Dulcie Q Churchward Plymouth 5b 396

There are two contacts on Search Trees on this site that have Harcourt Willis (one 1884 and one 1885 born in Devon).

Have you tried contacting them to see if they have any more information?

Name: WILLIS, Harcourt
Registration District: Newton Abbot
County: Devon
Year of Registration: 1907
Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
Spouse's last name: Not available before 1912
Volume No: 5B
Page No: 243

CHURCHWARD, Annie Maud

I have just emailed them now to see :) Thankyou. That is definitely her on the 1911 census as the address is streets away from where she was born. Very interested in this second marriage also, the dates would definitely be feasible. So maybe I can look for a death in essex?

You mentioned the sisters being in a children's home - as a start you could try this link for a list of Barnardo's Homes in Devon -

http://www.barnardos.org.uk/who_we_are/history/barnardos_homes/barnardos_homes_sw.htm

Corinne

Do you know if Margaret had other siblings? It might help to try and find them (or most probably their descendants) to see if they may know anything?

Mary

I posted the only one I could find earlier, Mary.

Dulcie Q. Willis

Have sent a PM to Corinne with a possible marriage for Dulcie.

Great thanks, hopefully she may have kept in touch with Dulcie and her family so I will now search for their trees.

That children's home link is brilliant! my nan can't remember the name of it but she thinks she was 4 or 5 when she went in and said it wasn't far from home, so hopefully a picture will jog her memory.

Some of the homes listed on that site didn't open until the 1960's so it will narrow it down a bit when your nan looks at the photos.