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I searched the 1911, no Walter with a father Albert who is a signalman, but there are a handful in Doncaster whose fathers are railway workers of various descriptions.

Now that Jonesy, Bless him, has given me some new info. I shall renew my efforts.
BUT I'll quit now as it's time for tea!

Oh Thank you. :-D

???
Name: Walter John Smith
Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1909
Registration district: Tendring
Inferred County: Essex
Volume: 4a
Page: 779

SMITH, Albert Head Married M 25 1886 Milk Cart Driver Essex Dovercourt VIEW
SMITH, Alice Wife Married
2 years F 28 1883 Wiltshire Calns VIEW
SMITH, Walter Son M 2 1909 Essex Dovercourt VIEW
SMITH, Ernest Son M 0 (3 MONTHS) 1911 Essex Dovercourt VIEW
RG number:
RG14 Piece:
10247 Reference:
RG14PN10247 RG78PN540 RD197 SD3 ED1 SN113

Registration District:
Tendring Sub District:
Harwich Enumeration District:
1 Parish:
Dovercourt

Address:
4 Chase Lane Cottages the Green Dovercourt

Marriages Sep 1908
OLIVER Alice Gertrude Tendring 4a 1304
SMITH Albert Edward Tendring 4a 1304

PS I haven't found him on the 1911 in Essex, but I guess the family could have been elsewhere or I didn't check hard enough in Smiths.

Witnesses to the marriage were both members of my mother's family i.e. Hawkins
Walter was 26 and a bus conductor his address is given as 26 Thomas Road, Clacton. His father was Albert Edward Smith, a railway signalman.
On Brenda's birth cert. in the same year, Walter is listed as Omnibus Conductor again. The marital address is 26 Branston Road, Clacton.
I can find Thomas road, but no Smiths living there on electoral rolls, but can't find Branston Road with any Smiths either.

Norma,

Are there any clues about Walter to be derived from the witnesses to the Marriage?

Name: Walter J Smith
Spouse Surname: Gladys H Hawkins
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1935
Registration district: Tendring
Inferred County: Essex
Volume Number: 4a
Page Number: 2179

How old was Walter when they married and what was his fathers name and occupation?

I note that your mother was born in 1910 so if Walter was born at about the same time perhaps he appears on the 1911 census.

Replying to Mary:
Yup I have their marriage certificate and 2 wedding photos (in which they look so happy), but I can't locate Walter's parents any closer than Clacton.
I've looked at electoral registers, local maps, local histories, can't find any local papers online, I don't live in Essex. I joined the Essex FHS for several years without any leads coming up from queries.

Replying to Madmeg:
Yes that's quite possible. I just wish I knew.

It's also possible that she never married and is still enjoying life - after all, she'll only be 76.

OK Norma.
Would the marriage certificate for Gladys and Walter give you clues to Walters family?
Maybe you could follow his family and see if anything turns up.

Maryb.

Hi
That's a whole other story, yes there was another child, different father.
I have a complex family tree!!!!!!!!! :-D

Hi,did Brenda have a sister.
There are trees on Ancestry suggesting Gladys and Walter had 2 daughters.

Maryb

Ta for your thoughts;that's pretty much the conclusion I've come too. I knew from the start that the combo. of 'SMITH' and WW2 meant impossible!

:-|

It certainly sounds as if Brenda probably did not move on with her/your mother when the divorce took place. Pure speculation but as it was during WW2 might her father have been involved in that in some way and thus unable to raise her resulting in the possibility that Brenda was adopted out.

If that was the case then it is possible that her name may have been changed which is why you cannot find a marriage or death record for her.

All I can really do is wish you luck in your quest.

No. I have no idea what happened. They didn't divorce until 1941 when Brenda would have been 6. I thought maybe she'd died before they split up, but can't find anything. My mother Gladys died when I was a child so I never had a chance to ask her. My father died young too and only said that he thought I might have a half-sister somewhere, but it was very vague.
I have asked cousins of mine if they had any knowledge of Brenda and that's where the photos came from.
I think I've about given up hope of finding her now

Norma,

Do you happen to know what happened to Brenda when her parents divorced? From what you say about her mother remarrying and then dying young I imagine would have been whilst Brenda was probably still very young herself?

Thanks for all the advice. I do have all those details you've mentioned.

I know more about her mother, because Gladys was divorced,later married again and then died young, which is where I fit in.

I have found some deaths that might be Walter's, but as I don't know his parents or siblings names and don't have his birth certificate I'm stuck on that line.

However Brenda Pauline Smith hasn't turned up anywhere else. There are photos of her up to the age of 3. So I've checked death records from 1938 onwards. I can't find a marriage for her anywhere, but it's unsurprising with that surname.

I have also sent repeated messages to several people who's trees I'd like to view for Brenda , but none of them have responded so I guess they're not related to her.

I have been trying to find her for several years and only threw out this request as a last hope.

Thanks anyway :-(

Hello Norma,

Have you tried putting her name into the Search Trees box above? It seems as though one other person other than you has Brenda in their tree. If may be worth contacting the tree owner to see if they have any more information.


Cx.

parents marriage of the Brenda listed above

Gladys H Hawkins
Spouse Surname: walter J Smith
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1935
Registration district: Tendring
Inferred County: Essex
Volume Number: 4a
Page Number: 2179