Find Ancestors

Hi

I'm in need of a new pair of eyes in my search of a more recent member of my partner's family. As you can see when I put the details down I'm not sure if this person is still living but I have the feeling that she may not be

My partner's gr nana was an Ellen Nicholls, born in 1892 in Banbury, she married Lawrence/Laurence 'Laurie' Bowler in 1916, and they had one son Leslie Ernest Bowler in 1916 (my partner's grandad). Laurie was in the army and died in WW1 in 1918

Ellen then went on to have another child Geoffrey Harold Bowler in 1925, no father is listed on the birth certificate and despite him having the Bowler name as you can see by the dates Laurie Bowler is definitely not Geoffrey's father.

Ellen never married again but she did go on to have another child, a daughter. Its this daughter my partner and I are looking for as when she married she moved away and apart from a letter when my partner's grandad died in 1991 no contact had been had from her.

Our problem is that my partner's gran (Leslie's wife) is very reluctant to give any information. She is a very old fashioned person who doesnt want to 'have anything to do with any of our family history research. This has made it so hard to find out. All we know is that she is either called Annie/Ann or maybe Margaret, maybe one of them is her middle name, She wasnt the eldest of the three children, Leslie was definitely the eldest.

She was born before Leslie was married in 1946 but we are not sure when she got married or who she got married to. Unfortunately Geoffrey has lost contact with the family and there are family rumours of a family arguement probably after the other two children found out their illegitimacy

I know I am grasping at straws and I know that the information we have is not the best but if anyone could help us I would be grateful.

Kerin

try using FreeBMD to find the birth http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl

put in surname Bowler, mothers name Nicholls and year 1930 and see what you get ......

You'd have to send for the birth certificate to check the details.

have sent pm with possible birth

There are only Leslie and Geoffery registered in Ban bury-and all the other three are all Amersham (So prob all the same family)

Do you think the other daughter was born much later? BMD isn't completely up to date for some years.


Surname First name(s) Mother District Vol Page
Births Mar 1917 (>99%)
Bowler Leslie E Nicholls Banbury 3a 1786
Births Dec 1919 (>99%)
Bowler Reginald J Nicholls Amersham 3a 1726
Births Dec 1922 (>99%)
Bowler Marjorie N Nicholls Amersham 3a 1403
Births Sep 1925 (>99%)
Bowler Geoffrey H Nicholls Banbury 3a 1832
Births Jun 1930 (>99%)
Bowler Jean M Nicholls Amersham 3a 1608

Be wary of the Amersham births, this couple married there in 1918

Name: May A Nicholls
Spouse Surname: Bowler
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1918
Registration district: Amersham
Inferred County: Buckinghamshire
Volume Number: 3a
Page Number: 1989


(John Bowler)

thank you all for the help and messages for these births. I checked these out but the areas covered under the Amersham district both historically and recently are nowhere near Banbury.

I might have to see what registration areas Banbury used to come under and search there. Keep the ideas coming though

Possible..maybe a bit to old for this one.

England & Wales, Birth Index: 1916-2005
about Jane Bowler Name: Jane Bowler
Mother's Maiden Surname: Nicholls
Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1940
Registration district: Wycombe
Inferred County: Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Middlesex
Volume Number: 3a
Page Number: 2907

I think that might not be her as again Wycombe is too far away from Banbury. One of the neighbouring registration districts is called Ploughly so I might search births in that district but also as Banbury is near the border with Northamptonshire and Warwickshire it may have been registered under one of those districts.

I know that in the early 20th century (pre WW1) that a village which is now part of Banbury used to be in Northamptonshire but is now in Oxfordshire due to a county boundary change and any births I've found of my partner's family who were born in that village were registered as being born in Northamptonshire.