Hello and pleased to be here

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Hello and pleased to be here

Postby meggy7 » Mon Dec 07, 2020 10:18 pm

Hi
I have been building my family tree for many years but have now reached a point where a family secret needs to be unfolded.
I have very little to go one regarding my Grandmother Dorothy Henrietta Tennant, born 1905 in Islington, family lore says she somehow caused the death of her baby sibling during a bath. She may have been around the age of 10 to 16 and was placed in a Convent presumably nearby. She learnt to make the most exquisite crochet some of which l still have. Only one family member who is is their 80's remembers her Mother (sister of Dorothy) mentioning the fact but we would love to find out more and hopefully set the records straight. So far l have a list of Convents in the Islington area of the time but l do not know how to go forward and of course she may not have been placed in a local Convent. Another theory l have thought about is the fact she may not have caused the death of a sibling, of whom l cannot find any details, but may have given birth herself.

Some pointers and advice would be very much appreciated.
Thanking you
Meggy
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Re: Hello and pleased to be here

Postby gardener » Tue Dec 08, 2020 11:44 am

Hi
What a sad story.

My experience of family stories is that you might find a grain of truth in there but the details are different, so I think you are wise to keep your options open.

The only infant in the family that I can see died is Walter John. Dorothy would have been much younger then so that does not really fit - mind you I saw a newspaper report where a three-year-old, in Wales I think, had been found asleep on her baby brother's face and had suffocated him, so nothing is impossible.

There is a birth registered for a Tennant baby in Islington in Jun 1921, with Tennant as the mother's maiden name. Could that be relevant? I can't find him anywhere else (not posting the first name as he could theoretically still be alive).
Would it be worth getting that certificate to see who the mother was?

In passing, I noticed that at least three of the children were baptised CofE, which does not rule out the convent idea but might be worth keeping in mind.

And the mother and children were briefly in the workhouse in 1905. You might be able to pick them up in some school records.

Sorry, none of that helps. Perhaps the 1921 census will be helpful when it is eventually released!
Last edited by gardener on Tue Dec 08, 2020 2:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"The present is the key to the past" - Charles Lyell
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Re: Hello and pleased to be here

Postby BC Wench » Tue Dec 08, 2020 12:51 pm

Is this the correct family?

1911 Census: 92 Thorpedale Road, Tollington Park, Hornsey Rise, London N
Frederick Harry Tennant, 36, Paper Hanger
Maud Tennant 36 Married: 11yrs 6 Children 5 Living 1 Died
Charles Tennant, Son, 9
Florence Tennant, Dau, 7
Dorothy Tennant, Dau, 6
Elsie Tennant, Dau, 2
Horace Tennant, Son, 9mths

Children of Frederick & Maud Tenant from the 1911 Census on the GRO web site

https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro with Mother's Maiden Name as Warwick

TENNANT, CHARLES FREDERICK WARWICK
GRO Reference: 1902 J Quarter in ST. PANCRAS Volume 01B Page 1

TENNANT, FLORENCE MADELINE MAUD WARWICK
GRO Reference: 1903 S Quarter in ST. PANCRAS Volume 01B Page 128

TENNANT, DOROTHY HARRIET WARWICK
GRO Reference: 1905 M Quarter in ISLINGTON Volume 01B Page 227

TENNANT, ELSIE MARGARET WARWICK
GRO Reference: 1908 D Quarter in ISLINGTON Volume 01B Page 165

TENNANT, HORACE HAROLD WARWICK
GRO Reference: 1910 S Quarter in ISLINGTON Volume 01B Page 173

This looks as though it could be the child who had died by the 1911 Census

TENNANT, WALTER JOHN WARWICK
GRO Reference: 1907 J Quarter in ISLINGTON Volume 01B Page 203

Baptism: 12 May 1907 St Peter, Hammersmith, Hackney
Walter John (Born 25 Apr 1907) - Frederick & Maud Tennant - 90 Fonthill Rd - Paper Hanger

Deaths Dec 1907
TENNANT Walter 0 Islington 1b 108

Burial: 18 Nov 1907 Islington (Deceased Online web site)
Walter Tennant

These look like children born after the 1911 Census was taken

???TENNANT, IRIS IVY WARWICK
GRO Reference: 1911 D Quarter in ISLINGTON Volume 01B Page 370

???TENNANT, FRANK HENRY WARWICK
GRO Reference: 1913 J Quarter in ISLINGTON Volume 01B Page 381

I have looked at the newspapers on FMP, but I can't find anything on the death of Walter John. Would be worth sending off for his death certificate if this is the correct family.
Researching: PARGETER, BELCHER, BRADLEY, DANDO, ROWLEY, ROWSELL
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Re: Hello and pleased to be here

Postby meggy7 » Tue Dec 08, 2020 2:53 pm

Thank you for your reply.

I am trying to work out how this site works so sorry for misplacing my initial post.

I have a wealth of information on the family and have never toyed with Dorothy causing the death of a sibling at the age of 2 years old as it does not work out.

She was probably aged between 10-16 years old so Walter John Tennant born 25 APR 1907 and died Nov 1907 buried 18 Nov 1907 • Islington, Middlesex, London, England, has never been a contender of the baby's demise in question.

Thank you for pointing out the birth index for Charles H Tennant Mother's maiden name Tennant. I did wonder about this so l am going to take another look and see if l can find more information about him as my memory is hazy if l have already in the past or not.

To save time and effort l am asking for any suggestions on where and can l access information on a child, such as Dorothy, who is possibly the subject of legal proceedings ie Child Courts, Ward of Court??? What path Dorothy may have been taken along to be placed in a Convent for her "part" in her siblings death. Another thought is to find out at what age someone is classed as an adult and sent to prison in such circumstances for that era.

Family lore says that Dorothy's parents had eight children of which l have all the details. Where is the 9th that died when Dorothy was old enough to be able to consciously/accidentally drown a baby/child and be placed in a Convent for punishment. Was it Dorothy's baby which was born in a Convent? Did she give birth in the Convent and drown her baby there?

The 1921 census sounds like it could be very helpful, roll on the summer when l hear it will be completed.

I'm not sure if l can reply to individual responses but to BC Wench, yes, this is the family and thank you for looking in the FMP newspapers. Maybe l need to look for any information regarding Dorothy in there, l believe l have only searched in The British Newspaper Archive some time ago which without taking a look l presume is the same.

Thank you for your help in this mysterious tragedy.
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