Genealogy Forum UK

Hi, everyone - this is my first post (so be gentle!). I've traced alot of my ancestors and am having a blast but it is totally addictive! I have traced at least 2 lines back to the 15th century (Scotland) but I have a real brick wall, a nice mystery/love story, in England and hope you pros can help.....
Annie Robinson is my G. Grandmother and was born 1884 or 1885 in York. She was shown in the 1891 census (age 6) as adopted by Mary & Joe Horsfall who also had a daughter Lydia (b. 1876). Family rumour says that Mary was an 'aunt' but I can't substantiate that.

By the next census in 1901 (at 16), she had taken the name of Horsfall and gave birth to my grandfather, John Albert in 1903 - another brick wall since he was born out of wedlock. (Family lore: she'd been posing for a well-heeled artist around that time and her portrait hung in the York gallery). In 1906, she gives birth to Clarence in Todmorden, Yorkshire (same father?) and eventually marries Arthur Stubbs (he was 20) in 1909 and has several more children. She died with her secrets in 1960.

Who gave birth to Annie? Who was the artist? Family lore says a second son of a wealthy family who would not inherit so was left to pursue his hobbies. The York gallery in under renovation so they can't help me online with records (I live in Western Canada). I have contacted art historians with no reply as yet. I should add that have not seen any of the original BMD certificates, only census and family compiled information so far.

I hope there are some sleuths out there who can help or guide me through this mystery.

Karen
Vancouver Island, BC

Hi Karen, you really need to find Annie's Birth Certificate to be sure who her Parents or maybe just a single Mom were. Same for Clarence, have you searched Free BMD. Or maybe join a Yorkshire List where Listers may have local knowledge etc.

Happy hunting from Linell.

what about the marriage for annie would be useful to see what that says
on it

Thanks linell and Northern Lass for your quick responses.
I have been using freeBMD for some info but need more detail now. I inherited the file with dates from a distant, elderly relative whom I believed had compiled it using certificate info but it seems there are too many holes for that to be true. So I have just today ordered the marriage certificate and will then order Annie's b.c. once I can narrow down the year as there are two entries in 1884/85.
Thanks for that and I will let you know more as I go.
Karen

Is this still a Brickwall, or have you solved it?

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