ARC TBC - Can you help me unravel this knotty problem?

[usignuolo]

Since we started on this research, our family closet has resounded to the sound of the skeletons falling out. I watched a rerun of “Who Do You Think You Are” with Graham Norton recently where he found an ancestor who had several illegitimate children. The commentator stated that illegitimate pregnancies were relatively rare in the late 19c century, around 7%. All I can say is our family must have been trying to raise that statistic.

However being born "on the wrong side of the blanket" does not fully explain the puzzle relating to our ancestor Ellen (Nellie) Whiffin nee Newman. I knew Nellie when she was alive so although her daughter, Hilda, threw away all their family records, in an effort to shed her rural background, I still had enough data to start searching.

Ellen Newman (she herself told me that Newman was her maiden name) was born in Coulsden in Surrey in around 1880. She always said she was one of the younger of many sisters (8 or more) in a large extended family; of those who survived I know the names of Em, Maude, Alice, Sarah, and Tottie.

Ellen married Harry Whiffin of Warlingham in the early 1900s and they had four surviving children over the next twenty years: Les (Harry Leslie, born c1904), John (?), Hilda (born c 1918) and Arthur (born c1922). Harry senior had poor health and died in the early 1920s (not in WW1.) Ellen died in around 1978 at the age of around 92. Hilda Whiffin always said her mother came from a poor rural background and did not learn to read and write until she was an adult. Ellen didn't read as a matter of course, but none of her family did, but she could certainly write when I knew her.

Here is what we have found out, after a tremendous effort.

1881 Census: Nr Roke Farm, Coulsden, Sy. Henry Grant: Head, 49, married, Ag Lab, born Purley (not clear) Surrey. Ann, married, wife, 36, born Tatsfield, Kent. Parents to Ellen Kate Grant, then 5 months. Stepdaughters present were Sarah Newman, 13, Alice Newman, 10 and Mary cMaud Newman, 4.

1891 Census: 1 Rose Cottages, Coulsden, Sy. Fred.M Finch: Head, 49, Ostler Groom, married, born Redhill Surrey. Living with him (not described as wife), Annie (Finch) married, 45, Laundress. Also on census return are daughter Florence Finch, then 5 years old. And living with them, at same address Ellen Kate Newman, 10, scholar and Ethel Newman 9, scholar. No relationship of these 2 siblings to the adults described.

1901 Census: Selby Cottage, Godstone Road, Sy. Ellen Kate Newman, 20, domestic servant living with Grazier family. Head of Household Mrs Grazier (a young widow or deserted woman with a large family from 1 to 11,) a Laundress.

Also in the 1901 census; Florence Finch, 16 visiting Warlingham, Ann Newman 55, visiting Godstone (not visiting Ellen Kate) and Fred Finch, 59 living in Godstone with one of his family. We have not yet been able to track down either Ellen Kate's's birth certificate or her marriage certificate.

This sequence raises so many questions. Were Ellen Kate's older sisters illegitimate? in which case was Newman her mother's maiden name? I cannot find an Ann Newman in Tatsfield, in 1845-6 when she was born, but I can find an Ann Maria Drew, dau of John and Maria Drew. Is this her? Did she marry a Mr Newman - if so we cannot find him in the records. Or a marriage certificate. If she did, did he die, run away?

Ann Newman then seems to have married a Mr Grant, before Ellen Kate was born in 1881, or around the same time, but we cannot find their marriage certificate or Ellen Kate's birth certificate. Living with the family at this time are older sisters and Mr Grant's step daughters Sarah, Alice and May/Maud Newman.

By 1891 the older sisters have gone and Ellen Kate is living together with another sibling, Ethel, and calling themselves Newman. They are living with adults Fred and Annie Finch and a daughter Florence, 5. Is this their mother remarried, is Florence their half sister or is it someone else, some other relative perhaps? It is not clear if Fred and Annie Finch are married, it does not say Wife on the census. Why have Ellen and her younger sister changed their names back from Grant to Newman?

In 1901 Ellen Kate is working as a servant in Godstone, Sy. On Census day Florence Finch, now 16, is visiting in Warlingham, suggesting a family connection there. (Soon after this Ellen Kate married Harry Whiffin of Warlingham). Also in the 1901 census, Fred Finch, 59 is living with one of his family in Godstone and Ann Newman, 55 is visiting Godstone although it is not clear if it is Fred's household she is visiting. All these places are nearby each other in Surrey.

Finally there is the mystery of why Hilda insisted her mother was illiterate when she herself was growing up. Around the time Ellen Kate was born, the first Education Acts were passed and when she was growing up, schooling was compulsory. As a young child she lived with Fred Finch and family and was recorded as a scholar. Fred, the ostler, is recorded as being employed so there would have been money to pay for schooling.

None of it seems to add up. Anyone able to add anything or throw any light on anything?

Sorry for the essay-..

[gardener]

I think this is Ellen Kate's birth

Dec qtr 1880
Grant, Ellen Kate Croydon 2a 228

[Jimmy]

1881.
Henry GRANT Head M Male 49 Oakley, Surrey, England Ag Lab
Ann GRANT Wife M Female 36 Tatsfield, Kent, England
Ellen Kate GRANT Daur Female 5 m Coulsdon, Surrey, England
Sarah NEWMAN Step Daur Female 13 Croydon, Surrey, England Servant
Alice NEWMAN Step Daur Female 10 Croydon, Surrey, England Scholar
Mary Maud NEWMAN Step Daur Female 4 Croydon, Surrey, England Scholar

Nr Roke Farm.
Coulsdon, Surrey.

[gardener]

There is a marriage for Annie Newman Mar qtr 1881 Croydon 2a 297

On FreeBMD there are two other people listed for that page, and they seem to have married each other so that leaves Annie unattached.

Could someone with access look at the images and see if there is a Grant to match?

[Maths girl]

There is a marriage for Annie Newman Mar qtr 1881 Croydon 2a 297

On FreeBMD there are two other people listed for that page, and they seem to have married each other so that leaves Annie unattached.

Could someone with access look at the images and see if there is a Grant to match?

Not that I can see

[Jimmy]

This looks like Ann.
1871. Brughton Rd, Croydon.
John Newman 44. Lime Burner.
Ann Newman 25. Tatsfield, Kent.
John Newman 12.
Emily E Newman 6.
Sarah A Newman 3.

Others born Croydon.

[gardener]

I suppose Mary Maud's birth certificate might help?

Mar qtr 1877
Newman, Mary Maud Croydon 2a 245

Where was she in 1891?

[Jimmy]

There is a marriage for Annie Newman Mar qtr 1881 Croydon 2a 297

On FreeBMD there are two other people listed for that page, and they seem to have married each other so that leaves Annie unattached.

Could someone with access look at the images and see if there is a Grant to match?

Not that I can see

I can't see a Henry Grant on image.

[gardener]

So that looks good for the 1864 marriage with Ann Maria Drew?

Can you check the 1861 census and see if John Newman was married before?

[Jimmy]

There is a marriage for Annie Newman Mar qtr 1881 Croydon 2a 297.

There is no Annie Newman under Mar qtr. 2a. 297 on the image, the only one I can see for Croydon is Mar qtr. 2a. 237 on image, but still no Henry Grant.

[gardener]

Thanks Jimmy. I think we can rule that out then. Croydon 2a 237 has three names transcribed on free BMD too, so perhaps this Annie Newman married either Richard Stubbs or Richard Wood.

[Jimmy]

There is a marriage for Annie Newman Mar qtr 1881 Croydon 2a 297.

This could be that one,
Richard Wood.
Bride's Name: Annie Newman.
Marriage Date: 14 Feb 1881.
Marriage Place: Croydon, Surrey.
Groom's Father's Name: Thomas Wood.
Bride's Father's Name: James Newman.
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M15471-1.
System Origin: England-ODM.
Source Film Number: 994337.

[Maths girl]

I suppose Mary Maud's birth certificate might help?

Mar qtr 1877
Newman, Mary Maud Croydon 2a 245

Where was she in 1891?

Possible

1891 1, Shelley Alfred Cottages, Godstone Road, Coulsdon, Croydon
SKILTON, Thomas Head Married M 28 1863 General Labourer Banstead Surrey
SKILTON, Mary Wife Married F 30 1861 Laundress Northamptonshire
NEWMAN, Maud Servant Single F 15 1876 General Servant Domestic Croydon Surrey

[Jimmy]

Another possible first marriage for Ann,
Marriages Mar 1865.
Driver Anna. Epsom. 2a. 1.
Flint Martha. Epsom. 2a. 1.
Lee Henry. Epsom. 2a. 1.
Newman John. Epsom. 2a. 1.

JOHN NEWMAN.
ANNA DRIVER.
Marriage, 28 JAN 1865. Ashtead, Surrey.

[usignuolo]

Thanks for all this. My brother and I have also been hard at work all day at a hot keyboard and we have come up with this version of events:

John Drew(e) and Maria Friend of Tatsfield married in 1833 (or maybe 1843) and had several children including a daughter Ann Maria Drew born 1845.

So 1871 census (my brother has turned up) has Ann married to John Newman Lime Burner

1871 Census. Lime Kiln Cottages, 323 Brighton Road Croydon: Head John Newman, 44 Lime Burner. Ann, wife, 25. John son 12, general labourer. Emily E, daughter, 6, Sarah A, daughter, 3. Both John's son and the daughters have place of birth given as Croydon Surrey. Ann's place of birth is given as Tatsfield Kent. (Sometimes it is in Surrey and sometimes it is in Kent).

(I can find no other Ann born in Tatsfield at the right time ie 1845.) (We assume from age of father John and son John that, given the discrepancy in their ages, the father may have married Ann as a widower with a young son - unless son was born when Ann was 13).

Then we catch up to date. By 1881 she is married to Henry Grant

1881 Census: Nr Roke Farm, Coulsden, Sy. Henry Grant: Head, 49, married, Ag Lab, born Purley (not clear) Surrey. Ann, married, wife, 36, born Tatsfield, Kent. Parents to Ellen Kate Grant, then 5 months. Stepdaughters present were Sarah Newman, 13, Alice Newman, 10 and Mary cMaud Newman, 4.

By 1891 she is living with Fred Finch

1891 Census: 1 Rose Cottages, Coulsden, Sy. Fred.M Finch: Head, 49, Ostler Groom, married, born Redhill Surrey. Living with him (not described as wife), Annie (Finch) married, 45, Laundress. Also on census return are daughter Florence Finch, then 5 years old. And living with them, at same address Ellen Kate Newman, 10, scholar and Ethel Newman 9, scholar. No relationship of these 2 siblings to the adults described.

By 1901 she is describing herself as Ann Newman widow. Fred Finch is living down the road.

1901 Census: Selby Cottage, Godstone Road, Sy. Ellen Kate Newman, 20, domestic servant living with Grazier family. Head of Household Mrs Grazier (a young widow or deserted woman with a large family from 1 to 11,) a Laundress.

Plus some more infom from the 1901 census. On that day Ann, described as Ann Newham widow (invalid) is visiting in Warlingham with the Tickners (relatives we think). Also with her is her "son" John Newman 42 and her daughter Florence Finch 16.

Meanwhile Florence's father Fred Finch is living nearby at Godstone with his family (according to the census he is designated as Father). This is definitely the same man, right age 59 and right place of birth Redhill.

I have some more information for you on Maud Newman. Either Maud or her daughter, married into the Harmsworth family in the early 20th century. Not the press barons, but the watermen who owned the Basingstoke canal. They all lived in the family boatyard in Ash Vale.

Still haven't cleared up what happened to the various official and unofficial husbands yet or why the Grant girls changed their names back to Newman. Still starting to clear the thicket