Edith May Whitmore of England

[rugbymadboxer]

I am looking for any information on an Edith May Whitmore who had an illegitimate child in 1910 in Raddkebarn Road, Selly Oak, which was a workhouse.

She was my grandmothers mother, the only information that I have is from my grandmoths birth certificate, which is as follows:

When & where born: 16/05/1910, 2 Raddlebarn Road, Selly Oak, Northfield, Kings Norton.
Name: Marguerite May
Name of father: Unknown (but my grandmother claimed that her fathers surname was Sandford).
Name of mother: Edith Mary Whitmore, a cook (domestic) of 153 Ladywood Road, Edgbaston.
Residence of mother: 2 Raddlebarn Road, Selly Oak

Can anyone shed any light on this matter or how I can research this further.

Many Thanks

Rachel

[Trish]

I am looking for any information on an Edith May Whitmore who had an illegitimate child in 1910 in Raddkebarn Road, Selly Oak, which was a workhouse...Rachel,

Edith Mary/May WHITMORE should show up on the 1901 census -- probably in Warwickshire -- but I couldn't find an exact match for you. The closest is an Edith J. WHITMORE.

This Edith is 24, born and living in Edgbaston at 30 Harborne Rd with her widowed mother, Maria, older sisters Florence, Kate, Gertrude and younger sister Constance along with 3 servants. No occupations are given for mother or sisters.
(Reference RG13/2816 Folio 51 Page 46)

The family appears to be affluent enough to have a live-in parlour maid, housemaid and cook, so it seems unlikely that this same Edith would be working as a cook in 1910

There are a couple of other WHITMOREs in the area in 1901 but none named Edith -- nor any Ediths with a surname close to WHITMORE -- at least none that I can find.

The family living at 153 Ladywood Road in Edgbaston in 1901 is named BLAKEMORE. The head is Joseph, 56, a "Metal Manufacturer" and the family has a housemaid named Ada M. RUSKMAN [or WUSKMAN] and a cook named Annie BELL.
(Reference RG13/2816 Folio 18 Page 28)

I wonder if it's just a concidence that your Edith's last name is WHITMORE and the family living at #153 in 1901 has the last name of BLACKMORE... probably, it is, but keep it in mind. Young women who found themselves in "unfortunate circumstances" -- i.e., unmarried and pregnant -- in the early 1900s may not have been entirely forthcoming in disclosing details for birth certificates.

HTH a little,
Trish

[rugbymadboxer]

Thanks for your help in this matter. According to the story that was told is that where ever she was working as a maid/cook the father of her child was the son of the house.

Rachel

[Trish]

Thanks for your help in this matter. According to the story that was told is that where ever she was working as a maid/cook the father of her child was the son of the house.

RachelRachel, just for your info, the only son in the house in 1901 was Percy W. BLACKEMORE, 15 years old. In 1910, he would have been about 24.

Besides the WHITMORE family that Edith J. belonged to in the 1901 census, the only other WHITMORE in Edgbaston was an Emma WHITMORE, single, 40, a parlourmaid, living on Ashbourne Road.
[Reference RG13/2814 Folio 137 Page 21]

As for SANDFORD, there's only one showing up in the 1901 census for Edgbaston, a 21-year-old servant named Clara SANDFORD working at 43 Bristol Road, the home of Willam BRINSLEY or BRINSKY, a retired grocer.
[Reference RG13/2814 Folio 104 Page 1]

And there are no SANFORDS at all.

A local directory c.1910 might help you determine who was living at #153 at the time your grandmother was born.

Trish