Trying to fill a 20 year void

[Jo from Australia]

For fear of upsetting anyone who has offered suggestions in the past - all of which were explored to no avail! I am after a fresh look at trying to fill a 20 year void.

For most old hands on this forum, the search for my grandmother - Lena Elizabeth Branton born 1905 in Shoreditch is continuing. I found her birth cert and despite her father not being listed on the cert, I know he was George Branton, her mother Lena Gray. I have since found that Lena Gray was from Canada. Lena Elizabeth was born in June 1905 and her parets married in August 1905. In 1906 the new family went to Canade - to show off baby Lizzie.

The next offical record I can find is Lena Elizabeth's marriage cert in 1927.

I am at a loss to know what type of records to even start investigating my grandmother's life before marriage! I dont know when she came back from Canada, I dont know where or when her parents died, if she had any sibblings or where she may have gone to school. She was born in Shoreditch, she married in Greenwich and a few year later she had estranged from her husband and had birthed my father in 1936 in Lambeth...so I assume she stayed pretty much East End??

I did have a kind person find some Shoreditch Infirmary records noting a George Branton, with five children, but I can not find any strong connection to my George. I know there are records of people leaving the UK but can not find records on line of them coming back in. Canadain records are a nightmare!

so any suggestions would be great! Dont want to upset anyone who may have offered suggestions in the past! :o)

[willow]

she married in Greenwich and a few year later she had estranged from her husband and had birthed my father in 1936 in Lambeth...so I assume she stayed pretty much East End??


Greenwich and Lambeth are in South East London, not the East End of London

Sue

[Geoffers]

I know there are records of people leaving the UK but can not find records on line of them coming back in. Canadain records are a nightmare!

The outward ships passenger lists in BT27 are now available on the pay-per-view site findmypast.

There is a corresponding set of inward passenger lists which are held by The National Archives at Kew in document class BT26. If you do not know when and where someone disembarked, it would need an awfully long search to locate them. You may have to wait until such time as these records are also made available on a pay-per-view site.

You might narrow down the year of return if you can locate the family in a directory as are available for purchase on CD from the Parish Chest (http://www.parishchest.com/)and other suppliers. Some free access directories are available on the Historical Directories (http://www.historicaldirectories.org/) web-site.

Did anyone die in the missing 20 years and mention your lass in his/her will?

What did she do for a living - anything which would have left a record?

Did any cousins/siblings get hitched in this period and your gran act as a witness?

Any living relatives about with photo collections?

[Jo from Australia]

Did anyone die in the missing 20 years and mention your lass in his/her will?

I can not find any death certs for the parents of Lena. I am wondering if perhpas her mother died in Canada when they were there - based on the fact that I can not find a listing for a death for Lena Branton in the UK records. I tried looking for a marriage cert thinking maybe she remarried...but again nothing in the UK. As I can not find any records of them coming home from Canada (I did find their departure to canada details!), I am unsure if the family came intact or not. Lena Branton (nee gray) came from Hants NS in Canada, but I can not find any further information about her there.

So no mention in any wills as I can not find any yet!

continuing in next post

[Jo from Australia]

What did she do for a living - anything which would have left a record?

All I know is that she worked as a bar maid...don't know where or when...just my dad bitterly recalling his mum spending more time at the pub than at home.

Did any cousins/siblings get hitched in this period and your gran act as a witness?

I tried investigating the witnesses to her first marriage in 1927 but did not really gain too much. The family story goes that Lena Elizabeth had a brother, but I have not been able to locate the correct birth so far - very costly exercise so far! He might have been born in Canada! Hence finding the records of their return to England would be a massive breakthrough. My dad had no recollection of any famly members from nan's side. Only that she was shunned from the family.

Any living relatives about with photo collections?

I wish! :o) It has been a challenge in lateral thought so far! Limited by records that are not avaliable on line...

Thanks for the suggestions! I am very grateful for any help.

[Geoffers]

So no mention in any wills as I can not find any yet!

The annual calendar (index) to probate records has been copied onto microfilm and I understand can be viewed at mormon record centres. It is easy to use and possible to identify individuals from the detail provided (though looking for John Smith and similar names causes problems). British subjects who died abroad, but for whom probate was granted in the UK are included.


Do the family appear in any Canadian directories?