TIGG-BALMER, DUNSDON, Steventon

[Deetur]

Hi,

I'm trying to find out more about my grandmother's family. Unfortunately she's no longer with us to help me with this, and one thing I have found is that, that side of the family was quite secretative about their past.

My Grandmother was born Kathleen Betty Twigg-Balmer. I have her birth certificate to prove this. Her mother was Elizabeth Dunsdon (born c 1885 in Steventon area, Berks). I know a lot about Elizabeth Dunsdon and her family. Her father is listed as Joseph Twigg-Balmer, of who I know nothing!

Elizabeth married Victor Weeden in c1912. They had two children Margaret M Weeden (born c 1912) and then Anthony Claude Weeden (born c c1915). I do not know what happened to Victor as I have yet to locate a death etc.

It is believed that Elizabeth then married Joseph Twigg-Balmer. As I said above I have absolutely NO info on him or his family. I don't even know where he is from or when he was born. I just know that on Kathleen's birth certificate it lists him as the father and that the mother's name is Elizabeth Twigg-Balmer (maiden name listed as Dunsdon, which is strange as she was married to Victor Weeden previously).

Family story goes that Joseph died and his friend Henry Thomas Brent then married Elizabeth in c1923. Henry Brent adopted Anthony and Kathleen and brought them up as his own until he died in 1959.

It was thought that Henry Brent promised Joseph that he would do right by Elizabeth and the children.

I have details on Victor and Henry but cannot seem to find anything on Joseph Twigg-Balmer (no-one with that name, no marriage to Elizabeth, no birth, no death etc). Therefore any help would be gratefully appreciated.

Here's the details from Kathleen's birth certificate.

Registration District - Islington
Year - 1919
Sub-district - Tufnell, County of London
Date - 23rd January 1919 (6 Fairmead Road)
Name - Kathleen Betty
Sex - Girl
Father - Joseph Twigg-Balmer
Mother - Elizabeth Twigg-Balmer (formerly Dunsdon)
Occ of father - Mining Engineer of West Lodge, Barnsbury (looks like) Square, Islington

Thanks,
Danni

[Geoffers]

My Grandmother was born Kathleen Betty Twigg-Balmer. I have her birth certificate to prove this. Her mother was Elizabeth Dunsdon (born c 1885 in Steventon area, Berks). I know a lot about Elizabeth Dunsdon and her family. Her father is listed as Joseph Twigg-Balmer, of who I know nothing! Elizabeth married Victor Weeden in c1912.
I'd be inclined to start here. You write of an approximate marriage date - so presumably do not have the certificate. I think you need to obtain it, specifically to see where the couple were living and who the witnesses were. Were they living anywhere near to Islington? Was Joseph TWIGG/Joseph BALMER/Joseph TWIGG-BALMER a witness? (I've just found an entry which matches try looking at December Quarter 1912)

continued......

[Geoffers]

part 2.....

Then move onto confirming the death of the first husband. Did he die in WW1?
Try the Commonwealth War Graves Commission web-site
http://www.cwgc.org/default.asp
No luck? See if he served in WW1, search the medal card index
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/default.asp
Does he appear to have survived the war? (can you find a Joseph BALMER or a Joseph TWIGG in the medal card index?)

continued......

[Geoffers]

part 3.....

You are narrowing down the time period in which Elizabeth may have remarried.

With Elizabeth's age at marriage to Victor, you can search the 1901 census to locate her. www.1901census.nationalarchives.gov.uk (http://www.1901census.nationalarchives.gov.uk) Where was she living then? Is there a Joseph TWIGG/BALMER anywhere nearby. Assuming that Joseph was born within 10 years of her, try searching the 1901 census for anyone of his name. I take it that Elizabeth is the lass who was 16 and born in Drayton? If so, I found 15 Joseph TWIGGs and 15 Joseph BALMERs born 1885 +/- 10 years.

continued.....

[Geoffers]

part 4....

Joseph appears to have lived in Islington but had a job as a mining engineer. Does he appear in any directories? Try buying one of those sold by Archive CD Books http://www.archivecdbooks.org/

Try searching the index to wills to see if you can find an entry for Joseph

One possibility is that there never was a Joseph TWIGG-BALMER - or if there was he went by the alias of Henry Thomas BRENT. Perhaps Victor WEEDEN didn't die and the couple didn't divorce (for divorce recrods see this TNA research guide http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=53 )Maybe Elizabeth married Henry after Victor's death?? Try searching the GRO index for a marriage of Henry Thomas BRENT and see what the surname of his bride was? What was her marital status?

Geoffers

[Deetur]

Wow, thank you for your help.... and for laying it out and breaking it down in such a way it looks managable.

I really appreciate your help and will look to make a start on this tonight. I'll let you know how I get on.

Thanks again!

[Peter Goodey]

This point is probably irrelevant but Geoffers found a possible marriage in Thanet.

Islington is not exactly famous for its mining industry. However there were coal mines in East Kent!

[Geoffers]

Good luck, there's usually a way of solving family history problems - but it is a case of working methodically, recording what you do and where you look and not relying on family memory as proof. You do need copies of documents, if ordering certificates do allow extra time for them to arrive from the GRO - owing to the 'Who do you think you are?' factor.

If not sure how/where to search the GRO index and where to order certificates, please ask. The index to wills is a good and quick wasy to search for deaths - not everyone appears in it - but it is still worth checking. It has been copied onto microfilm and can be viewed at most county record offices/local studies libraries.

If you get stuck - ask

Geoffers