Housekeeper

[claire1966]

I'm trying to trace my Grandma's sister - May Allen (born in Norfolk abt 1898) - who we were told was a housekeeper at Longleat House. I've written to them and they have no records of anyone with that name. We know that she worked in service in Bath for most of her adult life and could have had her younger sister Olive living with her.

Their Mother, Charlotte, died in about 1909/1910 and their Father, George, remarried. From what my Grandma told me, the children were sent to stay with other people, she referred to herself as being "orphaned". From this we think that May would have started work in about 1915. Neither May or Olive married.

Does anyone have any ideas on how I might be able to track her down please?

Many thanks,
Claire

[Geoffers]

Unless you know where she worked - and her employer kept records - and those records have survived; you are going to ave problems finidng anything conencted with her work.

So, did her dad leave a will when he died - if so, does this mention his daughter and where she was living at the time?

Although not very likely for a housekeeper, does she turn up in any directories? She is not likely to have been a housekeeper until later in life.

[claire1966]

Thanks Geoffers.

I'd guessed it was going to be a bit of a long shot. We've no idea when the Father died but I'll try searching for a will and also one for their Mother.