parents of adopted mother

[alfred girling]

I have just found my mothers birth cert and would love to find more re her parents. her birth cert has her adopted name but has her birth parents. Isabella Maria Thornton. born 18/5/1908. south sheilds, father Harry Clark bricklayer, mother Mary Clark nee Monkhouse. hoping you can help.

[AdeleE]

There is this marriage registration grouping on FreeBMD:

Marriages
Dec 1900
Durham Volume 10a Page 625
Clark Harry
House Sarah Ann
MONKHOUSE Mary
Smith William

Ordering the marriage certificate will give you their ages, addresses and father's names, which may help pinpoint them on the 1901 census, and assist in determining if they were still alive for the 1911 census.

[pennydog]

Do you have any idea where she was born? Is there an address for Harry & Mary Clark on the birth cert? there are just too many Clarks on the 1911/ bdm lists to check, without knowing where to look.

[alfred girling]

thanks adeleE and pennydog, there address was 11 moon street,south sheilds

[AdeleE]

Here's a possible Harry & Mary Clark on the 1901 census. It could only be narrowed down by obtaining the details on the marriage certificate:

Robert Clark, head, married, 61, lamplighter gasworks, b. Durham City
Hannah Clark, wife, marrieds, 60, b. ditto
Robert Clark, son, single, 32, brickyard labourer, b. ditto
Alfred Clark, son, single, 28, general labourer, b. ditto
Harry Clark, son, married, 21, bricklayer, b. ditto
Mary Clark, daughter, married, 20, b. ditto (does not say daughter in law)

Address: Sidegate
Civil parish: Framwellgate
Registration district: Durham
Ecclesiastical parish: St Cuthbert
County: Durham
RG13; Piece: 4679; Folio: 160; Page: 24
Records Crown copyright in care of TNA

On the 1911 census, I have found:

Harry Clark, head, 31, married 10 years, bricklayer, b. Durham, County Durham
Mary Clark, wife, 30, married 10 years, 4 children born, 4 still alive, b. ditto
Evelyn Clark, daughter, 10, b. ditto
Robert Clark, son, 7, b. ditto
Mary Ashford Clark, daughter, 5, b. ditto
Hannah Clark, daughter, 10 months, b. ditto

38 Sidegate, Durham, Durham

[AdeleE]

Your mother is recorded on the 1911 census as Isabella Thornton Clark, 3 year old daughter of Mr. John Thornton, 30 year old bookstall clerk, wholesale news, working at home, b. Durham, Durham and Mrs Rebecca Thornton, 21 years old, housekeeper, b. ditto. They have been married 3 years, one child, one still living. 5 D'Arcy Street, Sunderland
Also in the household is a 34 year old cousin Attey(?) Hall, a labourer in a shipworks, b. Durham, Durham.

Name: Isabella Maria T Clark
Year: 1908
Quarter: Jun
District: South Shields
County: Durham, Tyne and Wear
Volume: 10a
Page: 974

So her surname at birth was Clark, with one of her middle names being Thornton?

[ChristineR]

I dont think they ever put the surname in the child's name column - only forenames, Thornton is certainly a third name.
If she wasn''t adopted, I can move this thread. :)

[AdeleE]

So far, it sounds like an adoption to me. She was born to Harry Clark and his wife Mary nee Monkhouse.
She is named Isabella Maria Thornton Clark on her birth cert and on the 1911 census she is still named Isabella Thornton Clark but is the daughter of John & Rebecca Thornton.
I'm just trying to sort out how the middle name Thornton was included on her birth certificate, if she was born a Clark, but adopted by the Thorntons

[AdeleE]

Who was the informant on the birth certificate? Could the address be 11 mooR Street?

[ChristineR]

So far, it sounds like an adoption to me. She was born to Harry Clark and his wife Mary nee Monkhouse.
She is named Isabella Maria Thornton Clark on her birth cert and on the 1911 census she is still named Isabella Thornton Clark but is the daughter of John & Rebecca Thornton.
I'm just trying to sort out how the middle name Thornton was included on her birth certificate, if she was born a Clark, but adopted by the Thorntons
oops, didn't read the entire entry properly, just saw the 3 year old CLARK.
I wonder if the Thornton was added at a later date, it would say so on the birth certifcate I suppose.

[AdeleE]

I wonder if the Thornton was added at a later date, it would say so on the birth certifcate I suppose.

That's a good point. Do you think the word Thornton would be added to the original birth registration as a correction, thus in different handwriting? And is the birth certificate that Alfred has in his possession a photocopy of the original entry or a certified transcribed copy?

[Mona]

In the GRO index (June 1908) she as listed as CLARK, Isabella Maria T.
Perhaps the adoption was pre-arranged? There was no formal adoption until 1926, I think.

[alfred girling]

THANK'S FOR ALL THIS, LOOKS LIKE I NOW HAVE G/PARENTS AS WELL.AND SHE HAD SIBLINGS.MY MOTHER TOLD ME HER PARENTS WERE KILLED IN A CAR CRASH ,SHE TOLD MY SISTER THEY DIED IN THE PLAGUE . SHE MUST HAVE THOUGHT SHE WAS ILLEGITEMENT.I HAVE COPY OF ORIGINAL BIRTH CERT.AND HAS ISABELLA MARIA THORNTON SO WAS PROBABLY PRE ARRANGED ADOPTION AND TAKEN AT BIRTH,ON CHRISTENING CERT. SHE IS ISABELLA MARY CLARKTHORNTON,SUNDERLAND PARISH,SHE ALWAYS CALLED HERSELF MARIE.ADDRESS DEFINATELY LOOKS LIKE MOON ST.HARRY CLARK ON CERT AS BRICKLAYER,SO ITS ALL FITTING IN.

ALL THE BEST. ALF