The Hunt for Olive Simmons

[mike crouch]

Please excuse this form of approach but this seems a wonderful way of trying to find lost relatives and is an opportunity too good to miss.

I am trying to trace my birth mother, Olive Simmons, who had to give me up for adoption when I was born in 1942. I was born in the Sheffield Street Hospital in Westminster London on the 18th November 1942. My mother gave her address as Adam Street, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset and her occupation as a Shoe Shop Manageress. At birth I was called Shaun Montague Simmons. There are no other details on my Birth Certificate.

I have discovered through the Electoral Register that Ethel Victoria and Florence Simmons moved to Adam Street during WW2 and lived there until 1953. Florence died on the 6th April 1953 and her daughter, Ethel Victoria, moved to Welwyn Garden City in Herts. I have been unable to trace her. Olive never appeared in the Adam Street Electoral Register.

A helpful researcher provided the details of another part of my family which begins with Charles Simmons (b 1826) and his wife Mary (b 1823). As far as I can discover they had 7 children. The youngest, William Henry Simmons (b 1870) married Florence (b 1867) and became an LMS railway accountant. His widow, died at the same house that my mother had given as her address on my birth certificate. We cannot positively connect Olive to this tree.
Charles was born in Enfield Middx, became a Policeman and eventually became a Superintendent Inspector Casual Wards Most of his children were born in Middlesex.

After adoption in 1943 I became Michael George Crouch, the name I have used throughout my life. Now that I am 63 years old, have my own children and several grandchildren I feel it would be comforting if I could tell my family something about my past. I have contacted all the agencies who might have been involved with my adoption but have been told that my papers are lost or destroyed.

If you feel you can help with some of the missing pieces, or you think you may be able to help please let me know.

Thank you for reading this. Good luck with your own search and I hope you are successful.

[Lenore]

I am trying to trace my birth mother, Olive Simmons, who had to give me up for adoption when I was born in 1942. I was born in the Sheffield Street Hospital in Westminster London on the 18th November 1942. My mother gave her address as Adam Street, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset and her occupation as a Shoe Shop Manageress. At birth I was called Shaun Montague Simmons. There are no other details on my Birth Certificate.

I have discovered through the Electoral Register that Ethel Victoria and Florence Simmons moved to Adam Street during WW2 and lived there until 1953. Florence died on the 6th April 1953 and her daughter, Ethel Victoria, moved to Welwyn Garden City in Herts. I have been unable to trace her. Olive never appeared in the Adam Street Electoral Register.

Hi Mike,

Have you looked in the newspapers for any funeral or death notices for Florence Simmons to see who placed notices for her? The main notice might say something like "Florence Simmons, loved mother of Ethel and Olive (Mrs Bloggs)" or something useful like that.

If Olive never appeared on the Electoral Register at Adam Street she either never lived there or was under 21 when she left. My apologies if you have done this already, but as you haven't mentioned it, I wonder if you have looked at the GRO indexes for a marriage or death for Olive?

Best wishes,

Lenore