Helena & Margaret COWAN & Andrew FLANAGAN

[fullscott]

If anyone is searching for these children, their origins are described in the WW1 Service Records (WO 363) of John SCOTT - which is an alias, discovered by the Army in 1915. For some reason, the man continued to serve under the name of SCOTT - medals & discharge papers issued in that name.

Although they are not my family, I would love to know what happened to these children. Their story could have been written by Dickens!

Helena COWAN, born 1908 (possibly in Scotland? I cannot find her in England/Wales).
Margaret COWAN, born 1910.
Andrew FLANAGAN, born 1914.

Their mother, Ann COWAN claimed to be a widow when she married Andrew FLANAGAN (FreeBMD Mar 1911). He enlisted as John SCOTT in 1914, having earlier deserted (as Flanagan, I presume). He claimed to be unmarried.

The fraudulent enlistment was discovered in May 1915, when his wife wrote asking for money. The Army decided to not proceed with a court martial ("good worker", etc). They refused to pay separation allowance because of the wife's conduct. She (Annie Flanagan) had been convicted for neglect of her children - 2 months' hard labour. In April 1917, the 2 girls were in a Remand Home pending removal to an Industrial School. The boy was in the care of a Mrs O'Malley (Liverpool).

If what he declared at Attestation can be believed, Flanagan was born circa 1879 in Glasgow. His permanent address (& his wife's) is Liverpool.

100+ pages - Not one to be read quickly!

Anc****y, SCO, pages 1279 to 1404

[fullscott]

Almost 3 years later - I've had an e-mail from the family of MARGARET! Apparently the girls were sent to Canada (as "home children"), Margaret fell pregnant and left her son with nuns. He searched for his mother, but died (in 1989) without finding her - HIS son continued to search.
Margaret married & had 3 more sons. One of those (age 85y) is doing his family tree, and started to search. The abandoned son's son found the above posting ... and now uncle & nephew (Margaret's son & grandson) are in touch with each other.

Do I feel good?

YOU BET I DO

Jane

(and now Ancestry is playing silly games & won't let me reply to the message ... so I'm celebrating here, at source!)

[christanel]

Oh Wow, Wow and Wow Jane. What an absolutely ^&%$#@ brilliant result. All your hardwork and persistence rewarded. So so pleased for you.

Christina

[Lesley Robertson]

Well done, Jane!
I must admit that I'm amazed at the number of aliases you're finding in these records...