Mixed emotions...

[IsaacJDuffy]

So, as many of you know, I've had some trouble finding a father for my Great Grandmother, Lenora Towns (1st marriage [my relation] Hillery, maiden name Bird), 1919-1995. After having several kids with my Great Grandfather, they separated and later in life in her 70s she finally remarried a guy called Joe (Towns). When I ordered her birth certificate, no father was listed.

On the 1939 census, she is living with my Great Grandfather, and her grandmother is also resident. Oddly, no sign of her mother (Doris) who didn't die until 1977.

Today I went with my Grandmother to see my Great-Aunt, who would shed some light on the situation. I should probably mention that Lenora had a glass eye. My Great Aunt knew why and told both of us (my Grandmother had no prior knowledge of what we were told and found it all pretty hysterical).

It turned out that Doris was a lady of the night, who had VD. It was because of this Lenora had problems with her eye development prior to being born and had to have it removed aged four. When she was three days old, her Grandmother, Ann, took her from Doris and raised her, and stuck with her for the rest of her life. Can't say this is exactly the explanation I was hoping for (and I'm frustrated to now have a missing G-G-Grandad), but at least we know the reason why now.

And thank goodness VD isn't hereditary... Haha!

[almach]

Well done on taking it so well, not all family historians do, in fact some would prefer to be told untruths rather than accept an ancestor was less than perfect.

Poor little Lenora, it's so unfair she had to suffer for her mother's bad conduct.

Seems you'll never know who Lenora's father was, but many folks reach a block when researching as so many babies were born illegitimately and with no clue to their fathers names.

[sandiep]

A lot of us have baseborn ancestors I have a few!! and its very difficult to find answers , your experience shows how important it is to talk to the older generation............shame I have become the older generation and not talked to mine when I could excuse? wasn't researching then!!
Don't think too badly of Doris life was a lot harder in those days.