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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Buckinghamshire => Topic started by: ggrocott on Tuesday 24 December 13 17:50 GMT (UK)
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Fanny Adams, according to the family bible was born on 29 August 1863 in Haddenham, Buckinghamshire. Her parents were William Adams and Harriett Montague. Harriett died in 1869 and in 1871 Fanny is with her father and siblings in Haddenham. In 1881 William is alone with his youngest daughter Ada.
The family bible says Fanny died in 1875 but I can find no trace of her death - no burial record no death certificate - is someone out there cleverer than I am? Have tried Frances as well but still no trace.
Really would like to find her death and maybe get the certificate. As always any help much appreciated.
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Have you a birth cert to confirm her rightful name, she might have died out of her home area so perhaps you ought to look further afield
Louisa Maud
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FreeBMD has her birth record as
Fanny Adams
Sept Q 1863
Aylesbury (Haddenham is part of this reg. district)
3a 411
I have searched FreeBMD deaths 1875 Buckinghamshire for Adams with no christian name, and Fanny with no surname in case of a transcription error - no likely candidates :-\ As already suggested, I think you may have to look out of the area. Maybe her father couldn't cope alone with the children and she was sent to live with a relative elsewhere, and sadly died there. There is one possible out of the area, Fanny Adams d. Mar Q 1875 age 11 Wolverhampton 6b 398. (coincidentally my home town :) )
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Have traced all her siblings and she does not appear with any of them or as a witness to any of their marriages, she is a complete mystery ??
Jennifer :)
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I had written down Wolverhampton but didn't make the suggestion as it was way out , did she have relatives there?
Perhaps a purchase of that certificate might reveal something
Louisa Maud
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Thank you all - have traced all her siblings but the Wolverhampton link is definitely worth looking at - her older sister Mary Ann certainly went to West Kirby, Cheshire as she is there in 1881 as the servant of Ann Jones (her cousin, born Ann Adams 1839 Haddenham).
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I have looked here for a burial of Fanny (or similar) Adams in Wolverhampton, no luck :(
http://www.wolverhamptonhistory.org.uk/resources/indexes
To try to confirm or rule out a death of another Fanny Adams of a similar age I checked 1871 in Wolverhampton, there is one Fanny Adams b 1867 Wolverhampton but she is still there as Francis in 1881.
Jool
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I think I may have to plan a trip to the Wolverhampton archives at some stage - I have a few other ancestors to check up on in that area! Very grateful for the work you have done - at least I now have a new clue to follow up!
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Hi,
The story of Sweet Fanny Adams is told in detail on Wikipaedia. She was murdered at Shalden, nr. Alton in Hampshire on 24th August 1867.
Hope this helps !!
RobPhill
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This can not be Fanny as she is on the 1871 census with her father.
Jennifer
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Hi, Jennifer,
Are we talking about the same Fanny Adams, the girl who was butchered?
On the website HantsGov.uk/curtis-museum/Alton-history/fanny-adams there is a complete article, including a copy of her death certificate. This gives her father as George Adams, bricklayer. with the date Saturday 24th August 1867. Her mother is mentioned as Harriett and Fanny's sibling as Lizzie, aged 7yrs. Surely, there was only one Sweet Fanny Adams.
RobPhill
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Hi RobPhil,
As far as I know my sweet Fanny Adams was not butchered - her mother was Harriett but her father was William - I did not know this story although I knew the phrase - will read it with interest and hope to fine the death I was looking for some time!
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I also found a little Fanny Adams in my tree, and although she died young I was relieved to find she was not the Fanny Adams.
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Surely, there was only one Sweet Fanny Adams.
No - just one famous one and lots of others, like this one.
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Hi,
Just to clarify a point, the term 'Sweet' was added to the name of the Fanny Adams who was murdered in 1867 by the twisted humour of the British sailors. The use of tins of mutton was the recently-introduced convenience food in 1869. The disatisfied sailors declared that their butchered contents must surely be "Sweet Fanny Adams". This term was gradually accepted throughout the Armed Services as a euphemism for 'sweet nothing' and this term passed into common usage. The large tins used for packaging the meat were often used as mess tins and even today mess times are colloquially known as 'fannys'. Having served in the Royal Navy for over 20 years I am familiar with this usage. I am sure that there were several other Fanny Adams born in the same era. I wish the researchers luck in finding their correct one.
RobPhill