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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: blue2 on Tuesday 26 May 15 21:15 BST (UK)
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I sent for the full record of my grandparents' divorce from Scottish Record Office. It felled a few trees as was 110 A3 pages, and more action than most novels. I'm glad to have done it,, as Rootschat moderators advised, but am no further in finding my grandmother. She states that whilst my grandfather went to America to work, leaving her with 2 babies, a man she knew forced himself on her, and a resuling baby, named, was adopted. The man was named as a certain Stewart from Strathleven but obviously had melted away. My only hope was she had re-married and that's why she had disappeared. She did ask my grandfather to give her money to start again in Canada, so could try that avenue. Would Ancestry or Find My Past be best for that? Aussiegen had a look on Passenger lists to Australia but no joy.
It's such a sad tale, I'd like to find some endings.
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110 A3 pages would not have been light on the wallet :-X
Names and dates and background would help here to let others 'see' what you have...
Monica
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Checking here www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=708182.0 also here
www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=718321.0
Great you got there. You have narrowed down now the info for your further research :)
Monica
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Hello again Monica.£63 in total. Family history can be an expensive hobby!
My grandfather Robert Hume Gray married my grandmother Janet Cunningham Connell in 1921, when they were both 27 - so quite late. As there was a trade depression, he had difficulty finding work as a joiner, and decided to go to America in 1923, with 2 brothers and 2 sisters, leaving his widowed mother with another sister, and my grandmother with my mother Margaret born 1922 and about to give birth to my uncle Angus. She seems to have moved from Govan where most of her family were, to Stratheven, and according to her divorce defence, was walking out with an acquaintance, who forced himself on her.
She had nothing further to do with him, but found herself pregnant, and had James on 25th May 1925, and had him adopted. Although her mother in law had little to do with her, she found out about this, let her son know, consulted lawyers re divorce, and obtained the birth certificate. She thought it was illegal to call him James Gray, but as that was her name, it was not.
She seems to have been the driving force towards divorce, at first going to where they lived in Eaglesham
with her son, to try to take the children. ( My grandfather said in the court that she could have had '' the girl'', if he could have his son. Glad my mother never saw this.) There were numerous accounts later of him visiting Janet, and she stated that he wanted a reconciliation. The defence cites ''carnal intercourse'' as they like to call it, and him buying her a syringe and quinine to avoid pregnancy - never heard of that one. It details various wranglings, and he said that she offerred not to defend the action if he paid for a new life in Canada. The divorce did take a long time - 1925 to 1927, and indications were it might be becauseof reconciliation. She seems to have defended it on that note. She did give the children to him at Christmas but regretted it and went to the house to be called a prostitute by her mother in law, and told she'd end up like one of her sisters - who had all her insides taken out at the hospital! Summoning a policeman did her no good.
Although there were holes in my grandfather's story re visits, meetings and reconciliations, she lost both her children, and he skipped off right back to America leaving them with his mother. I can find no trace of her after that.He did have to pay seven guineas to account of her expenses, and fifteen shillings weekly as interim aliment. I was intrigued to see that apart from a landlady who witnessed 2 visits of my grandfather, there seemed no-one to speak for her - she had 8 siblings, but may be that wasn't the way it was done. Perhaps she had enough money to emigrate. Aussigen couldn't find anything for Australia, and I'm starting to check elsewhere. My mumwas always told she had deserted them, and never knew this story before she died, but she remembered a woman watching her in the school playground.
I never knew how heartbreaking this journey could be, and I'm still no closer to finding her.
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Hearbreaking it can be when you go back...I know this too from experience. Something you have to accept may happen when you start to research. Fine when it is ggg's, harder to dismiss when it is so close in line though always.
How right, thank goodness, your mum didn't know about the background to the messy side of her parents' divorce...although, like today, don't forget that young children take in more than they know :-\
I recognise and respect your drive on this all. Sometimes this is what keeps you going... Similarly, details on Janet are still there to be found. Have hope :)
Monica
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Thanks so much Monica. Can't understand why there's no record of her. Been looking at emigration records on find my past but not the best geneaology site I've visited. Will keep looking and hope to go and have a look round Eaglesham where most of the drama took place - looks lovely. People like you have helped enormously - am grateful for your understanding.
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Hi Monica. Could you advise me on where to go next? As Scotlands People don't seem to have any marriage or death records of my grandmother after 1927. There is no chance of her marrying the father of her baby that resulted in her divorce, and the baby was adopted, so no joy there either. Is there a choice, or should I just give up. She probably wanted to disappear!
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Are you checking for records under Janet's maiden name of Connell or under the name Gray? May have reverted to maiden name after the divorce...
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Have done every combination. Not come up with anything on any site. Can find her sister's death -Josephina McMaster Connell, later Steele. died 1971, Glasgow, but nothing for Janet Cunningham Connell married name Gray has come up with Gray or Connell.
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These may be something to consider
Emigration Record 1927 (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FSCJ-B3J)
Emigration Record 1929 (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XGVH-P24)
I have one lady in our tree that I have been unsuccessfully trying to find for years
However I did find her for a short period in the 1970s as she remarried and her genuine maiden name was recorded - she had changed her name by deed poll
I now know that continual use of a name for two years allows you to use this name afterwards
or you can formally announce a change to your use of name - unfortunately these are not all recorded
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Under the laws of England & Wales (and I think Scotland, too) a person may call themselves anything they like!
Just as long as there is no intention to defraud or deceive.
A Deed Poll is not necessary. ;D
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True the Deed Poll is not necessary but it is of great help if used to prove some one is the correct person!
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Except that, in the UK at least, no central register of Deeds Poll is kept?
Unless they are "enrolled" i.e. lodged for safe keeping, in the Close Rolls of the Chancery (from 1851 to 1902) and from 1903, in the Enrolment Books of the Supreme Court of Judicature, which is located within the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand, London.
Since 1914, for "enrolled" changes, the details of the name change are published in either the London Gazette or Belfast Gazette.
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Myluck, got excited about the 1929 shipping manifest entry and just had a look (father William and born Glasgow would all fit). Seems to be this Jane was 23 though and she was living in Toronto but going to visit her father William in the New York I think.
Pity :-\
Monica
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Thanks Monica. Tried the Canadian records on Find My Past, but not sure if I tried so early so will check again. Have tried with maiden name on other record sites too.
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The Janet Connell in 1927 to Quebec looks interesting, except says born in Kircaldy not Glasgow. Will look into those details. Thanks myluck
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Just been looking at the other Janet Connell just now. She is a married lady from Kirkcaldy, married to an Isaac I think. Lots of trips back and forth for her over the years. Shows in the US on the 1940 census etc.
Monica
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Amazing to find out so quickly! Thanks again - will plod on in my search.
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It would still be worth trying to chase up her siblings if you're not in touch with any descendants on that side yet; she might have gone back to family, or at least been in touch with them.
Wills for her family? Electoral rolls, maybe?
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Thanks. Thought electoral rolls may be a good starting point. I only found one of her siblings so far,- her sister closest in age, so will see if I can find any others.
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Do remember though that women weren't necessarily on Electoral Registers?
In 1918, a coalition government passed the Representation of the People Act 1918, enfranchising women over the age of 30 who met minimum property qualifications. Ten years later, in 1928, the Conservative government passed the Representation of the People (Equal Franchise) Act giving the vote to all women over the age of 21.
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The Divorce was finalised though in 1927...so if we had addresses, likely they could be searched.
The main thing I think now is that blue2 and family have lost all track of Janet after 1927 (and this year only comes about from the Divorce Papers that blue2 now has, with the relevant history).
I have spent a further while trying to search for Janet this afternoon and have nothing to show for it :-\
Monica
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Thanks so much for looking, Monica, your time is much apreciated. She seems to have disappeared, hardly surprising after losing 3 children. Her last address in the divorce was 24, Paisley Road, Glasgow, which would probably be one room in a house, as she had in Eaglesham with the children, so a temporary tenancy no doubt.