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After years of frustration and trying to remember family stories from over 40 years ago it's amazing how one small piece of info opens a whole branch of the tree.

I was always told my maternal family was from West Sussex but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't find the link then I found the 1939 register and Bingo!

I remembered roughly where my great grandmother lived but not the address so drove around for a while and found her old house.

From that I found my mothers given name was different to the one she used, our family was from London and Surrey and finally after years of research found out who my maternal grandfather was.

I was always told he went to Australia after the war but he didn't. He was locked up for seven years in 1942 after a family shooting in Plymouth !!

I then found he died in 1980 in Chichester and had another family.

I could keep going with all the other things I have since found but won't bore you all. I guess I just wanted to share how much a single piece of research can open so many doors.

Keep going. You will find out in the end .

I started as I knew very little about my Fathers side of the family. He died in 1977 when I was quite young.

I along with my brother and sisters lived with him as my mother left us and remarried. Upon his death she took custody and from then on I lost any real contact with what few relations I had left on my fathers side of the family although I loved them all very much and remember them with great fondness.  My mother then went through the process of having our surnames changed to match hers from her second marriage.

Even at that young age I resented what was happening but was in no position to disagree or discuss.

As I got older I'm afraid this resentment turned to anger towards my mother and I was determined to get in touch with my "old family" again which I managed to do but by then many had died.

For me it was important that I discovered more about my own identity and to ensure that the memory of my father and his family live on.


 

Out of interest what did Edward Bonner do for a living?

He was a roof tiler/builders labourer

Good Afternoon to you all

I have posted this question before so please forgive me for repeating it but maybe someone new has joined the forum who could provide a likely answer

My grandmother Annie Louisa Smith (nee Brown) married Edward Bonner in the early 1920s. I have the certificate to prove this. They went on to have at least two children, Lionel, my father and Edwin. Annie already had three children from her previous marriage

On the birth certificates of Lionel and Edwin it doesn't have a father recorded although at this time Annie and Edward Bonner were married. Both Lionel and Edwin were given the middle name Bonner but the surname Smith?

That's the question really why do this? Was it as simple as Annie making sure all the children had the same surname? Another interesting point is that when Annie died she was recorded as widow of Edward Smith by my father although she never married for a third time.

Sorry for posting this again as its not really holding up my research, which is going fine its just this really puzzles me

Thank you

Hello

Well I have the marriage cert.

Annie Louisa Smith married Edward Bonner July 1920. Both residing at 15 Osborne Road Petersfield. Confirmed as my Grandmother although she has been a creative with her age of 35. She was 80 when she died in 1959 .

Annie's father Edwin Brown customs house officer. This is correct although sometimes he was called Edward

Edward Bonner age 34, Father Daniel Bonner dockyard laborer.

Witnessed by Edwin Brown and what looks like Charles Bonner.

I'm still left with some mystery though.

Why Edward Bonner is not named as the father on my fathers and some of his siblings birth certs?
Why on Annie's death cert registered by my father she is widow of Edward Smith?
Why my family name is Smith and not Bonner?