What is the biggest mystery in your tree?

[PaulaToo]

I think we might share something there, Simma.
I have a feeling my Eliza Ann kept body and soul together in the only way left. No hand outs in those days, once you started on that path you didn't have much chance of getting off it.

[Simma]

The thing is though, it doesn't fit the family profile at all. OK, they were all from the bottom end of the social spectrum but they were respectable - she had several brothers and sisters, all of whom did the usual respectable 'get married, get a house, have 2-6 kids' lifestyle.

They also appear to have been close - her sister took her in in 1923, and took her two surviving sons in when she died in 1929. Her older brother was present at her death and reported it to the registrar. I can't imagine that if their father was struggling to cope they would allow their sister to resolve this by resorting to prostitution.

However, I suppose the illegitimate birth of my grandfather might have made her something of a 'persona non grata' with the family and maybe only her father stood by her.

But again, this is all speculation and sadly, barring the discovery of some long lost document or very old unknown relative I don't think I am ever going to know.

[PaulaToo]

It's a problem, isn't it. I know for sure that some of Eliza's kids had no named father, so it's anyone's guess how they came about.
Then again, there is, as you say, the matter of respectability.
Gran Harriet, Eliza's daughter,(no named father) had a daughter Emily. The family were very respectable, forget the fact that they married after having their children not before, they did get married.
Emily had an illigitimate daughter when she was in service. That happened a lot. Once a girl fell for that one she could have been in real trouble and not entirely through her own fault. Emily was lucky because her family took her back in and looked after her. Her sister adopted the baby when Emily died. Could this have happened with your great grandmother? Could she have been in service somewhere and attracted the unwanted attention of the master or the son of the master of the house?

[liverpool lass]

I lost my GGrandfather! Born 1850 in Renfrewshire, married 1875 in Glasgow, had 2 chn born 1876 and 1879 then ..... nothing!! His wife emigrated in 1895 and remarried but where did Murdoch go and when did he die?

[Iria]

Would Love to Find my Edward Murray b c 1873-1875 Liverpool Father William Murray Occ Slater... on the 1881 Census ? On the 1891 Catherine his mother? was married to Owen Kelly and there was a other son called Alexander both where down as Owen's sons... On the 1901 Census Edward is Living with his mother Catherine Kelly but Edward is Back to using the Surname Murray 

Was Catherine his real mother ? was Alexander born a Kelly or Murray

Would love to find sooo many answers

Regards

Iria 

[northern_rose]

I have two mysteries -

The most recent was my grandfather born in 1905 who was registered as Mitchell Henry Clegg and 3 months later christened Richard Henry Clegg. Nobody knew about his registration name until I had spent a year trying to find his birth certificate. Why did his parents change their mind about his name?

My great great grandfather was in prison in Portland in 1901. Why was he in prison and why so far south? (He lived all his life in Lancashire/Yorkshire and Derbyshire)

Will I ever know?

[SallyCat]

I have three now... one is where did my great great grandfathers wife appear from?  Other than as his wife, I can find no trace of her even though they married in 1848.  I would have thought she would be somewhere in 1841!

ANd then in the same family.. in 1891 a son appears.... George... no sign of him from the time he was born in 1859 til 1891.  Is he a son, or did the daughter marry another Challis? Even the census says 'single'........ ARRRGH..

On my mothers side.. photos of the magnificent Florence Brooks........ nowhere in sight having married ....yet the family photos show her as being my grandfathers mother........yeehaawwww... stand aside Miss Marple.....nothing is ever really solved in a 60 minute mystery show!

Happy hunting everyone! 

[PaulaToo]

Oh Gawd, SallyCat, your great great grandfather's wife 'just appears'
I've got one of those. I have the marriage cert for Eliza Ann and Henry Moore.
Who was Henry Moore? What was Henry Moore, well they claim he is a carpenter, later a soldier......he has no birth or death.... and as for being the father of Eliza's children.........oh yeah?

Then I saw the name Challis and nearly freaked.

One of the notches on Eliza's bedpost was Callas William Webb, (I think he just might, might, be my great grandfather,) he changed his name to William Webb when they went to Reading, and then lord knows why, to William Challis.

Oh, you gave me a nasty turn for a minute there, you really did

[SallyCat]

Whats even freakier Paula......is that I have a cousin.. Paula Challis.. hehehehe    (although married now I guess and with a diff name!)

My whole Challis family is giving me nightmares..... Cant find marriages of the children (perhaps many died).. but good old Harriett.. she just keeps on keeping on like the energiser bunny..... but before being a challis..... eeek.. who knows... an alien?

 

Ahh, the notches on the bedposts.......and we all thought that might be something more recent ! LOL