Can someone please date this lady and baby for me? COMPLETED - THANKS EVERYBODY

[brendam]

Hi JJ,

Oh my JJ, don't you worry, you have not brought back unpleasant memories.  We got through that period and moved on.  My daughter will be 13 next week and is doing very well.   

I agree, Mom is alive, but definately suffering from illness or grief.

[brendam]

HI Maggie,

If this photo is a pm photo of the child, are there any other babies born around the estimated time of the photo to indicate a child that died at a young age?

B

[Maggie.]

Thanks to all of you for your interest and help - it is good to read everybody's opinions.  I am in touch with JJ via PM (that is private messages not post-mortem  ) and I have spent yesterday and this afternoon trying to locate any children who may have died.  It is complicated in that the lady could either be the first wife or the second wife of my gt. grandfather.  His 1st wife died aged 26 in 1872 leaving 2 children who survived to adulthood.  No other children appear in the census records.  However I have now found evidence that there may have been another male child who was born in 1871 and died before he reach the age of one, in other words - around the time of his mother. 

All this needs confirming so I have dug deep into funds and ordered in total 6 cetrtificates, including mum's death certificate and that of the (perhaps) baby.  Incidentally does anyone agree with me that Mum has a consumptive look?.... hollow eyes 

It is such a morbidly fascinating picture but I hope it isn't stirring up bad feelings for anybody.  I have had this photo for many years and have mentally attached it to my father's side of the family because I think it was my paternal grandmother who gave it to me.  But I have always found it a disturbing photo - that poor woman - it would be good to get a little closer to finding out who she is.

Incidentally my photo is not a 'carte' as such, but a photograph of probably a page in an album with the carte slotted into it.  It is not annotated.

Maggie

[brendam]

Hi Maggie,

I do you hope you are able to match the photo to your family and be able to put faces to names. 

I do agree that the Mom has hollow eyes.  I hate to admit it, but my husband always tells me (befoe I tell him) when I am sick.  My eyes are just like that, they sink into my head.  I thought he was silly until I looked in the mirror one day.  We had one of the fly viruses last year and the 'Mom' eyes look just like mine did while I was sick. 

I hope you are able to solve this puzzule with the help of the great people here on RC.

take care

B

[Maggie.]

Hi brendam,

Yes - none of us look too good when we are sick, but unlike my lady in the pic. we generally manage to avoid all cameras at such times - in fact I tend to avoid all cameras these days even when I am well    .

I am sure when my batch of certificates arrive they will throw some light on the puzzle - it would be nice to give her a name.

.... and I cannot think of a better place to be asking the questions than RC  .

Maggie

[brendam]

HI Maggie

I am sure with your experience you will get this photo match to your familyl  I wish you all the bestl

B

[0rinoco]

Has anyone noticed that 'mum' is not wearing a wedding ring? At least, I can't see one. Is this maybe the child's nurse? I agree about the date.

[Maggie.]

Yes - we've noticed that Orinoco but fingers look puffy to me so perhaps it was taken off 

I don't think there was much money around in this family so I don't know about the nurse scenario but perhaps an unmarried family member ?  If - and its a big 'if' the death certificates I have ordered are correct - the mother of the child may have died over 3 months BEFORE the child, so perhaps the lady is NOT the child's mother.  My gt. grandfather re-married in 1874, after the death of his first wife in 1872 (I know that for definite - a sourced fact).  Could this lady be his future second wife helping out after the death of his first wife 

Maggie

[JJbeech]

Hi,
We think we have the woman identified as dying in child birth in 1877, am i right in suggesting that we are presuming she died in labour with her first child? (this was most common childbirth death?)

what if (and please no shooting down in flames!!) This woman lost a child in June/July 1876 (i'm taken liberties and presuming dates are a given!) whilst 3 month pregnant, she then gives birth and dies (perhaps due to complications of compsumtion) in Jan 1877, the child survives a while and then dies in June 1877?

Just a thought that explains the dates!!

JJ