Birth and marriage help please!

[~Rachel~]

Hello,

I wasn't really sure where to post this as it covers England, Scotland, Wales & Ireland!

I'm trying to find the birth record of Sheila or Joan Macdonald. (Full name on marriage cert is Joan Sheila Mary Temple Blackwood Macdonald). She was born on 19 Dec 1913 and died in 1994.

Her mother's name was Bridget Eileen Fitzgerald (b. abt 1885 in Dublin), and father either Patrick or Alexander Macdonald.

As her mother was Irish, father Scottish and she herself married in Wales I reckon she could have born in any of them! I've bought subscriptions and pay-per-views for each, but haven't managed to locate a record.

Same goes for her parents marriage record - can't find one in any country. They apparently married a year before Sheila was born, then on the outbreak of war he went off to fight and she went off to do nursing. Sheila was left with her paternal grandparents. Her farther came home to help deal with the flu epidemic, and died the following year so I guess around 1920.

I can't help get the feeling that something isn't quite right with it. I'd always thought that only single women could go off to do nursing. Bridget was in the Queen Alexandra Imperial Nursing. Not sure if that makes a difference. 

Anyway I'd appreciate any assistance or suggestions towards finding them!

Thanks,

Rachel 

[PaulineJ]

in which country did bridget sign up to do nursing and her hubby to fight?

Pauline

[~Rachel~]

I've got no idea. 

All the info I have is from my grandma, who is Sheila's adopted sister. (Born 1930.)Everything I know is just what she was told, I'm struggling to prove the info.

[mshrmh]

Rachel - where did she die? Death certificates issued in England & Wales for 1994 would include the date & place of birth - to the best of the informant's knowledge. If she died in England & Wales it might be worth getting a copy of the death certificate to see what it says.
I don't know what is/was required elsewhere, but the same may apply.

[ivanidea]

Hello Rachel

Is the person you seek Sheila Joan M Sixsmith who died in Downham, Norfolk 1994?

She seems to be the only one who fits the profile!

Can you plaees let us have full details from the marriage certificate.

How did you come by the details for Shelia's mother?

Regards

Ivan

*Sorry mshrmh - I didn't see the "red warning" until it was too late!!

[~Rachel~]

oooh that's a good one! She died somewhere near Norfolk I think so would definitely be easy to get. I guess it will depend a lot on who informed but worth a go.

I didn't realise you could get birth info off the later death certificates, I've not had to order such a recent one before.  

[~Rachel~]

Hi Ivan,

Yes that's her!

Details of her marriage cert as follows:

In the Parish Church of Llandough, Glamorgan
5th April 1937
Hugh Leonard William Sixsmith - age 25 - medical practitioner of Wellington Street, Stockport. Father Charles Frederick Gilbourne Sixsmith, a medical practitioner.

Joan Sheila Mary Temple Blackwood Macdonald - age 23 of Fairleigh, Llandough. Father Alexander Macdonald a medical practitioner.

Witnesses Mehryn (?) Jones and Marion Sixsmith.

Up until I recevied this cert had always thought Sheila's dads name was Patrick...

[~Rachel~]

Oh and the details about Bridget are from my grandma again (her adopted daughter).

[ivanidea]

Details for death certificate:

England & Wales, Death Index: 1984-2005
Name: Sheila Joan M Sixsmith
Birth Date: 19 Dec 1913
Death Registration Month/Year: Jul 1994
Age at death (estimated): 80 
Registration district: Downham 
Inferred County: Cambridgeshire, Norfolk 
Register number: 13D 
District and Subdistrict: 6331 
Entry Number: 186 
 
Ivan