Natural daughter or adopted?

[carol_cholsey]

Hi all,
Would be interested to know if anyone has seen this before.

I've been sent a copy of a birth certificate for Edith Maud Blanchard, born in Shrewsbury Shropshire on 23rd July 1869. The father is given as Edward Blanchard, a freeholder, the mother as Maria Blanchard, formerly Butt. Nothing at all strange with that.

However the 1871 census shows the following (RG10 773 f36 p12)
Maria A Blanchard head widow age 31 no occupation born Middlesex Chelsea
Algernon Blanchard son age 12 born Sydney Australia NSW
and following that
Edith M Bellamy adopted daughter orphan age 2 born Shropshire

The 1881 census entry (RG11 106 f102 p27) shows
Maria Blanchard lodger widow age 38 born Middlesex Chelsea
Edith M Bellamy adopted daughter age 11 born India

When Edith marries in 1887, (Wandsworth district), she states that her father is Thomas Bellamy, gentleman, deceased. I have the entries for Edith in the next three censuses and she gives her birthplace as London.

Can anyone come up with a reason as to why Edith was registered as a Blanchard at birth then used Bellamy as her name for the rest of her life.

Many thanks,
Carol

[Lones]

Hi Carol

Is it possible that the first Edith died in infancy and the mother adopted a little girl and named her after the child she had just lost?

Just a thought

Lones

[jim1]

Hello Carol
Maybe the Blanchards knew or got to know Thomas Bellamy on the journey back to England.He may have joined the ship in India.He may have died & they took in the baby & on their arrival in England registered the birth in their names,maybe believing the baby could have been taken from them putting Shropshire originally as that's where she was registered.
Difficult to understand having gone to the trouble that they didn't keep the name Blanchard.This may have something to do with the husband's death & inheritance.
A lot of maybe's I know.

jim

Edit:had the same thought as Lones but can't find a death for Edith Blanchard but this may have happened overseas also.

[Lones]

Edit:had the same thought as Lones but can't find a death for Edith Blanchard but this may have happened overseas also.

Hey Jim, great mind's think alike!! 

Lones

[trish1120]

No birth for Algernon Blanchard or Butt in NSW either c 1858


WHOA up;
From NSW BMD;
DEATH, Edward BLANCHARD, 1868, Died at Sea, Father Unknown, Reg as Marine Death.
501551/1868

Trish

[Lones]

Hi Trish

Is there a birth for Edith under either name in NSW?

Lones

[trish1120]

Tried Butt/Blanchard/Bellamy and found Nothing.

Maybe Maria got pregnant on the Ship back to Thomas Bellamy??

[trish1120]

It appears Algernon must have gone back to Australia as their is a large Family Tree for him on Ancestry.
They do not have his Marriage though to a Emma DONALD c 1880 in Queensland.
I dont have access to that.
He was born 02/3/1859 in Sydney as Algernon Edward Blanchard .

[trish1120]

Possibility

View   Ecclesiastical records  > Deaths and burials  > Madras burial records : IOR Madras Burial returns
Click to see detail    Burial Presidency   Madras
    Burial Year   1858
    First Names   Thomas
    Surname   Bellamy

http://www.search.fibis.org/frontis/bin/simplesearchsummarycat.php?s_id=148&sn=bellamy&fn=&f=&to=&t=&c=&searchtype=exact&tn=1