Help: CHILDS family mystery in Guildford

[fifer1947]

The only births with the names Thorp/Childs are these all in West Ham

Births Dec 1911
Thorp    Gertrude A M    Childs    W.Ham    4a   356    
Births Sep 1915
THORP    John W    CHILDS    W. Ham    4a   303    
Births Jun 1918
Thorp    Lilian G    Childs    W.Ham    4a   334

[fifer1947]

Hi Fifer,

Well I don't think Walter could ever be Edward's father, he died in Dec 1908 yet Edward was born in February 1910.

He couldn't be as he is Edward Cyril CHILDS I was attempting to eliminate a possible husband! 

[SvenJJ]

Well, looking at the 1911 Census for a Mr Walter Thorp, the entry for his wife is sadly written down as Mrs Walter Thorp (b. 1979 in Knaresborough, Yorkshire) and they have two kids, Walter and Ada Caroline and it says that they have only ever had two kids, so I think we can eliminate them as possible candidates.

[Mort29]

that was the Caroline I mentioned on the previous page .... married 1902

[SvenJJ]

Precisely.

Well if we work off the assumption that they are not the correct couple then what is our next best candidate?

I managed to find a Caroline Childs in the 1891 and 1881 Censuses born and raised in Guildford.

Thing is she was born around 1872 (which would make her quite old for the birth of Edward).

I assume she got married so as not to appear in the 1901 and 1911 censuses, possibly here:


Marriages Dec 1897

BARTER    Thomas Edwin        Guildford    2a   170    
CHILDS    Caroline                Guildford    2a   170    
FISHER    Charles Harry        Guildford    2a   170    
HILL            Lizzie                Guildford    2a   170    

But I still can't get my head around the whole thing and I have a gut instinct that this can't be her.

[fifer1947]

Thanks mort29 that's the one I was eliminating by looking at births to the possible marriages.

I believe we are looking for two sisters?

[Mort29]

lost me again mate 

I thought she was eliminated yesterday, by marrying in 1902 to a Thorp, a child born 1910 is not likely to be registered Thorp ?


two sisters? Do you mean Edward C's alleged sisters?



PS. For Sven - Caroline Childs must have married Charles Fisher - by eliminating Barter / Hill seen on the 1901.

[fifer1947]

Yes two sisters of Edward Cyril (providing they don't all have different fathers) or have I missed something?? 

[SvenJJ]

That is right, at least two sisters and they may very well be from a different partner or two. (In fact this is probably most likely as there is no father on Edward's birth certificate).

Of course there is the fact that Edward Cyril, when he was alive, would never talk of his family as it would always get him upset. Perhaps this tale of the death of his mother and sisters was a story to cover an even more depressing truth?