Fresh eyes for a Cooley family in Kent early 1900's?

[IgorStrav]

Thank you, Polarbear!  That's another good one!

I thought I would let you know that I have fought Ancestry through to the 1911 Census.

I know why Mary Ann is calling herself Mrs Bell - it's so that her name matches her daughter "Marran" Bell's surname!  Mary Ann says she's a widower, married 8 years (!), with 4 children, all living.  Occupation home washing.

She is born Sevenoaks.

Daughter Marran Bell, who is single, is shown as born Maidstone, no occupation.

Then there's a boarder, Edith Maud Motherill, aged 19, single, also home washing.

And finally, Sidney Arthur Read, grandson, aged 6, born Chatham.

It really does make me think of the old proverb about "what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive".

I wonder if Goldcoast knows if Mary Ann had separated from her husband at that time, and that's why he's single and she's widowed, under a different name?  Or is she still just covering up the fact that they weren't married.

As Goldcoast says, no wonder Bertha's proudly demonstrating her ring finger!

Now tell me, don't you think all the ladies look quite alike?

This is my great grandmother, who was the much older cousin of all the others - if we're right, that is

[IgorStrav]

Apologies, the 1911 Census for Mary Ann says 8 children born alive, 4 now living, 4 died.  No note of length of marriage.

[IgorStrav]

Just a little question.

If Mary Ann is at the John St address in 1911 with MARIAN, her daughter, who is, at this stage, not married, why does she call herself BELL, which is the actual married name of another daughter, Elizabeth?

Still looking for Elizabeth and Charles Edward.

[goldcoast]

I wonder if Goldcoast knows if Mary Ann had separated from her husband at that time, and that's why he's single and she's widowed, under a different name?  Or is she still just covering up the fact that they weren't married.

A few days ago I wasn't even sure if Polly was Mary Ann and if she and Nathan Evenden were the parents of my Bertha...  When I re-found my notes last weekend I was reminded that Syd had lived with Bertha's mother, unfortunately I hadn't asked why...  So even though I knew a Nathan Evenden was living with Bertha, Arthur, their kids, Uncle Albert and another woman it didn't even click until now that Bertha's parents were separated! doh!

And why was a very young Syd with Bertha's mother and Albert with his father and sister?

I shudder to think but when this is all sorted to some level I will need to re-visit Nathan Evenden, not even sure if I have the correct one which is why I have never tried to go back further on that line...

Must get back to work.

Also, I think there is a likeness between the girls

[goldcoast]

thank you polarbear for contributing, very much appreciated.

This is the most wonderful forum, wish I didn't have to go to work.  Am going to try and add all the bits to my tree asap.

One more question, why would Mary Ann Cooley call herself Polly?  Is there an significance in that name?  My grandmother said that Marie was called Aunty Polly...

[IgorStrav]

Polly is a well known nickname for women called Mary or Mary Ann, for some reason, which would explain Marie being called Polly, too.

Put the kettle on! 

[goldcoast]

And finally, (unless any other miraculous discovery pops up tonight), I have been thinking about the 90 year old Cooley Aunt, who attends Albert Sydney's funeral in 1917.

If she really was 90, she'd have been born in c 1827.  None of Mary Ann Cork/Cooley's siblings was that old.  However, I think one strong candidate is Sarah Cooley, Mary Ann's eldest sister.  Sarah was born in 1837, and would therefore have been 80 in 1917.  She lived in Sundridge at much the same time as Albert Sydney was born there, and her daughter Ellen was born at around the same date.  In the 1911 she's in Westerham, Kent, and it may well have been that she journeyed to Chatham to give her respects.

Going back through the posts...  Whilst my Grandmother Evelyn was pretty accurate with most of the info she gave back in the 1980s from memory this is one that may be wrong.  Evelyn would have been just on 10 years old at Albert's funeral and an old lady to a girl that age is oooollllldddd and she may have overestimated the age although the fact that she remembers this old Cooley lady is probably true in that someone from that side was at the funeral.

[goldcoast]

Ever since I first saw the name Polly in the family that old nursery rhyme comes into my head

[goldcoast]

I have Bertha Cooley/Evenden's birth certificate which says she was born on the 18th June 1886 'in a hop house on Duddy's farm Hunton?' Father Nathan Evenden, mother Mary Anne Evenden formerly Cork, father's residence No. 6 Fisher Street, Park? Terraces, Barking, Essex. (sorry if I have already posted this info)

My question to you very clever people is why would he put born in that location?  Did Polly/Mary Ann slip into the hop house to give birth?  Did he not live with Polly/Mary Ann?  Was she at work when she went into labour?  How do I find Duddy's Farm?  Any other suggestions?