Grandmother stolen at 2 years of age (1897). Help?

[loobylooayr]

Hi all,
Having been following this thread with awe.
What a story.
Well done to all the researchers for the fantastic outcome. (managed to read Giblet's posts )
And Carole, best of luck with your future research if and when you decide to pursue it.
Best wishes,
Looby

[Ruskie]

I think this https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XWSK-YB3 (subdistrict Bulwell) supplied earlier by Heywood might be the Bagthorpe Workhouse:
http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Nottingham/
(some information about it just below half way down the page)
So Harriet and Alice have been in at least two workhouses.

[CarolRR]

Thank you Giblet - I'll try and order the article.  Leicester ...  as I recall, it's the next town on the rail line to Melton Mowbray.  We left there, to return to Canada, crossing the Atlantic by ship, in 1958 (I was a toddler) and I later returned for a visit in 1998 ...  it's tough to know that I was searching for my grandmother's identity back then, and I was right there ... 
There is something bigger than us with all of this ...  and then this morning, a beautiful red cardinal was perched on my kitchen window-sill, looking in at me.  It was a beautiful thing, and made me smile.

[giblet]

Your very welcome Carol 

Oh definitely something bigger than us.

[heywood]

Hi everyone,

I really do worry that we go off on the wrong track but hopefully all this will work out as it seems to be doing.
A few pointers Carol,

You do need to look at 1911 census. There are too many Fishers in the census but there may be some clue if you find Harriet herself. There may be more children.
It would be worth trying to get some workhouse records if possible.
I wondered if the other child (don't recall that it was a older one) was a child of the other woman mentioned that Hall had taken up with.
The various certificates - Mary Ann's birth; the marriage certificate may help to confirm or exclude these people from the situation.

Re Harriet's part in all this, there may be some truth in the 'stolen' story and Harriet may not have been able to do anything against him.

Lastly, I do wish you well with all this and sincerely hope that we have solved some of the story.

heywood

[Ruskie]

Just looking for Harriet in earlier censuses, I found this:
 
1891
19 Trueman (?) St
Ilkeston Derbyshire
Thomas Fisher 21 mar coal miner b Ilkeston
Harriett Fisher 21 wife b Ilkeston
William Hy Fisher 6months son b Ilkeston
RG12
Piece: 2664
Folio: 97
Page: 21
 
Harriet is single in later censuses so I'm not sure why she said this if she was married. What do others think? Is this the same Harriett?

Carol, you said that there was a child older than Alice and Mary Ann? I'm not sure where this information came from, but there is William Henry in the 1891 above. 

[ADDED LATER: I decided to amend this post rather than quote Heywood's response below and Heywood's quote and my comments to the discussion further in the thread as the discussion has moved on since I wrote the above comments last night. I note that Heywood has found the 'correct' Harriett so please ignore this 1891 census finding. If I had continued my search for this Harriet in the 1901 census I would have discovered that she is the wrong one, but I had to sign off as it was after 1am my time. That is my excuse anyway.  ]

[heywood]

This is why I try be cautious 

1896
marriage of Hall and Harriet Fisher aged 22 years (abt 1874)  -father George Fisher

1881  3325/ 100/3  has a Harriet born abt 1874 - George and Harriet

1891  2665/ 25/ 43  has a George and daughter Harriet 'Fislin' (transcription) 17 yrs (abt 1874)

[heywood]

Ruskie,

Thomas, Harriet and William Hy are together in 1901 with more children.

heywood

[CarolRR]

Thank you heywood, I appreciate your concerns.  I have already ordered the birth certificate for Mary Ann Fisher, born Oct. 1895, Basford 7b 202.  I wasn't aware that records could be obtained from Workhouses, I'm not familiar with that side of things - my research had ended at 'Barnardo's' doorstep.  It seems that the more I learn, the less I know ... 
I will pursue this, as you suggest, to ensure that I have the correct people.  My gut tells me that sadly, this is my grandmother's story.
Thank you all once again - each and every one of you.