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

[Ruskie]

If there are further additions or changes after 24 hrs to this timeline, perhaps I can make the edits for you on it to keep it fresh and update. Let me know if this is the case and you want me to this (also in case I miss any update).
Monica

Yes, thanks Monica that would be good. 

[Ruskie]

I have just caught up with the recent posts. I'm glad that the timeline is OK and thanks to Gazania for suggesting it (an excellent idea especially now that the thread is so long) and also Heywood for making a start on it. 

A question:
Is anyone chasing up any possible workhouse records? They are at Nottingham Archives. Is anyone visiting or know anyone who might be kind enough to pop along and do a few lookups for Carol? Keep in mind that Harriett was with Alice in Basford Workhouse in the 1901 census and in 1911 she was in Bagthorpe with Alice and John. I think we really need to get hold of these records.

And for Carol:
Mary Ann was 10 when she went to Canada - she must have had memories from her time in England, perhaps not the early memories, but memories of her time in foster care. Do you know if she ever told anyone about her early life? (Not that this will help in the search, but I am just interested). I think after spending 6 years with the Owen family, it must have been very traumatic for Mary Ann to be returned to Barnardos.

At a later stage, I wonder it it might be worth following up on Norman Williams who in 1909 must have gone to a lot of effort to send a letter to Mary Ann who he thought may be his sister. What leads him to believe this? His surname is Williams and her birth surname may be Fisher? He must not have known this and was probably mistaken believing she was his sister - Mary Ann Williams would be a fairly common name I think. He must have been so disappointed that she was unable to tell him anything.

[Kaybron]

Ruskie, perhaps a request on the Nottinghamshire board and a link to these posts.  I'm sure someone would take this on board when they read Mary Ann's tragic circumstances prior to heading to Canada and Carol's remarkable journey to find details relating to her grandmother.  An email to the records office might also help. 

Kaybron

[Tiki1962]

What an amazing story that shows the strength of the human spirit. Your grandmother must have been an amazing lady Carol and what a beautiful photo. If I can help from Australia just holler!
Tiki

[gpixie]

Hi everyone, glad to hear things are progressing. I do agree that the Ancestry family tree should be approached with caution as there is very limited sourcing to prove those links. I tend to use trees as a source for possible hints to investigate but as always the source material needs to be found to back it up. I'm sorry if I created any false hope Carol.

I hope that the certificates can provide more information. Will keep investigating to see what I can find. 

[cocksie]

Its been some 3 days since I read the original post over a 6.30am coffee and, could I just say, what people have dug up is amazing.
It's a horrible story .... but what is truely heart warming is that a person with such a horrendously difficult beginning becomes a much loved wife, mother and grandmother.  I have just reread all 17 pages of posts and, although it breaks my heart to think of a man reaching out to a woman hoping that she might be his sister, it is somewhat comforting to read that Mary Ann does not remember that period of her life (or much of it).
Trawled newspapers back and forth (from 1890-1910) last night for hours but could find no definitive reference to Hall before or after (or his then partner Florence Lea) - with the thought that such an odious person was likely to come up again.  I find it quite peculiar that, apart from the 3 newspaper articles found (and listed on the fabulous timeline post) there appears to be no other reference to this case.
I'm unsure how to aid this search but really want to.  Am happy to trawl anywhere on cyberspace for any length of time (sitting in Australia).
cocksie

[Ruskie]

Kaybron, I will post a lookup request on the Notthinghamshire board a little later. Please let me know if anyone else has already done so, as I'd hate to double up.

Carol, It is fantastic to see a photo of 'little Mary Ann' (and she looks little, even at that age). Thank you for sharing it.

[janan]

I've arrived late to this fascinating thread, an amazing example of the combined forces of Rootschat in action. A very sad story but at least it has a happy ending for your beautiful grandmother Carol.

As has been noted already Harriet Fisher is listed as Imbecile in 1911, although not on any other census. If she did have some kind of learning disability she may well have been vulnerable and easy prey for men like  James Hall and have had little control over leaving little Mary Ann behind when she left him.

I wish you well Carol and hope the certificates prove helpful.

Jan

[cocksie]

I, too, just noted the "imbecile" note in 1911 census for Harriet Fisher. Listed as a scholar when living with father in 1881.
Apologies if I am missing something but, given she married, why would she not be a Harriet Hall?