Alice Slater

[kinged]

Hi lizdb
No, and the only thing that I can find that links John Edwin and Hannah Slater to Alice is the name Slater, and that both families come from staffordshire,
Frank

[lizdb]

It looks to me like an example of a young girl being sent away to the country in disgrace to have her baby, and coming home to carry on as if nothing had happened.
In Alice's case, going to brother William John.
Seems maybe the baby was taken from her immediately, if William registered the birth, not Alice.

Then the baby went for unofficial 'adoption'.
I would imagine John and Hannah are some sort of relation. Too much coincidence for the family that took him on to have the same surname from the same area.

You will never know Thomas's father.
I would say highly unlikely to be John Slater.

[heywood]

Thomas is a visitor in Armitage, Staffordshire on the 1901 census.  RG13/2657 folio 45 page 14. Head of Household was a David Cooke and his wife Sarah was born Lichfield.

Mo

I'm not sure I am following all this properly but 1911 free index shows a 13 yr old 'Thomes' Cooke in the Cooke household    http://www.1911census.co.uk. Could he be the Thomas Slater from 1901?

This may not be important as you have him with 'sister' Barbara anyway.

[kinged]

Hi
 I don't have acsess t0 1911 census, But Thomas' daughter told me that he is on the census wth John Edwin and Hannah, and is said to be adopted with the name Platt; surely if he had been adopted he would have been called Slater,and this may have been used to cover for the fact that they had a daughter the same age as Thomas.
I still believe that John Edwin must have been the father, as why would he take on a child when he already had six or seven children aready, and why would all John's children, and grandchildren all still believe that he was found on the doorstep? (My mother-in-law included).
Thomas never told any of his family anything about his upbringing, and it was not until I started to research the Family that I found out who his mother was, and they are now anxious to find out what happened to her,and to find out where she was laid to rest.
Frank

[heywood]

Was Thomas known as Platt or Slater?

Do you know that his mother was definitely the Alice Slater you refer to?
I see the informant is William John so I can see the connection but it is confusing, sorry.
I can't see Barbara Slater in 1881 nor a birth reference for her.

[Mabel Bagshawe]

think this might be Barbara in 1881 in Denbigh

Henry Davies    54
Jane Davies    50
Mary H. Davies    25
William H. Davies    23
Martha J. Davies    20
Margaret E. Davies    15
Arthur E. Davies    12
Barbara E. Davies     8 - grandaughter
   
RG11, 5532, 4, 2

The maiden name of John Edwin's wife Hannah is Davies and she's born Denbigh 1854. This looks like the same family in 1871, with Hannah. I get the feeling John Edwin and Hannah may take in the odd waif and stray, given Barbara was born after their marriage - possible a child of Hannah's sister?? Presumably the Thomas on the doorstep story comes in as the other children are by then of an age to clearly know the child was not born to their parents
    
Henry Davies    44
Jane Davies    39
Hannah Davies    17
Mary H Davies    16
William H Davies    13
Martha J Davies    11
Margaret E Davies    5
Authur E Davies    2
   
RG10, 5672, 8, 7

[heywood]

That's interesting, thank you.

I had wondered if Thomas was Barbara's son as he is with her in 1901.
As far as I can see, Caerwys is in Holywell district rather than St Asaph which would cover Rhyl.

There only seems to be the birth of Thomas Slater, St Asaph which is Alice's son and none in Holywell. There are a couple of Thomas Davies of course in Holywell but then it is a popular name.

That is why I asked if Alice is definitely known to the family as the mother.
If there were two Thomas', that would account for the two census entries.

**Just realised though that Barbara's age is out - she is 22 in 1901.   but she is 16 in 1891 

[wrjones]

I don't believe the Barbara or John Edwin have anything to do with the Thomas born in Rhyl.I would say he is definitely with the Cooke family in 1901.

Regards
William Russell Jones.

[heywood]

I don't believe the Barbara or John Edwin have anything to do with the Thomas born in Rhyl.I would say he is definitely with the Cooke family in 1901.

Regards
William Russell Jones.

Do you mean that you think there are two Thomases which is what I am wondering at the moment?
I don't think as yet, that there is enough proof to say that Alice is the mother, unless the family know this historically.
It looks as though Barbara may have been born before John Edwin's marriage so there is a strong possibility that she is John and Hannah's child.
It is difficult with her age being different in censuses.