Why was Regina Mary in South Africa?

[nestagj]

Bit more digging - this is a fascinating family !

National school Admission Register 1908  Beulah Road Girls School, Croydon
Phyllis Nielson d-o-b 19/02/00 father's name Henry (?) reason for leaving - left the district 3/9/09  Home address 5 Norfolk Road, Croydon

National school Admission Register 1908  Ecclesbourne Rd Girls School, Croydon
Phyllis Nielson d-o-b 19/02/00 parents' name Mrs Nielson (?)
Home address 22 Ecclesbourne Road, Croydon

Looks like Phyllis had been with her grandmother / father for some years.  Could her grandfather have been Henry ?

Tried to find Elsie Maud Burgess in the same record set but no trace yet.

Have tried to trace Roland / Rowland in 1911 and the only possible so far - and its a distinct longshot is R Nelson as a inmate in a Mental Asylum in London.   By the way his occupation is Upholsterer in the 1901 - checked FindMyPast and A*y to confirm.

Isn't Phyllis' entry on the 1901 census a bit odd - any ideas ?

[groom]

I agree the 1901 entry is very strange - Ancestry has it transcribed as Kerburg B R M J Neilon    and the image has it as son!

It does fit though with the birth of Phyllis Maud D Neilson, 1900 Registration Quarter Jan-Feb-Mar
Registration district Edmonton. From the GRO index mother's name is Spurway, Regina Mary's maiden name.

[groom]

The fact the Neilsons are in Croydon in 1911 fits quite nicely with Roland's death in Caterham in 1918 as that isn't far away. There was also a large mental hospital there.

[nestagj]

I thought the image looked like another entry had been started but can't really see that happen totally agree that it is Phyllis tho' Transcription is the same on FindMyPast

Maybe the mental patient is Roland then ? Might be worth getting the certificate .,.,£6 PDF ? Not sure if the dates available .

Found Elsie's marriage afterwards miss transcribed as Ellen. I wonder what her marriage certificate says.

I am still leaning towards the fact that regina never left the country and that Elsie is a step daughter or other relative.   

Searched through the passenger lists to see if I could Elsie as a child coming back to the U.K. And for Regina but no sign.

How can the wife of a dairyman who is s book keeper go to America in the 50's .,..more than one once - visiting family ? I only have a Uk sub so only looked at the incoming Uk passengers.

This family is such a puzzle .

[groom]

I am still leaning towards the fact that regina never left the country and that Elsie is a step daughter or other relative.

That idea would make far more sense wouldn't it?

So another scenario could be:

Burgess (possibly a soldier) has a daughter Elsie Maud born in S Africa in 1903. He brings her back to England and meets Regina Mary Neilson, who leaves her husband and lives with him as his wife taking his name. He dies (Regina says she is a widow in 1911) and Regina takes on Elsie as her step daughter.

However, according to the newspaper reports supplied by CB53, Regina was living with Frederick Hopewell since 1906. This gets more and more complicated!

[nestagj]

Regina Mary Burgess of 13 Lindum Street , Newark  gave evidence against a neighbour in a case of child cruelty in February 1907 so that narrows the opportunity for travel to and from South Africa a little.

Look at the date ! and her name
Hadn't noticed before

Maybe her recollection of how long she had been with Burgess was a bit skewed
N

[groom]

 That could still be right as she didn't marry Frederick until 1911, so even if they were together by 1906, she would still have been known as Burgess. She was calling herself Burgess in the 1911 census when she was living with him.

[Spidermonkey]

I have found 3 children born to the marriage of Joseph and Elsie - the younger two are double entered with MMN as Hopewell and Burgess, the eldest just has MMN of Burgess (1924)

[groom]

Thank you. So it looks as if she used two names as well! What a complicated family.