George Fitsall Hine

[iolaus]

George Fitsall appears to die in 1922

[KGarrad]

Deaths, September qtr 1899
Wandsworth Registration District     vol 1d, page 500

Hine, Ethel Elizabeth     age 0

[groom]

Is this his birth?

FITSALL, GEORGE       mmn WOODCOCK     
1868  D Quarter in CAMBERWELL  Volume 01D  Page 613

Surely he can't be the father?
 

[iolaus]

That appears to be the George Fitsall who marries Joanna (from the 1911 census he was born approx 1869)

Henrietta was 41 when George Fitsall Hine was born, so although it would make him 9 years older than her thats not an unheard of age gap

[groom]

If that was the case it must have been common knowledge who the father, seems odd that he claimed Johanna as next of kin as well. She would have been stepmother really wouldn't she, not aunt? They must have been in touch for him to know her address.

[groom]

Have you looked through his records, unfortunately it doesn't give anymore clues to his father, but it does give a change of NOK, plus a marriage that says "false marriage" and two photos of him.

[iolaus]

Thanks for them groom - they are fantastic (wonder why one was a false marriage)

[groom]

I wonder if this is a clue from 1901 census?

3 Bell Yard, Croydon
George Fitsall   32      Fish Curer         Hatcham, London
Johanna Fitsall   32                             Peckham, London
George Fitsall   12               Peckham, London
Edward J Fitsall   8                              Croydon
Mary Fitsall   6                              Croydon
Johanna Fitsall   2                              Croydon
John Fitsall   2                              Croydon

12 in 1901 would make him 29 in 1918, right age to father a child.

By 1911 this George is married and living in Camberwell, I think he dies 1955.

[iolaus]

Henrietta Coe Hine was born in 1877 and was 41 when giving birth to George Fitsall Hine

I would say the father must be related to Joanna Maloney Fitsall, who he gives as his next of kin, but exactly who is unsure

Who is more likely?
George Fitsall senior - born 1869, so 49 when the baby was born
George Fitsall junior - born 1889, so 29 when the baby was born

I suppose it's possible that it's someone else in the family completely.  There's a Joseph Fitsall (born 1870 George seniors younger brother) who died in 1918 (he was also married though) which would make Joanna his actual aunt by marriage.

If though George (and Joanna) took an interest in him - which clearly didn't extend to offering him a home - they may not have told him the truth about who they were, and aunt being an easy way to describe it