O'SULLIVAN, Ranelagn Rd, East Hamphire & Edward Charles CURNOW

[DianaAUS]

Hi,
Was hoping someone could help me.. My Great Grandfather was Edward Charles Curnow from South Australia, in amongst his war details I've found that he went AWOL a few times while away at war (as I'm sure alot did) and a document shows after his discharge in 1919 a M/s W O'Sullivan of 47 Randlagn Rd, East Hampshire, Essex E 6 has requested his address. I was wondering if there was a way of finding out who she was and perhaps if she had a child around that time (my guess as to why she would be asking for his address).
Any help would be great
Thanks
Di

[KGarrad]

I think the correct address would be:
47 Ranelagh Rd, East Ham, Essex E 6

Hampshire is a different county to Essex

On the 1911 census, there was a family named Hutchins living at that address.

The road can be found on Google maps, using the postcode E6 2SH.

[KGarrad]

I can't see any obvious births around that time, using FreeBMD.org.uk.
No Curnow births, and no obvious O'Sullivan births (I would expect a Mother's maiden name of O'Sullivan?).

Electoral Rolls aren't going to help much, as only women over 30 with property got the vote in 1918.
Women weren't treated as equal to men until 1928.

[DianaAUS]

Thanks for that. It was the address that was on the letter, but explains why I couldn't find it if Hampshire is different to Essex   
I guess thats another secret that will stay that way, guess there's no way of finding who she was and what relationship, if any, they had.

[KGarrad]

Looking at Google Street View, it looks to be a terrace of 2 up, 2 down houses,

Was the letter addressed to Mrs W O'Sullivan, or Miss W O'Sullivan?
It was common practice until well into the 1960s to address a married woman by her husband's initials?

[MaxD]

The letter from the lady is not in the record, it is simply referred to by the Australian authorities that received it.  They write it as Di reproduces it - M/s (unusual for English eyes at the time but perhaps not in Australian usage).

Totally unprovable of course but it may well be that she was a nurse.  He spent a number of periods in UK in No 1 and No 3 Training Battalions in south central England and in camps on Salisbury Plain, (just up the road from me) but also in hospitals in Bristol, Boscombe (Bournemouth) and Hurdcott (Wilts).  Obviously not impossible for them to have met anywhere but nurses could be stationed away from home so the idea of her wanting to contact a patient is not an unlikely scenario.

For what its worth?

MaxD

[DianaAUS]

Yes MaxD thats right, That was my first guess that she was a nurse as he was married back here in Australia at the time. But I've since heard he was a bit of a ladies man and had gone AWOL a few times and its not known where he went or did while he was missing. Doesn't look like its provable either way who she was or why she was looking to contact him, or if they ever made contact again. 

[MaxD]

His record does suggest that his character was perhaps a little less perfect than one might have hoped but at the same time he did his bit in the war, his time in France and Belgium and his promotions speak for that (forget the demotions for a bit!).

Just for interest, he was with 3 Training Battalion at one time at Durrington the next village to me.  There is a memorial to 1st Training Battalion which was also in the area and a number of graves of AIF men.  Local schoolchildren lay poppies on the graves on Anzac day.

MaxD

[Christine53]

If you look at the free index for the 1939 Register you can find Cornelius and Maud A  O'Sullivan  at 47 Ranelagh Road. Also there is a Maud A O'Sullivan at that address in 1954. There seems to be confusion over whether the name is Sullivan or O'Sullivan but I think I've found the family in 1911 ( not allowed to give details ) and 1901 :

John O Sullivan 63
Margaret Sullivan 49
Lucy J Sullivan 21
Margaret E Sullivan 19
Cornelius Sullivan 16
Winifred A Sullivan 11 ( possible for M/S W O'Sullivan  ? )
Maud A Sullivan 7


This is only speculation , of course , and still doesn't explain the circumstances. However it would be quite a coincidence if the O'Sullivans at 47 Ranelagh Road are not connected to the person trying to make contact in 1919.