Missing birth registration

[goldie61]

Thanks Angelfish.
I tried all counties, and all females, but didn't come up with anything that really fitted.
Thanks for the suggestion. 

[JanetRu]

Hi
Florence was my grandmother and I have been down all the same paths that you have. The only extra story I have is that my sister was told that she was born in Florence and that is why she is called that. This is also what the 1891 census says. On Alexander’s death certificate it says she was born in Naples, Italy.

I really like the proposal here that links her to Charles Murray Lugger Cousins. I had come to the conclusion that she was probably illegitimate.

[AngelFish]

--Deleted due to error--

[jane gee]

Hallo

I share your frustration again in our family a puzzle since 1964 when my parents were told there was no certificate for my grandmother.  When my mum told her mother in law they hadn't been able to trace her she didn't say too much.  I started family history some 20 years later with a few facts and was up and down those birth indexes then on reels making notes.  I asked on forums and still couldn't "crack" it.  A couple of years ago I was able to show that the "story" my grandmother had been told she about her birth parents when she was born (1881/82)  was actually not true.  I eventually found her birth certificate at the suggestion of an expert on a forum to try this surname and after 50+ years I am satisfied I have a partial explanation having obtained a birth certificate which shows she was registered under a name I wouldn't have thought of looking!  I think there was a definite concoction of the facts made up by the 2 "aunts" bought up by her one of whom was actually as we suspected was grandmas  mother!  As the surname was Whitbread and the certificate was under Morley!!! I stood not a chance.  However I would suggest if you have any random names that suddenly pop up in the family then check this out in the indexes. My grandmothers uncle George suddenly started using this surname Morley as a middle name out of the blue around the time grandma was born now why, I have no idea.   The birth certificate showed her mother as being married to a Mr Morley but no marriage has ever been found.  I think like many families they "ducked and dived" to survive and told fibs and lies!  Did my grandma know about the circumstances of her birth I am not sure she did.  She was a sweet kind and above all open minded individual.  When my mums sister  met my uncle from Pakistan and had 2 children by him but wasn't married in the late 1940s my mum was concerned about telling my grandma.  Grandma  simply said to mum when told "well dear whatever makes them happy"  My grandma was adored by my uncle from Pakistan and always asked after her.

[AngelFish]

Have you been able to find any baptisms of Sarah daughter of Charles and Anne Goddard or her siblings in St Mary's at Troston? I can't find the baptism register for the period online. Perhaps they attended the Methodist Church in the area? Might also be worth looking for a baptism of Florence Goddard there too.

If this were my family I'd be almost convinced that Florence was the illegitimate daughter of Sarah, and that information Florence later gave on her marriage certificates and suchlike was a mixture of truth, information about her wider family, and tales. She certainly wouldn't have been alone in doing that. 


There was a female GODDARD whos birth was registered Petworth reg dist, 1872, with no mother's maiden name.  Have you been able to establish who that was or what happened to them? - incase Florence was born there, Sarah having been sent away or possibly staying with relatives?