Mystery not who you say you are

[Caitie777]

My GG grandmother was called Nellie Doughty born in 1878 London she died 1972. She married a man called “hicks” in 1916 and had my great grandmother illegitimately in 1910 in Islington workhouse. The age she gave upon entering the workhouse would have put her date of birth at 1883, this is the first mystery. Until my great aunt gave me a copy of Nellies birth certificate recently I have never been able to confirm her family. There was a family I found on ancestry the parents called Thomas and Jane Doughty and it turned out this was the same names/maiden name on the birth certificate she had.

On ancestry the other families that have Nellie in their trees say she died in 1918 but obviously this can’t be true because 1) she was Nellie Hicks in 1918 not Doughty 2) she died in 1972 my mother went to her funeral.
 
So I ordered a copy of the death certificate for the Nellie Doughty that died in 1918 and I am shocked, on the certificate it gives osteoarthritis as the cause of death but more shocking is it says that her mother was Jane Doughty the same mother on Nellies birth certificate and the family address is the address that’s consistent on census documents.

This means that the women who’s my GG grandmother isn’t Nellie Doughty.

How did this happen? It’s like Nellie turned up to the workhouse in 1910 and gave a fake name?

If anyone can help me work through this I would really appreciate it.

[Josephine]

My first question would be: when and how did your great-aunt acquire the birth record and how did she know it belonged to your great-great-grandmother? Was it just a guess?

Regards,
Josephine

[Caitie777]

It was in her paperwork when she died.

[josey]

Just  laying out some facts:

Possible parents marriage:
Marriages Dec 1874 
Beavis    Jane        Poplar    1c   1209    
BURCHELL    Emma        Poplar    1c   1209    
Doughty    Thomas George        Poplar    1c   1209    
French    William Aviss        Poplar    1c   1209

So possible birth
DOUGHTY, NELLIE       BEAVIS 
GRO Reference: 1878  J Quarter in POPLAR  Volume 01C  Page 734

And this her daughter
DOUGHTY, CECILIA  NELLIE     - 
GRO Reference: 1910  S Quarter in ISLINGTON  Volume 01B  Page 183

This her marriage
Marriages Jun 1916 
Doughty    Nellie C    Hicks    Willesden    3a   590    
Hicks    William E    Doughty    Willesden    3a   590

Was her middle name Cecilia?

This must be her death then.
Deaths Dec 1972 
Hicks    Nellie    22My1878    Kensington    5c   1916

I see no Nellie Doughtys born in 1883 just
   DOUGHTY, NELLIE       - 
GRO Reference: 1881  D Quarter in CAISTOR  Volume 07A  Page 638
   DOUGHTY, NELLIE       SANDERSON 
GRO Reference: 1882  S Quarter in ECCLESALL BIERLOW  Volume 09C  Page 329

Nellie can of course be short for quite a few names - Eleanor, Ellen & others.

[josey]

What is the date when the birth certificate from your great aunt was issued ? Was it the original or a copy obtained later?

ADDED: & presumably you know the mother was Jane because she was the informant - as only Scottish death certificates give parents.

It may be worth looking up all children to Thomas & Jane to see if there was another daughter who could have been nicknamed Nellie.

[Caitie777]

Hiya yes all those details are correct, but I’m really doubting Thomas and Jane are her parents if she’s even Nellie Doughty herself! I believe her middle name was Cecilia.

[Caitie777]

She had siblings but she was the only Nellie.

[Caitie777]

The birth certificate my aunt gave me was 1937 issued

[josey]

The Nellie Doughty who died in 1916 was age 40 so that fits too!! Needs some lateral thinking .....