Mystery not who you say you are

[Josephine]

Do you not think it may have been her name she lied about when she entered the workhouse & afterwards stuck to that name?

1911 baby Cecilia is a nurse child in Thanet, where is Nellie?

Anything is possible, including this suggestion. That's why it helps to take every single "fact" apart and prove or disprove it.

I've seen cases where illegitimate babies were "boarded out" while their mothers lived and worked elsewhere. Those babies tended not to be raised by their mothers afterwards. But that's just a generalization based on what I've seen in my and my husband's trees.

Regards,
Josephine

[Josephine]

Here's a story from my personal experience.

When I started researching my maternal grandfather's family, I came across some conflicting or confusing information.

My aunt had shared her research (all done before the internet) with me, including a date of birth for my great-great-grandfather (I think she had a copy of his birth record).

As I tried to track my family in the census records, I found a boy who matched my g-g-grandfather, but he was with a different set of parents. I had to follow this other guy forward in the census records to see where he was living and his marital status at the time that my g-g-grandfather married my g-g-grandmother, etc.

I had to do this because I couldn't find my own g-g-grandfather in most census years! It turned out that his family was poor and moved around a lot; plus, he and his siblings spent time in various workhouses. It also turned out that he and this other guy were born in the same town, in the same year, with the same name.

But I had to follow the other guy in the various records to make sure that 1) my aunt hadn't made a mistake and put him with the wrong parents, and 2) my g-g-grandmother hadn't mistakenly ordered the wrong birth record for her husband after his death (perhaps in order to qualify for a pension; I couldn't rule anything out, since I didn't know the circumstances under which the certificate had been acquired).

The important thing is to prove everything for yourself.

Regards,
Josephine

[josey]

As you say, Josephine, anything is possible. And only a rigorous paper trail can prove or disprove any of our theories.

In 1911, Nellie & sister Jane born 1881 are both at home with widowed mother Jane, neither appear to be working - occupation 'at home'. I wonder if Jane or Catherine is the mother of Cecilia & gave Nellie's name at the workhouse. Then the 1918 death could really be 40 yr old Nellie.

Jane marries William Edward Doughty on 2 Mar 1924 in Greenwich as a 42 yr old single woman giving father Thomas deceased shipwright [same occupation as on her baptism in 1881].

But then who marries William E Hicks in 1916 

[MaureeninNY]

So.....very puzzling!

I think the marriage certs for William Ernest HICKS and both DOUGHTY women would really help.

Nellie (b)1883 London seems to be in Thanet as a servant in 1911.
Catherine HICKS b 1880 (NK) is with William in 1911.

Maureen

[josey]

Nellie (b)1883 London seems to be in Thanet as a servant in 1911.

Ah - and Nellie 1878 is at home no occupation with mother see reply #20, so it appears 2 Nellies ?

Nellie 1883
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XW6W-CQG
cannot find 1878 Nellie on familysearch

[Caitie777]

Thanks ladies,

So when Nellie and her daughter Cecilia were discharged from the workhouse they were transferred to the Kent workhouse and Nellie was put in a hotel to work as a servant and Cecilia was living with a foster mother both are represented on the 1911 census. They were really close to each other and I don’t know how they got back together and made it back to London that info is missing.

This again makes me think that the Nellie living with sister and mother In 1911 can’t be my Nellie.

Perhaps the previous marriage is a clue

[josey]

This again makes me think that the Nellie living with sister and mother In 1911 can’t be my Nellie.

And THAT Nellie is most likely the one from the 1878 birth & 1916 death certificates.

[MaureeninNY]

This again makes me think that the Nellie living with sister and mother In 1911 can’t be my Nellie.

And THAT Nellie is most likely the one from the 1878 birth & 1916 death certificates.

I agree. Also...doesn't one of the workhouse records state that Nellie was R.C.?

Thanksgiving Day here in the USA.
I should probably change out of my "sitting at the computer" outfit into normal clothing .

[Caitie777]

Happy thanksgiving 🥂

Who the heck is my Nellie then 

I did notice on christening records for another child of Jane and Thomas they were christened in a Church of England church, Nellie says she’s RC on the workhouse documents, normally if your catholic you come from a strong catholic background not always but you would think. My Nellie was very religious and took my mum to church so the workhouse Nellie is the right person but I really don’t think that’s her real name.