Genealogy Chat

Hi Patricia
when I read your enquiry it just seems that Elsie , a married woman met Mr Staples and had a child by him, remembering it was wartime and that, like now, did happen.They had the child adopted possibly because she was going to stop with her husband. Change of plan, decided to stop with Mr Staples but she was entered down as Miss as that was one stage better that admitting that she was a married woman. Sometimes if a woman commited adultery she had her children taken off her by the Social Services of the day .Divorce in those days was very difficult and her husband could have prevented her ever marrying Mr Staples. I would say the scenario was quite a normal situation . I can remember my mother saying in 'hushed tones' that a couple were not married. It was a big deal in those days, but again its over 60 years ago and thankfully society is a bit more tolerant of human failings.
I don't think for one moment your mother in law was adopted and I would follow the advice of Porkie Pie and check out her marriage then concentrate on her maiden name.-JLe

Elsie May Hall formerly Poulter would imply that she was married to a Mr Hall and her maiden name was Poulter, have you looked for a possible Hall/Poulter marriage?

It could be that the source that said she was a Miss and a spinster, thought or assumed that because she was not married to your husbands father.

Roy

What surname did she give your husband? Hall, Poulter or Staples?

Edit: Looks like Hall but he was born in Yorkshire? Why did she go all the way up there?

Rose

hi Patricia,

this may be a silly question but is his mother's name exaclty the same on the army records. Is she down on both as Elsie May Hall Formerly Poulter or do they differ slightly. incase that has any bearings on things. also what date are the army records?

Lee.

Have you tried electoral rolls to search for her earlier than 1944?

You've been very good at sleuthing so far.

Ozi.

Hi ozi
Please forgive me if you give this message twice, but still learning and could have pressing the wrong button!
I managed to trace my husbands father through a letter that the foster mother had His surname was Staples and he was unmarried. l sent for his army records, and on them he has named Elsie as his N.O.K. and she is down as a Miss and a spinister. He address was the same one as hers in Lambeth so l think that they had a stable relationship.Dont know why they didn't marry though. He was 38 in 1944.

There is the possibility that she was adopted by a stepfather or she could have just changed her name for another reason. You are unlikely to find any info of a change by deedpoll as this is generally just a statement of intent registered by a solicitor.

It's usually her maiden name. How reliable is your other info?

If she was adopted would she have known her birth name?

Ozi.

Help please. On my husbands birth certificate his mothers name is Elsie May Hall formerly Poulter. There is no fathers name on it.
He was fostered from a small baby and never knew anything about her. Have found out from another source that she was a Miss and a spinster. Could this mean that she had been adopted and if so where could l start to look.
Have been trying to find out something about for the past 2 years, and on the verge of giving up.
I have no idea of her age.
My husband was born in 1944 and l know from the electral roll the she lived in Lambeth in 1945, and then disappeared.
Am l looking for a needle in a haystack?