Genealogy Chat

I am very new to family history research and I'm having a problem researching one of my grandmothers. I can only find her death certificate (which gives her birth date). She may have been adopted? Is there any way of checking if she was adopted?

Can you post some details here and let others take a look?

I knew my grandmother as Mary Baker married to Alfred Baker, deceased. He died before I was born - I was born in 1944- and all I know is that he was born in South Africa. All I can find, so far, is an Alfred Baker as an immigrant on a ship in 1912 but I'm not sure that it is him.
Her death record shows that her name was Baker , her maiden name Goodman and her birth date 25 August 1899.
A cousin thinks they may not have married and that my gran was married before. I have found a possible marriage between a Mary Baker and a Simon Fox. The maiden name is given as 'Goodman or Dicks'. I have found a Mary Dicks and have sent for a birth cert to see if the birth dates match.

The 'Mary Baker' in the last sentence should have read 'Mary Goodman'. I'm confusing myself now!

Do you know what area she was born?

The Simon Fox marriage is Islington 1919?? (also on same page Simon Fox to Mary Dicks)

It can be very difficult to prove.
I spent ages looking for the birth of my grandmother, known as Hannah Jane Harris, born 1871.
It was only the fact that a birth certificate issued 1935 for a Jane Macey was handed down set me on the trail that led me to discover that her mother and Jane, the wife of Charles Harris who was on the censuses for the address where she was born, shared the same surname and to the conclusion that she was brought up by the Harrises.
I still haven't tracked down her natural parents, Charles Macey and Elizabeth Crawley.

No but she certainly lived in Greenford in Middlesex all my life (since1944).
Would her death cert record this? If so I can send for it.

Is this the birth you have already found?

Name: Mary Elizabeth Dicks
Year of Registration: 1899
Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep
District: Pancras (1837-1901)
County: London, Middlesex
Volume: 1b
Page: 101

Yes thats the birth I've found and I've sent for the cert to see if the birth date is the same - alhough I know that it wont prove anything but it might tell me that I'm barking up the wrong tree!
There is a Mary Dicks in the 1901 Census too aged 2..

Do you have the birth cert of your parent who was Mary and Alfred's child? If Mary had been married before, her previous married name should be on that, along with her maiden name.

Sandra - when did your grandmother die?

I believe it was in 1969 that the place of birth began to be recorded on death certificates.

Birdi

Potty. Yes I have my mother's birth cert and that just gives 'Goodman 'under Mother's maiden name.
Sandra

Birdi. That is very useful, new (to me) info. She died in 1982 at Hillingdon Middlesex. I haven't yet ordered her death cert as I didn't realise it would give that additional info. I will order it tomorrow!
Sandra

Where a person was born is probably quite unrelable on a death cert - it does depend on who registered the death knowing the true facts.

Can you list her children? Where and when were they born?

Rose

Minnie. I can see that might be the case. It may well explain why I can't find my paternal grandfather easily either. I was using the birthplace, Harlesden, as given on his death cert in my searches without success.Thanks for your help:I'm learning a lot from others.
Sandra

Rose
She had 6 children as far as I know. There was a boy I only know as Alf who my mother said was her half brother (from her marriage?). My mother had three sisters. My mother was Ivy Constance, I knew the others as Dolly (Dorothy?) Eve (Edith) and Peg (Margaret?) I knew also heard about a baby (possibly called Emily) who starved to death when my grandmother was on her own and possibly not well before she had my mother and her sisters
I have looked at a Goodman family in the 1901Census and there is an Ivy Constance Goodman .listed of approx my grandmother's generation (an aunt to my mother?). THis maybe me clutching at straws just on the basis of the same combination of fiorst and second name. I am hoping that when my grandmother's death cert and Mary Dicks birth cert arrives I may be able toget going again.
To do really well with my research with the first grandparent (back to1760!)and now to be having difficulty with all of my other three grandparents is teaching me patience if nothing else!
Sandra

Births Dec 1920
Baker Dorothy M Goodman Marylebone 1a 924

Births Jun 1926
BAKER Ivy C Goodman Marylebone 1a 803

???

Births Jun 1928
Baker Edith Goodman Hammersmith 1a 254


there are others, but not in that specific area

Minnie
Thank you so much for that. I will follow these up. If they were all registered as Bakers, does that mean that their parents were married, I wonder. My aunt thought that they may not have been but didn't know whynot. I will recheck for a marriage c1920......
Sandra

Have to confess to guessing my Uncles's place of birth, putting down the village he lived in from 1914 as a small child. Later found his twin brothers cert tucked in the back of a photo album (together with a co-op divi card from 1964). We were only a few miles out, but it may confuse someone in years to come. His mother registered the twins late they were the youngest of 10 or so, and she had better things to do with her time than travel to her nearest registry office, so thats a bit wrong as well.