Genealogy Chat

Would anyone be kind and do a look-up on the 1939 register please ? I would be truly grateful. The people are my parents: Robert William Cunningham b, 1914 and Doris Elizabeth Cunningham b 1917 - both now deceased bless their souls. I think that maybe they lived in the Radford area of Coventry or in Meadow Road, Nunts Park, Coventry. Also could you find my grandparents: John William Calvert b 1882 wife Margaret b 1889. They had five daughters and I have no idea which of them, if any, lived at home at that time. I suspect my grandparents lived in Forest Hall, Newcastle on Tyne. The daughters were Gladys b 1912, Ruby b 1915, Mamie b 1920 and Margaret b 1923 and of course my mother. Thank you to anyone who can help.

This looks like your parents in Bedworth:-

Cunningham Household (2 People)
115 Meadow Street , Bedworth U.D., Warwickshire, England

FIRST NAME(S) LAST NAME(S) DOB SEX OCCUPATION MARITAL STATUS SCHEDULE SCHEDULE SUB NUMBER

Robert W Cunningham 12 Nov 1914 Male Coal Miner (Trammer) Married 313 1
Doris E Cunningham 14 Oct 1917 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 313 2

Kath. x

Could this be your grandparents?:-

Calvert Household (5 People)
20 Oswin Avenue , Longbenton U.D., Northumberland, England

FIRST NAME(S) LAST NAME(S) DOB SEX OCCUPATION MARITAL STATUS SCHEDULE SCHEDULE SUB NUMBER

John W Calvert 10 Sep 1882 Male Colliery Hewer Heavy Married 87 1
Margaret Calvert 23 Dec 1889 Female Housewife Married 87 2
Gladys I Calvert 06 Nov 1912 Female Hospital Sister Midwife Single 87 3
Maurice Franklin (Calvert) 17 Jul 1924 Male Domestic Single 87 4 (think this should be Mamie born 1920 but it's definitely female)
Margaret Oades (Calvert) 26 Nov 1923 Female No Occupation Single 87 5

Kath. x

Thank you so much Kath - spot on with both of them. I don't know who provides the information for this register but there are 2 glaring mistakes. Margaret Oades b 1923 - she did actually end up as Margaret Oades but she didn't marry till 1947 (I was her bridesmaid aged 7) and Maurice is a girl called Mamie and she was definitely b 1920. Not to worry, the rest is correct. Thank you so so much

The register was updated regularly until about 1980 ish so married women were transcribed with their married names with their maiden name in brackets.

Mamie's record is not easy to read so that is why the transcription is wrong.

Margaret Calvert married Harold Oades in 1946 :-

England & Wales marriages 1837-2005 Transcription
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First name(s) MARGARET
Last name CALVERT
Marriage quarter 4
Marriage year 1946
Registration month -
MarriageFinder™ MARGARET CALVERT married
Harold Oades
Spouse's last name Oades
District Northumberland South
District number -
County Northumberland
Country England
Volume 1B
Volume as transcribed 1B
Page number 742
Record set England & Wales Marriages 1837-2005

Kath. x

Thank you Kath I didn't realise the records had been updated which explains how they got the marriage surnames correct. Funny though Gladys married in 1940 and yet her married name doesn't appear but I know it anyway. Ruby is the only oine who doesn't appear and coincidentally she is the only one of the five girls who remained in the area she was born but like most of the others she was 'in service' and would show on the records of the people she worked for. Thank you again.

This looks like Ruby:-

Parr-Smith Household (3 People)
2 Glebe Avenue , Longbenton U.D., Northumberland, England

FIRST NAME(S) LAST NAME(S) DOB SEX OCCUPATION MARITAL STATUS SCHEDULE SCHEDULE SUB NUMBER

Ruby Mons Blaylock (Calvert) 12 Oct 1915 Female Domestic Servant Single 322 3
Bertram Parr-Smith 27 Jan 1879 Male Insurance Blake & Claim Assessor For Lloyds Companies Married 322 1
Marion A Parr-Smith 12 Jun 1879 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 322 2

On your grandparents record Gladys's name is actually crossed out and next to it says she is a hospital sister (midwife) so perhaps she is on the record of the hospital and that is why her record has not been updated with her married name on this record.

I'm off out now so if there is anything else you need looking up just add to this and I'll have a look when I get back later.

Kath. x

Thank you Kath. I knew Ruby was in service to a family referred to by the family in the area but when the family referred to them I always thought they were saying Pa Smith not realising that it was actually a double barrel name !! Yes Gladys was a midwife. She trained I believe in Newcastle but she then worked in the Guisborough (Cottage?) Hospital, Yorkshire which is where she presumably met her future husband who hailed from that area. She did settle eventually in Guisborough where she lived until her death.