Genealogy Chat

I apologise if I'm stating the obvious but I guess you've contacted everyone who's on GR who has a Mary McKeown in their tree in the correct time span.

I would be inclined to think she was single. If she was married, even if her husband was in the Forces she probably wouldn't have been in the nurses home. I would also think that her family would have been local to her but perhaps she had extended family in Manchester.

Don't forget she could have been Scots.

These are all the Mary Jean's who have died in Devon between '84 and '05 born 1905-25

Mary Jean Addyman 18 May 1925-Oct 1996 Exeter
Mary Jean F Lock 13 May 1906-Feb 1990Torbay
Mary Jean Osborne 19 Jun 1924-Nov 1996 Torbay
Mary Jean Prescott 30 Nov 1925-Aug1985 Exeter
Mary Jean H Wymer 8 Nov 1913-Mar 1999
Exeter
There are no relevant births for Mary Jean Mckeowns in the english birth indexes for these though.

Maybe the Honiton Records Office may have some information. Don't give up Carole, but don't wait for the 1941 census either because there wasn't one done in that year.
There will probably be one or two of my decendants miffed over that one.

Good Luck

does this nudge?

Have now spoke to someone at devon records office I need commission them to search for her on electoral rolls. Shame it wont state age but at least ill know she was there under the name of McKeown.

going to try Preston for Catholic marriages it might narrow the search as she must have been Catholic because adoption was through medical officer at Worsley and St Edmunds Catholic church Little Hulton. this we know from the Catholic rescue society .............still cant believe they dont know her age........things would be so much easier with this information.

Yep, I'll second that Deb! Also, I have done a little looking around (quickly) and see that there are quite a lot of McKeowns in Manchester. Maybe her own parents were there, maybe she was born there? That might explain why she went back to Manchester to have the baby - she knew the territory. Anyway, good luck Carole! Regs Annie

When you were searching marriages, were you looking at Devon? I've a feeling she married in this place. It's where she returned after the birth. Have you thought that the husband was away at war and she moved away to have the baby so hubby wouldn't find out? Try searching marriages from late 30's/early 40's when the war broke out. It just might turn something up. It did for me.

Deb do you mean marriages before the birth or after. We have searched afterwards and a little before but there are so many male mckeowns and they dont all list the middle name ie Mary J so was costing a fortune in marriage certs and we dont even know she was english could have been irish and came over to do nursing in the war. Ps Thanks everybody for trying to help.

My nan was married when she had mum but registered birth under her maiden name.

Hi Carol. I've just been through an almost identical situation to yours. I'm very close to making contact with my maternal grandmother's family thanks to some lovely people on this site. All I had was a name on my mum's birth cert. Mum searched for 25 yrs without success and I took over four months ago. You really should search through marriages and if it takes two or three weeks it will be worthwhile as you may find her married name. I had to do this and it took forever, but I'm so glad I did. Deb:)

Yes we think she may have been married and got herself sorted before the return of the husband. She couldnt have had any other children though because she went back to working. I will definately try electoral rolls.

OK, it looks like your best bet is trying to find her in Honiton in the late 1940s - electoral roll stuff. If you can track her, or even locate her once, that'll prove she existed under that name. Another thought ... she could have been married, husband away fighting WW2, had an illicit affair and was able to 'hush up' the birth of you mother by moving away and having her adopted before the husband returned from war. Annie

no Maiden name on birth cert .........did she have to put one if she was married? suppose she could have just said she wasnt married.

would love to know if she had any more children but would have to check every Mckeown baby with a mother called Mary Jean plus we could always find one and it not be her. There must be millions of people called Mary Jean ...........(Surname) it could be worse she could have been just plain MARY lol

Carole, If you have the birth certificate of the child then you should be able to tell easily if the mother was married. If there is no father listed then chances are she was not married. Also, if she was, it would have her maiden name listed. I think you can probably safely assume she was single.

Tried hopital staff records but they either dont exist or they wont tell us anything. even tried for birth records this end (Manchester) my mum was a receptionist in our local hospital until she retired. tried the inside info bit but apparently no records

She must have continued to work to support herself ... don't know what historical staff records hospitals might have, but it's worth finding out.

We have searched deaths for a Mary Jean Mckeown for quite a few years after the birth but no joy. a death cert would be next to impossible aswell because 1 We dont know if she is dead 2 we dont know if she is still called mcKeown 3 We dont know if she moved abroad or not.

We have searched for a marriage in England after the birth of the child in 1944 but no success