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My Grandmother died in Dec 2004 - Jane Lamb. My family never talked on that side and were amazingly suprised by the name Jane - my grandmother was always known as Jennie . They were even more suprised to find out her birth name as Jane Gray born 17 Jan 1917.

I believe my Grandmother was adopted - she had 5 children and on my Dads birth record - Nov 1933 in Sunderland - she used the maiden name Smith - I believe her adopted surname. On a subsequent birth, my dads sister Annie who tragically died 3 months old in 1938 Sunderland, she used the maiden name Gray.

I cannot locate her birth. Any ideas - is her Death certifcate likely to shed any light?

Any help much appreciated.

David

Hi David, The only record of any Jane -Lamb/gray is this one. Have you any rough idea what county`s we are looking for?

Name: Jane E Lamb
Year of Registration: 1917
Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
Mother's Maiden Name: McCourt
District: Chester Le Street
County: Durham
Volume: 10a
Page: 1007

Excuse the ignorance.........

Linda - My family is from the Sunderland area so Durham is a likely county.

Her married name was Lamb so I do not believe this is her Birth record.

Name: Jane Lamb
Birth Date: 17 Jul 1917
Death Registration Month/Year: Dec 2004
Age at death (estimated): 87
Registration district: Sunderland
Inferred County: Durham
Register number: E68E
District and Subdistrict: 058/1E
Entry Number: 172

Thanks Linda - I have the deathe record - its the birth record that is the difficult search.

David

Hi David,

I have back tracked all the Gray & Lamb for all of 1917 quarter by quarter and there is only this one :

Gray Jane- Wigan- 8a 121

Mothers name Nicholas/Nicholes

Hope this helps

she appears in the Oct-Nov-Dec Q 1917

Possibly could have been late. The mystery is which surname - Smith or Gray.

The fact that she registered her first child with Smith but her second with Gray and at her death her surname was given as Gray tells me she may have only found out after my fathers birth ( when she was only 16 ).

I can see her Marrage to my grandfather GeraldLlamb in Apr-Jun 1933 Sunderland. The record states her maiden name as Smith or Gray - so she must have known.

Have you checked for corresponding entries for the other surnames?

Some children (depending on circumstances) can/will be registered twice under both names used by the mother..... so the Smith entry may well have a corresponding Gray entry.

Tracey

Brenda,

Do you think it is possible that whoever adopted her had her registered?

Do you know any source for adoption records.

Thanks very much for your time.

David

Thanks Brenda.

I think I am going to order a copy of the death certificate.

Will keep you posted. Unfortunately it really wasnt a family that talked so detail is completely missing. She had a tough life bless, my mum is quite certain she was adopted and treated a bit like a "scivvie" based on conversations she had wth her. My father was born in Nov 1933 so she was very very young but she was very well loved by my father.

She is buried with her daughter Annie who died only 3 months old in 1938. My dad did not even know of her existence even though he was 5 when she died and it must have been a traumatic time.

Many Thanks
David

Hi David

I would order the marriage certificate, it will hopefully explain the two surnames and perhaps give a more accurate age. As she's so young I doubt she was married before but it may tell you how she got both names. I've seen them with details such as 'name changed by deep poll', 'formerly' (usually previous marriage) and 'also known as'.

This site may also be useful to you.

http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/pages/registrars/

Regards
LfW

I have just spoken to my dad who actually has the deathe certificate. It puts the date of death at 3rd Dec 1911 not 1917. Just checking a picture of the gravestone she was 94 when she died in late dec 2004 so 1911 should be correct. Place of Birth was Sunderland.

I think the death record on the website is innacurate,

The death certificate has the maiden name gray.

I think the marriage certificate may well be the most interesting.

Thanks for all your help.
David

I wonder if this is the right one:

Births Mar 1912 (>99%)
Gray Jane Wright Sunderland 10a 1584

A December birth could be registered in the next quarter.

Regards
LfW

Could this be the parents marriage and explain why Jane was known as Jennie!?!

Marriages Mar 1904 (>99%)
Bell Anthony Sunderland 10a 899
Brown Mary Ellen Sunderland 10a 899
>>> Gray Thomas James Sunderland 10a 899
>>> Wright Jennie Sunderland 10a 899

Straws clutching at!!

Name: GRAY, Thomas James
Regiment, Corps etc.: Northumberland Fusiliers
Battalion etc.: 27th Battalion (Tyneside Irish).
Last name: Gray
First name(s): Thomas James
Initials: T J
Birthplace: Southwick, Durham
Enlisted: South Shields
Residence:
Rank: SERGT.
Number: 27/298
Date died: 25 March 1915
How died: Died
Theatre of war: France & Flanders
Supplementary Notes:

Amazing stuff. I am going to order a copy of her Birth Certificate. It is entirely plausible that this is the family living very close by to where she and my grandfather lived in Elswick St Sunderland.

They must have abandoned her to a local family. I wonder where or how the Smith link arose, was it a formal or informal adoption?. The only link I have is an Aunt "Izy" who I believe was an adopted sister who had the surname Smith. She Died 1980-1995 time in Sunderland -I rembember visiting as a child. My Father believes there is a link to the Roker/Fulwell area of Sunderland.

After that is is her husband Gerald Lamb - he was born in Easington I believe in 1909 - Died Sunderland 1981. I think the family on his side was from ireland - He was in the Royal Artillery.


Thanks for your help
David

Brenda - can you see any death record of Jennie Gray nee Wright.