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When did his mother die? Is it possible (whether she had died or not) that his father had a child with someone else, who might not have been registered as Coombs?

Ha. Ask me who the person who was informant of the death of a daughter of a gr-gr-aunt of mine was.

She had a mother whose mother I know of, a father whose mother I know of, and apparently a stepmother I can't find out anything about, but at least I know her first name from a census. On the death cert 5 years later, though, here is this complete (and unidentifiable) stranger called "grandmother"!

Mind you, that was several decades earlier, and accuracy likely less a concern.

She could have been not quite a sister -- a wife's sister, a sister-in-law's sister, maybe. Or it could have been a secret love relationship!

I have been through from 1901 to 1920 but I can not find birth the lying I was referring to was her being his sister we can see no reason why. John

You're welcome -- as you will see, the given name does suggest a possible connection! A son of Gladys, one would suspect.

It is not a matter of lying on certificates. People who report deaths may be children, for example, who actually did not know their parent's exact birthdate. They may know their *birthday*, but be hazy on the year. Sometimes people of that era are hazy on their own birthdates.

I looked at her being born Gladys Mabel Coombs.

Starting in mid-1911, only middle *initials*, not middle *names*, were recorded in the GRO. So I searched for simply Gladys Coomb* (in case of Coombes misspelling or mistranscription, e.g.) and those were the results.

A birth in early Nov 1911 should have been registered before the end of 1911.

Search at

http://www.192.com/search/search.cfm

for Silk in Cardiff, to see the person's given name. He is aged 60-64 and living with a wife.

The problem with this is it says sister and my Thomas as death cert says has right birth day and place. Unless they lied on cert should I not be looking at her being born Gladys Mabel Coombs in Bmd.John PS. will try a phone call thanks for web site. John

On a search of the telephone directory on line

http://www.thephonebook.bt.com/publisha.content/en/search/residential/search.publisha

for Silk in Pontypridd, there is only one result, in Penylan, Cardiff.

I would think that might be worth a call.

The death record I found is for a Gladys Mabel Silk who seems to be about the right age, in about the right place.

Gladys Coombs-s who could match that birthdate:

Births Dec 1911
Coombs Gladys B M Whitfield Ringwood 2b 1244


Births Mar 1912
Coombes Gladys (Smith) King's N. 6c 806
Coombs Gladys (Sturgess) Fordingbridge 2b 1288


Of course birthdates on death certificates are not always correct -- the year is more likely to be an error than the date, in my experience.

If she is his sister as death cert says she must be a Coombs. Kezia Thomas's Mother died a Coombs Though she was born Stokes. Though we do not know. John

This might tell you.


Name: Gladys Mabel Silk
Birth Date: 2 Nov 1911
Death Registration Month/Year: Feb 1998
Age at death (estimated): 86
Registration district: Pontypridd
Inferred County: Glamorgan
Register number: B87
District and Subdistrict: 8624B
Entry Number: 91


Have to say those are some coincidental people Deborah found, if they are coincidental!

is she a coombs?

My Mother in law has just come up with an old address book from the1940. of Herbert Coombs our Granddad With Mrs Silk at the same address in Pontypridd. So it looks as though there is some connection. Any one help find her birth. John

Thomas was born in Worcester 8th may 1893 according to Birth and death cert. So I am certain it it him but who is she. John

Having found death We now have a bigger Mystery?
Mrs. Gladys Mabel Silk called sister on death cert.
Have no idea she existed and can find no birth John

Still looking for Thomas. We now have Family info that after living in London he may have moved back to Wales and died in Pontypridd in1970's or1980's. We also believe he was that he "may" have celebrated his 80ith Birthday. The above is all hearsay although the Story about no wedding and Children is proving true. Any help Deb and John.

One last try for Thomas Tonight. Then I will have to assume I will not find him after his Birth in the Records. If anyone can help please do. John

We have got no further. [ JaneyCanock thanks for your advice but I Know others out there want to help.] Thomes is proving not easy to find but can he be Alive @114? John.

Hi again John.

Actually, there are three Coombs-Watts births showing at FreeBMD (I sure hope you didn't spend money at GR to find what's free there!) -- I must have screwed something up when I looked before.

Births Sep 1912
Coombs Wilfred E Watts Romford 4a 1092
Births Mar 1914
COOMBS Reginald G Watts Weymouth 5a 508
Births Dec 1919
Coombs _na R Watts Weymouth 5a 547

They presumably belong to the marriage shown earlier in the thread -- the question is whether they are the children of your Coombs.

Although ... the birth in Romford was 1912, and the Thomas Coombs - Watts marriage was in 1914.

And a Walter Samuel Coombs married (possibly to Rosaline Watts) in Weymouth in 1905, so that marriage probably accounts for the Weymouth births. And there were two male Coombs marriages in 1911, in Bromley and Brentford, one of which probably accounts for the 1912 birth in Romford. Again, only the birth certificates will say for sure.

The only way to check whether the 1914 marriage is your Thomas would be to obtain that Coombs-Watts marriage certificate and check the age and father of that Thomas Coombs against what you know about yours. That's how it's done -- that's how all of us have to do it. We all have to order certificates to confirm or deny the identity of the people and find out whether they are our people. There is just very little chance that someone is going to come along here and hand you that info!