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Thanks everyone

Births Mar 1918 (>99%)
McDonnell Margaret V Godden Medway 2a 1051

1939

Walton Hospital Rica Lane, Liverpool , Liverpool C.B., Lancashire, England

Margaret V Riordan (Mcdonnell) 07 Jan 1918 Female Hospital Nurse Single Officer 1 49


Marriages Dec 1939 (>99%)

McDonnell Margaret V O'Riordan Uxbridge 3a 508 S
O'Riordan Denis McDonnell Uxbridge 3a 508

Quite illogically, I would tend towards Grace being Phoebe's child, simply because of their middle names Elizabeth and Bessie.

But only Grace's birth cert would let you know for sure.

First name(s) PHOEBE E
Last name GODDEN
Marriage quarter 2
Marriage year 1917

PHOEBE E GODDEN married

Francis M McDonnell

Spouse's last name McDonnell
District Bethnal Green
District number -
County London
Country England
Volume 1C
Volume as transcribed 1C
Page number 280

First name(s) PHOEBE ELIZABETH
Last name MCDONNELL
Gender Female
Birth day 28
Birth month 12
Birth year 1892
Age -
Death quarter 1
Death year 1971
District Hillingdon
County Middlesex
Volume 5C
Page


Freebmd has her second initial as H, which is why you couldn't trace her

It would seem logical that she was Violet's sister's child - the only sure answer, of course, is the birth cert, but it probably isn't worth the outlay as she's only a 'twig'

Marriages Dec 1911 (>99%)

Godden Violet M Medway 2a 1389
SMITH John T G Medway 2a 1389

Thank you for all your hard work. My gut feeling is that she was a Godden, possibly adopted by the Smiths thus not biologically related.

Thanks again :-)

EDIT: Oops, you've posted all this while I was still typing, Mary!
And more concisely.


It's a bit of a puzzle - if Grace (born Godden - have we decided that?) ) was the niece of Violet Godden, but was called Smith, John and Violet must have adopted her.

Violet had two sisters who could be Graces' mother - Phoebe and Alice:


Violet Godden
in the 1901 England Census
Name: Violet Godden
Age: 19
Estimated birth year: abt 1882
Relation to Head: Daughter
Gender: Female
Father: Alfred Godden
Mother: Harriett Godden
Birth Place: Cliffe, Kent, England
Civil Parish: Rochester St Margaret
Ecclesiastical parish: Rochester St Margaret
County/Island: Kent
Country: England
Street address:
Registration district: Medway
Sub-registration district: Rochester and Chatham
ED, institution, or vessel: 18
Neighbors:
Piece: 725
Folio: 104
Page Number: 9
Household schedule number: 55
Household Members:
Name Age
Alfred Godden 48
Harriett Godden 49
George Godden 23
Ernest Godden 20
Violet Godden 19
Lenis Godden 14 [ Lewis ]
Phoebe Godden 9
Alice Godden 7


Violet M Godden
in the 1891 England Census
Name: Violet M Godden
Gender: Female
Age: 6
Relationship: Daughter
Birth Year: 1885
Father: Alfred Godden
Mother: Harrietta Godden
Birth Place: Cliffe, Kent, England
Civil Parish: Stone
Residence Place: Stone, Stone, Kent, England
Sub registration district: Dartford
ED, Institution or Vessel: 14
Neighbors:
Piece: 641
Folio: 118
Household Members:
Name Age
Alfred Godden 38
Harrietta Godden 39
John H Godden 16
Alfred W Godden 14
George F Godden 12
Ernest Godden 10
Violet M Godden 6
Lewis Godden 3
Harry Godden 1/12


Phoebe:

Phoebe Godden
in the 1911 England Census
Name: Phoebe Godden
Age in 1911: 18
Estimated birth year: abt 1893
Relation to Head: Servant
Gender: Female
Birth Place: Dartford, Kent
Civil Parish: Rochester St Margaret
County/Island: Kent
Country: England
Street address: Chaplere'S House, Borstal, Rochester, Kent
Marital status: Single
Occupation: Nurse
Registration district: Medway
Registration District Number: 47
Sub-registration district: Rochester and Chatham
ED, institution, or vessel: 5
Household schedule number: 365
Piece: 3889


GODDEN, PHOEBE ELIZABETH mms FILMER
GRO Reference: 1893 M Quarter in DARTFORD Volume 02A Page 508

I don't see Phoebe after 1911.



Alice:

GODDEN, ALICE CLARA mms FILMER
GRO Reference: 1895 J Quarter in MIDWAY Volume 02A Page 602


Alice Clara Godden
in the 1911 England Census
Name: Alice Clara Godden
Age in 1911: 16
Estimated birth year: abt 1895
Relation to Head: Daughter
Gender: Female
Birth Place: Borstal, Kent
Civil Parish: Rochester St Margaret
County/Island: Kent
Country: England
Street address: 19 Avenue Terrace, Borstal, Rochester
Marital status: Single
Registration district: Medway
Registration District Number: 47
Sub-registration district: Rochester and Chatham
ED, institution, or vessel: 5
Household schedule number: 57
Piece: 3889
Household Members:
Name Age
Alfred Godden 57
George Fredrick Godden 32
Lewis Godden 23
Alice Clara Godden 16

Alice C Godden
in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005
Name: Alice C Godden
Registration Date: Jan-Feb-Mar 1918
Registration district: Medway
Inferred County: Kent
Spouse: Albert E Maynard
Volume Number: 2a
Page Number: 1640


Alice C Maynard
in the 1939 England and Wales Register
Name: Alice C Maynard
Gender: Female
Marital status: Married
Birth Date: 18 Mar 1895
Residence Year: 1939
Address: 48
Residence Place: Rochester, Kent, England
Occupation: Unpaid Domestic Duties
Schedule Number: 319
Sub Schedule Number: 2
Enumeration District: DINF
Registration district: 47-1
Inferred Spouse: Albert E Maynard
Inferred Children: Gladys A Maynard
Violet M Maynard
Albert H R Maynard
Household Members:
Name
Albert E Maynard
Alice C Maynard
Gladys A Maynard
Violet M Maynard
Albert H R Maynard
Harriet A Godden


Well, still none the wiser.
Grace could be the daughter of Phoebe who seems to drop off the map,
or of Alice, who may not have wanted to keep an illegitimate daughter herself - or maybe her husband wouldn't accept Grace.

Violet Mary Godden 1884-1978 married John Thomas Giles Smith o/n/d 1911.


Violet had two sisters Alice Clara 1894 and Phoebe Elizabeth J/F/M 1893.

Alice Clara married Albert E Maynard 1918 and I can't find a marriage for Phoebe

Tree on ancestry says Grace adopted by Violet as a new born from Phoebe who was the natural mother of Grace.

Maryb.

You may never be able to identify her father. No doubt she will have named her mother’s husband when she married

Too early, malyon. She was born September

Grace B Smith
England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008

Name: Grace B Smith
Event Type: Birth Registration
Registration Quarter: Apr-May-Jun
Registration Year: 1914
Registration District: Basford
County: Nottinghamshire
Event Place: Basford, Nottinghamshire, England
Mother's Maiden Name: Reason
Volume: 7B
Page: 633
Affiliate Line Number: 31

Perhaps her mother married a Smith.

Possible marriages in Kent (though could have been anywhere) , as Grace was Smith by 1925:

Marriages Mar 1915 (>99%)
Godden Charlotte L Smith Dover 2a 1866
Smith Walter H Godden Dover 2a 1866


Marriages Sep 1918 (>99%)
Godden Christabel M Smith W.Ashford 2a 2293
Smith James A Godden W. Ashford 2a 2293


Marriages Jun 1923 (>99%)
Godden Elsie M Smith Croydon 2a 783
Smith Alexander Godden Croydon 2a 783



EDIT:
No, having now looked at the 1925 image, it looks as if perhaps she was adopted by Violet and John.

The image doesn't say "Niece" as far as I can see. (looking at it on Ancestry)

EDIT again:
Oh, I'm looking at the return journey:


Grace Bessie Smith
in the UK, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960
Name: Grace Bessie Smith
Arrival Age: 11
Birth Date: abt 1914
Port of Departure: New York, New York, United States
Arrival Date: 27 Oct 1925
Port of Arrival: Southampton, England
Ports of Voyage: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Cherbourg
Ship Name: Orduna
Shipping Line: Royal Mail Steam Packet Company
Official Number: 135539

Grace B Smith
England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008

Name: Grace B Smith
Event Type: Birth Registration
Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep
Registration Year: 1914
Registration District: St. Faiths
County: Norfolk
Event Place: St. Faiths, Norfolk, England
Mother's Maiden Name: Smith
Volume: 4B
Page: 175
Affiliate Line Number: 98

??? but adopted the Smith surname?

Births Sep 1914 (>99%)
GODDEN Grace B Godden Hackney 1b 851

GRO version
GODDEN, GRACE BESSIE -
GRO Reference: 1914 S Quarter in HACKNEY Volume 01B Page 851

Thank you ArgyllGran.

Going back to the passenger list image, Violet Mary Smith nee Godden gives the address of her nearest relative as her father (or at least it seems to imply that) in Borstal, Kent.
Grace Bessie Smith's entry says Grandfather 'as above' . That would suggest that her mmn was Godden.

No help - but just for the record:


Grace B Bareham
in the 1939 England and Wales Register
Name: Grace B Bareham
Gender: Female
Marital status: Married
Birth Date: 5 Sep 1914
Residence Year: 1939
Address: 1 Ashley Gardens.
Residence Place: Thurrock, Essex, England
Occupation: Unpaid Domestic Duties
Schedule Number: 125
Sub Schedule Number: 2
Enumeration District: DCLN
Registration district: 192-1
Inferred Spouse: Clifford H Bareham
Household Members:
Name
Clifford H Bareham
Grace B Bareham

Erika, you are of course correct re the MC. However, as said, she's a twig.

Does anyone have access to SEAX & are able to check if the marriage is on there?

Its possible - the image says she was born in Strood (Kent) not Clapton. Don't know where they got that from.

If she knew her father's name etc, info will be on the cert

Marriages Sep 1939 (>99%)
Bareham Clifford H Smith Thurrock 4a 2973
Smith Grace B Bareham Thurrock 4a 2973