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Hi All
I would love to trace my own background. I am the daughter of John William Portway born 1943 and Dorothy Josephine whitehead born 1946 and died 2014. I have many siblings.
Tracey, myself Toni Born 1964, Tanya, Bruce, Jason, Benjamin, Aaron, Hannah, Amy and lastly Lucy. Hannah and Amy are twins.
John and Dorothy were divorced.

This site is free to use and shows births, marriages and deaths from Q3 1837 to approx mid 1990's. From Q3 1911 births will show the Mother's maiden name as well as the given surname, but not before -

https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl

It's well worth finding your way around the site. Click on different things when you get the search results to see what extras you can see apart from the search results.

eg. This would appear to be your Father's birth -
Surname First name(s) Mother District Vol Page
Births Mar 1943 (>99%)
Portway John W Wregg Bury St.E. 4a 1554

The same site will give you his marriage to your Mum -
Surname First name(s) Spouse District Vol Page
Marriages Sep 1962 (>99%)

PORTWAY John W WHITEHEAD Romford 5a 1420
WHITEHEAD Dorothy J W PORTWAY Romford 5a 1420

Using the site with just surnames you can find the births of your siblings


Prior to that Q3 1911 date if you want a mmn then use the GRO site. this is one you have to register with, but it's free to search -

https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro

You can repeat the finding of siblings to get the names of your parents brothers and sisters etc and also the marriages of their parents.

Once you are back to 1939 there is then the 1939 register you can use - but if you don't have access, post on here and people who do will help. Likewise with the 1921 census. Prior to that you can access census 1841 - 1911 via this site and some are available on another free site which is a sister site to freebmd -

https://freecen1.freecen.org.uk

It will do you a world of good just to take a look at these sites and find out what they do, what information is available via them.

You have to do your own research rather than others do it all for you, but we're here to help with records you might not have access to or if you hit a brick wall - like everyone does!

Have posted the same starter advice on your other thread

https://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards/board/ancestors/thread/1403080?jump=1403080

Interesting that on neither thread did Toni mention where the family came from.

No birth record in 1946 in England/Wales for the mother under the name Whitehead.

Get a copy of the marriage cert for father's details (if known)

TREMAYNE, DOROTHY JOSEPHINE W 1946
GRO Reference: DOR Q4/2014 in PLYMOUTH (416-1E) Entry Number 511026453

Name Mrs Jo Dorothy Tremayne
Gender Female
Age 68
Birth Date 30 Aug 1946
Last Residence Plymouth, Devon, England
Postal Code District PL6

Marriages Dec 1934 (>99%)
Portway William A R Wregg Hackney 1b 861
Wregg Ivy L P Portway Hackney 1b 861

Three female births prior to that of OP's father - and one male somewhat later

1939 Register
The Street,Hepworth The Street, Hepworth, Thingoe R.D., Suffolk, England

George Farr 04 Dec 1866 Male Bricklayer (Retired) Married 1 1
Ann Farr 28 Jan 1877 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 1 2
Alice Wregg 26 Feb 1903 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 1 3
Ivy Portway 15 Jun 1913 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 1 4
The record for this person is officially closed
The record for this person is officially closed.
Hilda (Margaret) Thompson (Portway) 19 Sep 1938 Female Under School Age Single 1 7

Hi All

Dorothy Whitehead was married to John Portway on 2nd September 1962 in Romford Essex. I too could not find any record of her birth.

Dorothy Tremayne I believe is her. From what I had been told she went to Plymouth and as far as I am aware that is where she died.

The other information given is all new to me, so thank you very much for that information.

I'm sorry that I didn't say where the families came from, in some cases I didn't know and others was my oversight, which I apologise for.

By asking all you wonderful people, I am learning of new places to look to try and find out the information myself.

So once again may I say thank you to you all for your help inguiding me to become more independent on researching my family history.
With Thanks
Toni

She married Tremayne in 1989………..look at freebmd for the record

The twins are with them on ER in 2002

There is NO record online of the second husband ever having married any of the daughters

Don't you know who your sisters married?

Three of your siblings are/were GR members - are you in contact?

1921 Census Of England & Wales
99, Gore Road, Hackney, London & Middlesex, England

Charles J Wregg Head Male 1872 48 Bethnal Green, London, England Parcel Postman General Post Office
Louisa S Wregg Wife Female 1872 49 Holborn, London, England Home Duties -
William A J Wregg Son Male 1901 20 Clerkenwell, London, England Letter Postman General Post Office
George H Wregg Son Male 1906 15 Homerton, London, England Office Boy Bush & Co
Ivy L P Wregg Daughter Female 1913 8 South Hackney, London, England - -

From freebmd

Births Sep 1912 (>99%)
Portway William A R Allen Bethnal G. 1c 302

1921 Census Of England & Wales
20, Mace Street, Bethnal Green, London & Middlesex, England

Thomas Portway Head Male 1875 46 Bethnal Green, London, England Labourer Bethnal Green, Borough Council
Emily Portway Wife Female 1876 45 Bethnal Green, London, England Home Duties, Housewife Housewife
Elizabeth Portway Daughter Female 1901 20 Bethnal Green, London, England Cork Machinist Crown Cork Company
Lilian Portway Daughter Female 1903 18 Bethnal Green, London, England Cork Machinist Crown Cork Company
Alfred Portway Son Male 1904 16 Bethnal Green, London, England Vanguard Panks Stores
Howard Portway Son Male 1907 14 Bethnal Green, London, England - -
Violet Portway Daughter Female 1909 11 Bethnal Green, London, England - -
William Portway Son Male 1912 8 Bethnal Green, London, England - -
Herbert Portway Son Male 1914 6 Bethnal Green, London, England -


Marriages Jun 1894 (>99%)
Allen Emily Ann Shoreditch 1c 130
Portway Thomas William Shoreditch

From the GRO site

PORTWAY, WILLIAM ALFRED RICHARD ALLEN
GRO Reference: 1912 S Quarter in BETHNAL GREEN Volume 01C Page 262

PORTWAY, HOWARD WILLIAM ALLEN
GRO Reference: 1907 J Quarter in BETHNAL GREEN Volume 01C Page 109

PORTWAY, VIOLET FLORENCE ALLEN
GRO Reference: 1909 D Quarter in BETHNAL GREEN Volume 01C Page 109

PORTWAY, LILIAN GEORGINA ETHEL ALLEN
GRO Reference: 1903 J Quarter in BETHNAL GREEN Volume 01C Page 197

PORTWAY, ALFRED JAMES ALLEN
GRO Reference: 1904 D Quarter in BETHNAL GREEN Volume 01C Page 210

PORTWAY, JOSEPH FREDERICK HENRY ALLEN
GRO Reference: 1899 M Quarter in BETHNAL GREEN Volume 01C Page 230

PORTWAY, ELIZABETH AMELIA ALLEN
GRO Reference: 1901 M Quarter in BETHNAL GREEN Volume 01C Page 227

PORTWAY, EMILY MARY ANN ALLEN
GRO Reference: 1897 M Quarter in BETHNAL GREEN Volume 01C Page 239

PORTWAY, THOMAS WILLIAM GEORGE ALLEN
GRO Reference: 1895 J Quarter in BETHNAL GREEN Volume 01C Page 161

PORTWAY, HERBERT GEORGE KITCHENER ALLEN
GRO Reference: 1914 D Quarter in BETHNAL GREEN Volume 01C Page 199

1911, they say they've had 8 children of whom 1 has died

1911 Census For England & Wales
6 Flints Court Mace Street Bethnal Green, Bethnal Green, London & Middlesex, England
Thomas George Portway Head Married Male 36 1875 Carman London Bethnal Green
Emily Ann Portway Wife Married Female 34 1877 - London Bethnal Green
Thomas William Portway Son Single Male 16 1895 - London Bethnal Green
Emily Ann Portway Daughter Single Female 14 1897 - London Bethnal Green
Elizabeth Amelia Portway Daughter Single Female 10 1903 - London Bethnal Green
Lillian Georgina Ethel Portway Daughter Single Female 8 1903 - London Bethnal Green
Alfred James Portway Son Single Male 6 1905 - London Bethnal Green
Howard William Portway Son Single Male 4 1907 - London Bethnal Green
Violet Florence Portway Daughter Single Female 2 1909 - London Bethnal Green
Frederick Cove Boarder - Male 20 1891 Carman London Bethnal Green

Don't know at the moment whether the HEAD's correct name is Thomas George as per census, or Thomas William, as per marriage record

EDITED

Answer below**********

Name Joseph F. H. Portway
Age 7
Record Type Burial
Birth Date abt 1899
Death Date abt 1906
Burial Date 23 Jun 1906
Burial Place Waltham Forest, Greater London, England
Cemetery Chingford Mount Cemetery
Cemetery Section C10
Grave Number 72339
Interment Number 72433

Deaths Jun 1906 (>99%)
Portway Joseph 7 Whitechapel 1c 187

Name Joseph Frederick Henry Portway
Gender Male
Record Type Baptism
Baptism Date 1 Jan 1899
Baptism Place St John, Bethnal Green, Tower Hamlets, England
Father Thomas William George Portway******************************
Mother Emily Ann Portway
Register Type Parish Register

Name Joseph Portway
Age 4
Birth Date 15 Dec 1898
Admission Date 5 Jan 1903
School Globe Road School
Father Thos Portway
Notes Globe Road School (0244) opened in 1874. Renamed Pilgrim School in 1951

hi Erika

Apparently Dorothy changed her name to Josephine after she had remarried. It is believed that she was born in Essex and was adopted. Maybe that is why I can't find her birth record.
Am I in contact with some of the siblings. I have had most contact with Tracey and little contact with Tanya, Hannah and Amy. The others I have had no contact with.

If Dorothy was formally adopted, you might now be able to find out more about that, since privacy laws have been changed.
Intermediary services will help.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/relatives-of-adopted-adults-now-able-to-trace-family-tree

Expanding on ErikaH's previous mention of the 2002 ER -

The twins are both listed as Tremayne on the 2002 ER, at same address as their mother and stepfather.

They were under 6 years old when their mother remarried, and their mother and stepfather were still together up to Dorothy's death, per ERs.

If Dorothy "ran off with her daughter's husband" it would have had to be one of the older daughters - but there's no evidence of that.
It's definitely not Tracey, per ERs - and you will know that anyway, as you are in touch with her.
Purely from an age point of view, I suppose it's just possible that Tremayne could have been a boyfriend/partner of the third daughter, who didn't marry until after her mother and stepfather had married - but there's no way to know that without asking her!

If, as you say, you wish to trace your background, toni, you have been given a lot of info on which to base your searches for the Portway line.

Until - and unless - you discover your mother's BIRTH name, you can go no further on her line.

I posted death records for her two days ago - one of which shows actual DoB, so you have a little more info to work on if you decide to try to trace her adoption - which has to be through official channels.

Her death cert should also say where she was born, but that may not be accurate...........