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Can anyone help, I am trying to find my husbands grandmothers family.

Her name Victoria May Martin she was born approx 1901 not sure where. She married James Snook in Surrey in 1922 but James did not stay with her. Sadly Victoria died in Brookwood Mental Hospital, Surrey in 1933 age approx 32.

Her father James Martin is suppose to have been something big in the army as he had a full military funeral in late 1920's early 1930's in Aldershot but the museum there cannot help without his regiment and we do not know that. Her mother Clara or Clary (maiden name unknown) They were in the Surrey area but don't know where any of them were born and Victoria is not on the 1901 census so hard to trace her family. Victoria apparently had sisters Bertha/Jessie/Gertrude but not sure if they are their real names. All this is from the memory of my father-in-law.

If any of these names mean anything to anyone please get in contact. This is a difficult one to work out as Martin is not an unusual name. Please help.

Thanks Chris

You need to buy her marriage certificate - that will give her fathers name and his occupation/rank.

Re her birth, if dad was in the army she could have been born anywhere, UK or abroad.


Buy her marriage cert - its the only way forward.



These are the Victoria Mays born 1901/02: Horsham seems the most likely or the Tunbridge one. You can always purchase the cert with a pointer that the father is James and his occupation is army.

Births Mar 1901 (>99%)
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Martin Victoria May Horsham 2b 310

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Births Jun 1901 (>99%)
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Martin Victoria May Melton Mowbray 7a 344

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Births Sep 1902 (>99%)
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Martin Victoria May C Tunbridge 2a 808

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Hi Chris

Do you know if James Martin has a middle name?

Hi there thanks for replies, sorry for my long reply, too much xmas shopping!

I did purchase the marriage certificate, it shows they married after my father in law was born, in 1922 in Farnham Registry Office. Her father's name is shown as James Martin and his occupation 'clerk' ? There is an address shown as Aldershot. I have asked for the GRO to search her birth certificate giving all the info I have but they are unable to trace her birth anywhere in Surrey so looks like she wasn't born there.

What else can I do if I don't have her fathers middle name or his regiment to contact the army in Aldershot?

Any more suggestions please Heather and Wayne?

Regards Christine

you might have some luck with local newspapers at the time of her fathers death,

? death index
Victoria M Snook
Mar quarter 1933
age 31yrs
District Guildford
vol 2a
page 216

????1901
This James is a railway clerk but is perhaps to old for any military service
children include the names Bertha and Gertrude and could mother be Clarisse ?
Name: James Martin
Age: 43
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1858
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Clarisse
Gender: Male
Where born: Liverpool, Lancashire, England

Civil Parish: Lambeth
Ecclesiastical parish: Emmanuel
County/Island: London
Country: England
Name: Clarisse Martin
Age: 34
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1867
Relation: Wife
Spouse's Name: James
Gender: Female
Where born: Windsor, Buckinghamshire, England

Civil Parish: Lambeth
Ecclesiastical parish: Emmanuel
County/Island: London
Household Members: Name Age
Bertha Martin 1
Charles Martin 3
Clarisse Martin 34
Gertrude Martin 9
Henrietta Martin 11
James Martin 43
James Martin 7
Sydney Martin 5

Janice you are wonderful! I will definately take these details to my father-in-law at christmas and see if they mean anything. This is a very strong possibility, why did I not find this I wonder? Clarisse could have been her name, my father-in-law remembers her name as Clara but this could have been short for anything. Come to think of it he might have mentioned a Sydney Martin.

Sometimes you just feel like giving up but you have given me a reason to keep this part of my tree going!

I will keep you informed you have been so helpful.

Thanks again and a merry christmas to you Janice and everyone who helped me on Genes.

Kindest regards Christine