Genealogy Chat

This is a real puzzler, and my head is spinning. Any help gratefully received!
My great-aunt Kathleen Powell was born in 1897, in the Birmingham area. (Kings Norton I believe). We believe she married and had 4 children, whose names were Peter, Thomas, Molly and Norah Welford. I can find no trace of her marriage or the births of these children. These events would have taken place between 1920 and 1935 I would say.
Also, she then lived with Fred ?surname, and to top it all moved to Leeds!
Where am I going wrong?
Thanks for any advice!
Jan

Surname First name(s) Spouse District Vol Page

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marriages Sep 1921 (93%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Pike William J Powell King's N. 6d 203
Powell Kathleen Pike King's N 6d 203

There are these births on FreeBMD with the right surname and mother's maiden name:-

Births Dec 1922
Pike Donald Powell King's N. 6d 268

Births Mar 1928
Pike Margaret Powell Tamworth 6b 642

Births Mar 1932
Pike Kathleen Powell Birmingham S 6d 45

Kath. x

Thanks for replies and for your time both, I appreciate it. Not too sure these are mine though as the siblings' names do not match. I am starting to wonder if Kathleen ever married anybody!
Jan x

If you had located her birth you would have known she was Mary Kathleen:

Births Dec 1896
Powell Mary Kathleen Aston 6d 279

Marriages Dec 1916
Longfield Harry Powell Aston 6d 1111
Powell Mary K Longfield Aston 6d 1111



Births Mar 1918
Longfield Molly Powell Aston 6d 610

Births Mar 1920
Longfield Thomas Powell Leeds 9b 697a

Births Sep 1921
Longfield Marian Powell Bradford 9b 360

Births Jun 1922
Longfield Peter Powell Leeds 9b 488

Births Jun 1924
LONGFIELD Norah POWELL Leeds 9b 494

Births Mar 1929
LONGFIELD William Powell Bradford 9b 177

Rose

Portland Rose-
what can I say! On the census she is Kathleen, and all the family (including my mother) thought that was her name too. Also there is a Kathleen Powell born Kings Norton 1897 so I just thought that was her. That will teach me to make assumptions!
I know people used their 2nd names but had no inkling she was one of them I think you have cracked it though. Thank you so much.
Just one thing - how did you figure this out exactly?
With thanks
Janx

Hi Jan,

I chose the least common of her children's first names and looked for those births with MMN of Powell. I narrowed it down by Warwickshire and Yorkshire. Those Longfield births just popped out. I then looked for a Longfield/Powell marriage. There was only one.

Rose

Brilliant! A good tip for an amateur like me.
Many thanks again, I would never have done this without your help.
Janx

I missed a birth:

England & Wales, Birth Index: 1916-2005
about Vera Longfield
Name: Vera Longfield
Mother's Maiden Surname: Powell
Date of Registration: Apr May Jun 1936
Registration district: Leeds North
Registration county: Yorkshire - West Riding
Volume Number: 9b
Page Number: 450

Rose

Portland Rose -
This is very interesting. According to my mother - Mary Kathleen's neice - Vera was not Mary's child but that of her 3rd husband by a previous marriage! And she says she married her "step-brother" Peter. I really hope she didn't!!!
Many thanks again.
Janx

Hi Jan,

The Vera I found has Mary Kathleen's maiden name so she must have been born to her.

Thomas and Marian are in trees on this site. Perhaps you should try contacting the owners.

Rose

You should buy the birth/marriage certificates and see what they say.
It really is essential to do this in order to make sure you are following the right people and have the correct story.

Vera Longfield
married
Fred Nettleton
DQ 1964
Leeds
Volume 2c
Page 427

As your information seems to differ from this you should buy the marriage certificate to make sure she is 'your' Vera.

It would appear to be Vera who married Fred not Kathleen.


Purchase online from

www.gro.gov.uk with above reference (s) for £7 each.

Pam, you are quite right - thanks for your input, I do need a certificate or two now I have something to go on.
My working theory is that Kathleen married Harry Longfield and the children are his. She then lived with Fred. It may be they called themselves Welford as this was his surname, but I cannot prove this.
Pam, it is definite that Kathleen lived with (but probably did not marry) Fred, so Vera's marriage to a Fred must be a co-incidence I think.
I plan to get the cert for Mary Kathleen's marriage to Harry, as this will prove whether or not it is the same person (luckily her father's name was Horace so not too common!).
Many thanks again for your help everyone, watch this space!
Your gratefully
Janx

Will keep an eye on the thread.

Hello Portland Rose- hope you see this.
Just to thank you ++ for your help. Received the marriage cert of Mary and Harry this morning, and it is definitely her - her father Horace Powell was a carriage lamp maker, and there can't be many of them with his name!!
I am thrilled to bits, and I know my Canadian relatives would want me to send their thanks too. Might never have found this without your help.
Regards
Jan

Hi Jan,

Thanks for the update. Glad it all worked out.

Rose