Genealogy Chat

Hello
I am struggling with finding birth and death of this person. All the census seem to say that she was born in 1868.
She is the daughter of Anna Maria Chatfield and (it seems) her husband George Cooke.
George Cooke, however, died in 1864 and I have his death certificate that confirms this.
Ada is on the 1871 census with her mother and siblings. Also on 1881 census with mother and her new husband John Balcombe.
She is on 1891 census with mother, stepfather and a child that may be hers.
Ada marries Charles Parnell in Sep 1891 but he dies in Dec 1891. Ada appears to be in the workhouse in Brighton in 1901. After that I cannot find her.
Any help greatly appreciated.
Sorry she was born in Tunbridge Wells and also lived in Cliffe, Sussex

Pat

Have you followed up on this marriage?
Ada Cornelia Cooper 1909 Horsham Sussex, West Sussex

not surprising that George Cooke is on her bc as father ........ if a woman was married it was assumed that hter husband was the father of any and all her children ......... even if he had been dead for 10 years!!


it will probably be almost impossible to discover the name fo the real father.



sylvia

which county is Tunbridge Wells in?

EDIT ......... found it




I wonder if maybe her birht was not registered??



Registration of all bmds was brought in on July 1 1837, but for a number of years, registration of births was the responsibility of the Registrar ... this was unlike marriages and deaths where the onus was on the vicar to send in the information.

The onus was put onto him to find out about births occurring in his district, and then going out to register them. Thousands of births were missed.


In mid-1874, the law was changed and the onu was put on the mother to go to the Registrar or Registry Office and register the birth.

In both cases, there was 6 weeks in which to register the birth ........ after mid-1874, the mother could be fined if she did not register within that period.




sylvia

, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
about Ada Cornelia Harris
Name: Ada Cornelia Harris
Year of Registration: 1867
Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun
District: Tonbridge
County: Kent, Sussex
Volume: 2a
Page: 521

????????????????????????????????

I looked for Ada Cornelia, born 1865-1870, and this was the only one that showed up


Births Jun 1867 (>99%)

HARRIS Ada Cornelia Tunbridge 2a 521





this could possibly be this one, but born in Canterbury and registered in Tunbridge?????????

1871 Census

Name: Ada C Harris
Age: 3
Estimated birth year: abt 1868
Relation: Daughter
Father's Name: William E
Mother's Name: Fanny
Gender: Female
Where born: Canterbury, Kent, England
Civil parish: St Gregory
County/Island: Kent
Country: England
Registration district: Blean
Sub-registration district: Sturry

William E Harris 29
Fanny Harris 29
Fanny C Harris 4
Ada C Harris 3
Ernest W E Harris 11 months



sylvia

great minds SatNav!!

Thanks to you all for looking.
As I said I have found her on all the census as Ada Cornelia Cooke except one where she was transcribed as Ada Cooke Balcombe (her stepfather's name).
I think it likely that her birth was not registered.

What about her death though? I will certainly look into that marriage.
How unlucky was she to marry someone who died a few months later. I will also follow up the grandchild of her mother to see if Ada is the mother and how she is described.
Her mother, Anna Maria Chatfield, was illegetimate, funnily enough, and though the father was named on her birth certificate and her marriage certificate she never took his name.

Hey ho what fun we have.

Off to bed now. Will catch up tomorrow.

Thanks again. Pat

Birth ref for Ernest - (Blean is a mile or two from Canterbury):

Births Jun 1870 (>99%)

Harris Ernest William E Blean 2a 702


Jill

If she was born in Blean - there's this one ???

Births Sep 1868 (>99%)
HARRIS Female Blean 2a 704 Scan available - click to view

Another Ada in Blean:

Births Mar 1868 (>99%)
Harris Ada Epps Blean 2a 725 Scan available - click to view

The nearest marriage I can find for the couple living in Blean:

Marriages Dec 1872 (>99%)
Chambers Sarah Faversham 2a 1321 Scan available - click to view
GEORGE Frances Faversham 2a 1321 Scan available - click to view
GIBBENS George Faversham 2a 1321 Scan available - click to view
Harris William Faversham 2a 1321 Scan available - click to view


Jill