Genealogy Chat

Hello Clive, Just a quick note to add a possible new avenue of research/thought for you. You mention shipping orphans out to Canada (and Australia) - this was a major programme from the late 1800s to as recently as the 1930s I believe. If you google 'British Home Children' you'll find lots on the subject. Regs Annie

Hello George The last sighting I have is her birth in 1886 until her marriage in 1915. Her mother Sarah Reynolds married a George James Hasted, I suspect bigamously (and under age). He died 'whilst bathing' in 1888 and there was a coroner's inquest. I was able to obtain a copy of the marriage cert so, if the marriage were bigamous, it was not officially pursued In the 1891 census, her mother is names Sarah Reynolds (not Hasted) and living with her parents at 45 Everett Street, East Battersea with her son, George (Thomas) Haste(a)d, aged 3. No sign of Mary Ann (I have also checked under Reynolds). She was born at 31 Everett Street and I have checked for her there but no obvious connection. There is no sign of Sarah, George or Mary Ann in the 1901 census - I have checked for remarriage during that period but can not verify any of the possibilities in the 1901 census despite simulating all the likely combinations. She married George Bryant June 29 1915, registered Croydon. Her address was given as 106 Burlington Road, Thornton Heath. Father - George Hasted, coachbuilder, witness - George Thomas Hasted. Apparently, she worked as a companion and nanny to a wealthy French family but she would only have been 5 at the time of the 1891 census and that would be a bit young to start on that career even for those days. In another branch of my tree, there was another relative (in the same part of London round about the same age and at about the same time) whose father disappeared, re-appearing 20 years later to marry a few weeks after the death of his first wife. He was placed into Barnardo's and shipped out to Canada so it seemed to be fairly common practice at that time.

Have you located her in 1901? Also what address & occupation did she give when she married in 1915? and what is her brothers name? George

Yes, that is her marriage and I have the original cert for that. The witness is her brother rather than her mother, who was still living. I am trying to unravel the mystery of her mother's possible bigamous marriage. The wherabouts of Mary in 1891 will, I hope, be the final piece in the puzzle. I am exploring two lines at the moment: Barnardo's (hence this post) and aunts.

Hi Clive Could this be her marriage? Name: Mary A Hasted Year of Registration: 1915 Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun Spouse's Surname: Bryant (George) District: Croydon County: Surrey Volume: 2a Page: 1049 (click to see others on page) Teresa

Mary Ann Hasted b1886 Battersea

What is the childs name? George

Thank you I am trying to find the offspring from a possibly bigamous marriage. It would appear that the mother resorted to her maiden name (as she is obliged to) and moved back with her parents (although she claimed her father was deceased on the marriage cert) together with her young son who carried his surname as registered. Her daughter has vanished, though, and I am pursuing Barnardo's as a possible line of enquiry as she is not living with her mother. I will also check her sisters. The bigamous husband drowned which probably led to the discovery of two wives.

The short answer to that is yes, they should. But I do know that sometimes the people living in some such places are only listed by initials or by initial and surname, and sometimes birthplace is put as 'Not known' for everybody, so they might not be so easy to find. Kate.

Hello Would a child in a Barnardo's home appear in any census record? Thanks