Genealogy Chat

Someone on genesreunited very kindly helped me to find a record of someone who was likely to be my great grandmother, Violet May Palmer 1888. She was the mother of my grandmother Edna Palmer 1914. We both agreed that it was very very likely we had the correct person. People keep drumming into me how important it is to get hold of birth certificate copies. I decided to try to get my nan (Edna Cullen 1914)'s birth cert. It turned up, I can't understand though how this will help me to identify the previous generation. I know I do have the correct certificate, date and place of birth (correct street) are all on there, but how would this identify my great grandmother Violet Palmer and how could I be sure which Violet to search for and poss order her cert? Hope you can give me some clues. The certificate of Edna Palmer 1914 gives her mother's name as Violet Palmer, the address as 16 Southerton Road, Hammersmith. Violet's maiden name is also Palmer and there is a dash where the father should be.

Hi Georgina, Thanks for the reply! Never thought of trying to get the marriage cert. The whole story is a bit strange, prob no stranger than other stories I have read on here though. Well, my Nan was the second child of 5. always had my suspicions that she was born before her mother married, this kinda confirms it. One day I was going though her photos and found a picture of a man that she said was her father. I haven't seen this picture since, but I vaguely remember that it said the name Henry Curd on the back. For some reason I didn't question it at the time, but maybe it subconciously fuelled my thoughts that there was something a bit odd. She had also said that her 'father' had had a son that died at sea and that it was something he was very sad about. Now this person on here who helped me a few motnhs back found a record of a Violet Palmer and it matched everything I knew about her, I remember she died when I was 4, the death date was beginning of Jan 1972, I would have been 4 and a half then, the birth date was 1888, I remember my Nan telling me she was 83 when she died, so that fitted. Her middle name was May, that matched and she was born in Kent, my Nan said she came from the country. There was no-one else we could find that matched any of this. The thing that really made me believe it was her though was a marriage record for this Violet, a marriage to Henry Curd in 1919. Now this all looks to be correct, only another member on here descended from Henry Curd's parents and gave me some information that they had a child called Reece Curd, I think about 1921. Also showed me records that they lived in Kent for at least 5 years after Reece was born. I have the names of my Nan's siblings and Reece wasn't one of them. Also, my Nan never lived in Kent, she was brought up in London. She would have been about 12 when they left Kent. She would have remembered that. The other thing is that she and my mum remember her birthday being in December, the record we found say it was June. None of it really adds up.

Hi Julie, If the marriage cert does turn out to show she's yours, this might be useful from the IGI: Violet May Palmer Female -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Event(s): Birth: 05 JUN 1888 Maidstone, Kent, England Christening: Death: 16 JAN 1972 Burial: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Parents: Father: Alfred Lewin Palmer Family Mother: Mary Billett and from ancestry 1891 census: Palmer, Voilet M Age in 1891: 2 Relation: Daughter Gender: Female Where Born: Maidstone, Kent Civil parish: Wateringbury Ecclesiastical parish: St Michael Town: County: Kent Street address: View Image Condition as to marriage: View Image Education: View Image Employment status: View Image Occupation: View Image Source information: RG12/670 Registration district: Malling Sub registration district: East Peckham ED, institution, or vessel: 10 Folio: 140 Page: 11 (click to see others on page) Palmer, Alfred 30 eastongrey, Wiltshire Head Wateringbury Kent Palmer, Frank S B 1 Wateringbury, Kent Son Wateringbury Kent Palmer, Mary 31 Broadway, Somerset Wife Wateringbury Kent Palmer, Voilet M 2 Maidstone, Kent Daughter Wateringbury Kent and by 1901: Agnes M Palmer 5 Wateringbury, Kent, England Daughter Wateringbury Kent Alfred Palmer 42 Eastongrey, Wiltshire, England Head Wateringbury Kent Frank S B Palmer 11 Wateringbury, Kent, England Son Wateringbury Kent Ida E Palmer 3 Wateringbury, Kent, England Daughter Wateringbury Kent Lewin A Palmer 7 Wateringbury, Kent, England Son Wateringbury Kent Mary Palmer 41 Broadway, Somerset, England Wife Wateringbury Kent Roland Palmer 9 Wateringbury, Kent, England Son Wateringbury Kent Violet M Palmer 12 Maidstone, Kent, England Daughter Wateringbury Kent The father, Alfred, was a domestic coachman. Hope this helps. Sue (in NZ)

Julie, on Edna's birth cert, is Violet down as Palmer, nee Palmer or just Palmer?

Maybe this will help... Curd, Henry & Palmer, Violet M Marriage June 1918 Malling Vol 2a Page 1637 Reece H Curd Mother's maiden name - Palmer Birth Mar 1919 Malling Vol 2a Page 1036 If you want a lookup for the other kids, let me know :)

I wrote this earlier, but realised I had forgotten to send it: That would be very kind of you Georgina, they are all 20th century though. Ok, well, the thing is, I am not 100% of their surnames, but the ones born before her marriage I have asssumed they were Palmer, like my Nan. Not very helpful, as Palmer is such a common name anyway. Firstborn was Dorothy, b about 1911, but not sure. I know she got married to Jack Drew, think he was a doctor or something, she stayed in touch with my nan, but I don't think her 5 children knew my Nan as I think there was a bit of being ashamed of her family. Next was my Nan, Edna Alice Palmer, b 13 May 1914 in Hammersmith. Then there was Richard Palmer, b abt 1916, he died a long time agao, don't know when. He married someone called Frances, don't think they had any children. Next was Lillian, b abt 1917, she only died last year, married George Allen, 2 daughters, Wendy and Mary. The daughters were born in abt 1945 and then abt 1959. Last was Hilda, she may have been born after this possible marriage. think she was born in 1929. She's still alive and married to Lionel. She's known as Betty. Had a son and a daughter. Another weird thing is that the name Cunningham is involved somewhere. I don't know how or why or when, but after ebing registered as Palmer, apparently my Nan was brought up as Cunningham, only to be made to use Palmer when she got her first job.

Susan, thanks for finding that, that is what I have found so far, I do believe that this is the family, I guess I just want to prove that it is them. Christina, thanks for that, I think I do have that image somewhere, thanks for looking for me. Tracey, on the birth cert of Edna, it says in the column Name, surname and maiden surname of mother: Violet Palmer of no occupation. that is it basically. As for Reece, this is the details I was given. I don't know if this is the same Violet or not. If this is our Violet, then we have a heck of a skeleton in a closet. Just don't know how to find out. My nan is still alive, but you can't get a thing out of her, you have to be careful, she's coming up for 91 and getting increasingly confused. I don't think she likes talking of her past at all.

I reckon Cunningham is their middle name. Maybe her father's surname, or their father's surname?? I found Richard and Lilian - both have C as middle initial. Richard C Palmer Mother's maiden name - Palmer Hammersmith Vol 1a Page 348 Birth March 1916 Lilian C Palmer Mother's maiden name - Palmer Hammersmith Vol 1a Page 286 Birth Sept 1917 Not sure about Dorothy... there's a few listed, but none in Hammersmith.... Dorothy Florence Palmer Fulham Vol 1a Page 257 Birth Mar 1910 Dorothy Vera Palmer Kensington Vol 1a Page 118 Birth Mar 1910 Dorothy H Palmer Islington Vol 1b Page 169 Birth Sept 1910 Dorothy M Palmer Islington Vol 1b Page 334 Birth Sept 1910 Dorothy Palmer Wandsworth Vol 1d Page 520 Birth Dec 1910 Dorothy E Palmer Wandsworth Vol 1d Page 690 Birth Mar 1911 Dorothy M Palmer Pancras Vol 1b Page 104 Birth Mar 1911

Oh thanks. What are the approx dates of birth?? Does it show a place of birth. I get the feeling that my Great Grandmother had an odd lifestyle, I think it's prob not likely that any of the kids had the same father. It's odd really, because there's no way of ever finding out who my Nan's biological father was.

All I get is the GRO ref for the births. If you want to know when and where, you'll have to order the cert, or get the Parish record.

Thanks very much tracey, didn't see all of your message first time, didn't scroll enough!!! Will keep hold of this info, I think that Richard and Lillian are the right ones.