What was the surname the mother was using at the time? The one she had when she married and the same when she became widowed? And what do the officer's at the poor house have to do with what she named the children? Janis

I am interested Janis you use the term "poor house" rather than workhouse which is the more common one. My grandmother - and grandfather too for that matter - came from "up north" and she always called it the poor house too. Her mother managed to keep them all out of the poor house by taking in laundry when she left her continually unfaithful husband. And if anyone can find anything on that g grandfather of mine I would be very appreciative - I think he has hidden deliberately. Henry Bernhardt born about 1860, father Frederick according to his wedding cert late 1880 to Elizabeth Johnson - first child Elizabeth Ann born in London the day before the 1881 census after an unusually short pregnancy. Six more births - fifth child died at or shortly after birth, Grandma probably did not know about that child. Last child (6th living, straight after the dead boy) Olga (my mother named after her) born 1890 or 91 just before the census. (Children in order I think - Lizzie (Elizabeth Ann) Frederick George (Uncle George as Mum called him) Florence, Eveline (Lena, my grandma), Hilda and then Olga. George was born round Durham Spennymoor, next three were in Milnthorpe, and the boy who died and Olga were back over Durham way - I found the family including Henry 1891 in foremans or managers row, a cottage there - can't remember the mining village. Back in Milnthorp they had a lodging house. When he married Henry said he was a clerk. G Gran could not read or write but she always said the name was BERNHARDT. Sometimes they come up as BERNHARD. Henry was missing on 1881 census though there is an H Bernhardt lodger nowhere near London then. 1891 census they were altogether - 1901 Henry is nowhere to be found but he was departed from by I would guess 1892. G Gran had had enough, feisty lady. She moved the children and herself over near Bradford. (Primitive Street Mum remembers, also St Pauls Rd?? but later, 1920s? she moved down Kent way to be with her adult and married children. She was at St Pauls Rd Halifax? Bradford?) when my grandparents migrated here - they left mid 1924 and had been staying with her after they sold their Kent house before sailing.) that move to Bradford was strange - her own parents and siblings were near Spennymoor too. Perhapoos there had been a falling out. No information, stories, on that. There are no more sightings of G Grandpa Henry. Family stories say - he died before G Gran (who died 1943ish) and Fred went to check his will to see if his mother could get anything - but Henry was too cunning and left his money (he was rich by then) to Miss xxx yyy. I heard the name as a young child but cannot remember it - though I think I would know it if I heard it again. Another family story says he changed his German name to Bernhard (heaven help us if it was to Bernard) - but that was happening decades before the war, so maybe he changed his first name to David??? There is an amount of money mentioned in the family - a David Bernhard owned Union cinemas, sold out to ABC theatres, for the exact amount in that family story - and died shortly after selling I think. (Round 1937 from memory.) That David Bernhard had a son Fred on the board of management, who then resigned.. all thanks to the Times on line and the business part of it! It ties in, fits, but I can't prove David = Henry. I sent for the will of David Bernhard - would you believe they have lost it? There is an indication it was checked in Shanghai of all places. The codicil which I did get is useless. I heard Uncle Fred had problems getting the will from Somerset House as it was back then, too, which ties in with it being lost. Or just too hard to find and they could not be bothered making much of an effort. They kept my money though! To make things more difficult, it was Henry - or just possibly his father William (Wilhelm??) who was as a baby left on the doorstep of a farm in Germany - a note pinned on him, nice clothes I heard. Nothing else. Farming family was childless and took him in and he would have got the lot as they were not badly off, but he skipped off to England. As it has been pointed out, just maybe it was an accusation and he was brought up by his real father! But we shall never know - no idea where in the then Germany he was and their records need the "county" or whatever they call it I believe. On one cert I have, it looks like William, Henry's father, was a magic lantern maker. I have contacted an organisation which is keen on magic lanterns but they had no record. Several folk have looked for him, second cousins of mine - but no luck. I had a quick look for him 1911 but did not pay anything - nothing came up but this wife and children did - married by then, several of them. I did not actually spend money - that is pretty scarce and I will wait till it comes down a bit. One more thing - the family story I was told, and so were second cousins, was that we were distantly related to Sara Bernhardt. THAT has been followed too, with no luck. But then, she also was illegitimate so who knows. If anyone can find this missing - deliberately I feel - g grandfather of mine, I will be eternally grateful!!! Dawn (Melbourne Australia) -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Janis Noonan Sent: Monday, 27 April 2009 9:29 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [DUR-NBL] Illegitimate children with What was the surname the mother was using at the time? The one she had when she married and the same when she became widowed? And what do the officer's at the poor house have to do with what she named the children? Janis ==== DUR-NBL Mailing List ==== To Post a message to this list send it to, [email protected] ==== DUR-NBL Mailing List ==== List Web Page http://www.communigate.co.uk/ne/durhamgenealogy/index.phtml ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message __________ NOD32 4035 (20090425) Information __________ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.eset.com