Hi, My name is Jean and my birth surname is Hughes. My father was born 11.12.1911 with Mitchell as his surname, and his address on the birth cert. is 173 Earl St., West Gorton, South Manchester. His father is listed as George Mitchell, but there is rumour he wasn't the father. I had hoped the 1911 census might have revealed something, but I have only done the free searches and found most of the known family at Chorlton, but no John (alleged name) at any address with a known family member at that address. Dad's mother, Katie Augusta Mitchell nee Hughes, alledgedly changed her name back to Hughes sometime after, because all the siblings bar one, became Hughes. That one that stayed Mitchell was because he had already left home. Other sublings I have searched to confirm Chorlton are Ivor, Florence and Gladys. It is alleged that John was a business man and wanted to marry Katie, but apparently George kept turning up and she left for the Isle of Man, and John wouldn't go. So if there is any way I can find out about John, it would be most appreciated. I don't want to do research on the Mitchell line if he is not blood related. Katie & George were married and registered at The Registrar office in Chorlton district in the counties of Manchester and Lancaster. Marriage was 10.5.1893, with their addresses being listed as his: 6 Boundary St., Hulme, father - John Mitchell (deceased), shoemaker, and hers: 22 Tuer St. Chorlton upon Medlock, father Hugh Hughes - publican. Earlier, it is alleged that Katie was made something like a ward of the state. I was wondering if there would be any records available for what that was about. If anyone can help with any information to add to the above, it would be most appreciated. kind regards Jean Hughes NSW. Australia.

Hi Jean, I can't shed any light on John's parentage except to suggest that DNA might be a route to go if you can find the right relations for it. Those relations, of course, might have their own family stories to add which might help. I started looking at Katie Augusta HUGHES but would like some clarification. I gather John is your father's name. I do not understand the sentence "It is alleged that John was a business man and wanted to marry Katie ..." - marry his mother? - I don't understand or have I misread it? Is the tree on Ancestry yours? If so you know that Katie was born in Wales. FreeBMD has her born 1875. Have you got her birth certificate? I have looked at Katie in Wales and have found 2 possibles; Katie the niece of Hugh HUGHES, a farmer in 1891 and Kate the daughter of John HUGHES a cabinet maker in 1881. But I don't know whether you have researched this already. HUGHES is a common Welsh name and there may be others if I were to look more thoroughly. There is another tree on Ancestry which says Kate Augusta HUGHES married a HUGHES and a lot of Catherine HUGHES with a father Hugh so I may be chasing the wrong Katie. When is it alleged that Katie was made a ward of state - is this supported by evidence and if so what, or is it a family story? Was it as a child or as an adult? That info and birth and census records would help focus the mind in the right direction. Having said that I do not know anything about "ward of state" except what I find when I Google it. She does not appear to have been an orphan in 1881 and was living with an uncle in 1891 if I have the correct census. Could it be that she wanted to marry without parental permission? Could she have suffered from post-natal depression, not well understood at the time? I am happy to look further but I don't want to repeat what you have already found and feel I may be doing that. Regards, Christine -----Original Message----- From: Jean Hughes Sent: Sunday, May 29, 2011 4:25 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [ENG-MAN] Mitchell - Hughes Hi, My name is Jean and my birth surname is Hughes. My father was born 11.12.1911 with Mitchell as his surname, and his address on the birth cert. is 173 Earl St., West Gorton, South Manchester. His father is listed as George Mitchell, but there is rumour he wasn't the father. I had hoped the 1911 census might have revealed something, but I have only done the free searches and found most of the known family at Chorlton, but no John (alleged name) at any address with a known family member at that address. Dad's mother, Katie Augusta Mitchell nee Hughes, alledgedly changed her name back to Hughes sometime after, because all the siblings bar one, became Hughes. That one that stayed Mitchell was because he had already left home. Other sublings I have searched to confirm Chorlton are Ivor, Florence and Gladys. It is alleged that John was a business man and wanted to marry Katie, but apparently George kept turning up and she left for the Isle of Man, and John wouldn't go. So if there is any way I can find out about John, it would be most appreciated. I don't want to do research on the Mitchell line if he is not blood related. Katie & George were married and registered at The Registrar office in Chorlton district in the counties of Manchester and Lancaster. Marriage was 10.5.1893, with their addresses being listed as his: 6 Boundary St., Hulme, father - John Mitchell (deceased), shoemaker, and hers: 22 Tuer St. Chorlton upon Medlock, father Hugh Hughes - publican. Earlier, it is alleged that Katie was made something like a ward of the state. I was wondering if there would be any records available for what that was about. If anyone can help with any information to add to the above, it would be most appreciated. kind regards Jean Hughes NSW. Australia.