I am new to the list and hope that somewhere out there, there may be a connection to this family. My husbands grandmother seems to have had a very chequered  life and it has taken me about 20 years to piece all the information together. Ada HOLBROOK was born in 1885 at Wood Street, Mexbrough, the illegitimate daughter of Mary Ann Holbrook. Ada's mother, later married John PEAR in Swinton and had two more daughters Annie Elizabeth and Sarah Ellen.  Ada had a daughter Alice in 1906 to Frederick COOPER. He is named on the birth certificate. Ada married Frederick COOPER in 1908 in Swinton.They also had a son, Thomas Edward in 1908, who died in 1909. Ada then appears to have left Frederick sometime after this. By 1911, Ada was boarding in Bradford, and also boarding there was Thomas William STONE. In May 1911 Ada  had twins Mary and Florence at Daniel Street, Bradford and the father is named on the birth certificates as Thomas Stone. Both signed the certificate. She signed as Ada Cooper. The next time that I find Ada she is on her own in 1913, when she is living at 16, Edlington street, Denaby Main and working as a domestic housekeeper for the SAMPSON family. Here she gave birth to ERNEST COOPER. No father on the birth certificate and Ada is just using the name of Cooper. In the same year, Ada, Mary and Ernest entered the Rotherham workhouse and were in and out of there until 1916 when Ada finally left with Ernest, but he was later entered back in there. Mary and Ernest were brought up in different children's homes in Rotherham. They never saw their mother again. In 1917, Ada was living at 43, Bank Street, Mexbrough and gave birth to a son Joseph COOPER. Her occupation is given as a domestic housekeeper on his birth certificate. Her maiden name of HOLBROOK is also on it but no fathers name. In 1924, Ada died in Springwell House, Doncaster, a workhouse cum hospital. She was 39. So, my quest now is to find any descendants of the children that she had. My father in law never knew that he had any family, even though they were half siblings, and lost touch with his sister MARY COOPER, who I believe died in a home somewhere down South in the 1960/70's but we are not sure about that. The problem is that  it was never spoken about and no one left to ask. Sadly, I have found a death of ALICE HOLBROOK COOPER aged 89 and registered in Huddersfield, as late as 1995, so it would appear that she did not marry but have not found any trace of FLORENCE COOPER/STONE, the other twin born in Bradford in 1911 or JOSEPH COOPER born in Mexbrough in 1917. If anyone can help with any information on any of these  people or families, I would be most grateful and thank you for reading my long message. Carol Cooper in Sheffield