I can't find my grandmother, born Caroline Selina "Lena or Helena" Brown Suffling, or her mother in the 1891 census. Gran was born in May 1877 at Elmore St. Islington and was living with her parents at the same address in 1881. Her parents didn't marry. Her mother, Ann Suffling, born Hanworth Norfolk, was living with her father Thomas H. Brown or Suffling in 1881 - but I can't find him earlier or later in time, though from something Gran said her father was living when she was nine. The 1881 shows Thomas H. "Suffling" as a railway clerk born "Lewes Yorks" - no such place. George Brown, born Norfolk and also a railway clerk, was head of the household in 1881. I think Thomas H. may have been a much younger half brother of George but can't prove it. Ann Brown, widow, aunt of widow Emma Haynes living in another flat in the house on Elmore St, may have been married to a relative of George and Thomas H. Brown (or Suffling,) but I can't find out who her late husband was. Ann Suffling died at Albion Grove Islington in Feb 1899. Can anyone solve the mystery? Appreciate any ideas! Sonia in the U.S.

Hi Sonia SUFFLING is very much a Norfolk name. In the 1861 census its bearers live only in Norfolk or London, and the latter almost certainly came from Norfolk originally. So I think it is reasonable to assume that Ann was born SUFFLING. Thomas's place of birth in 1881 is Leeds, Yorks, not Lewes. There are no SUFFLINGs in Yorkshire. What is the wording on Caroline's birth certificate? Does it pretend that Ann and Thomas are married (i.e. is Ann SUFFLING, formerly BROWN?)? Or is it a fairly common type of wording for an illegitimate birth, with the forenames being Caroline Selina Brown and no father's name given? There is a very likely candidate for Ann SUFFLING in Hanworth in the 1861 and 1871 censuses, daughter of Joseph and Sarah (the former being dead by 1871). In 1871 there is a slightly suspicious looking child, Hector E SUFFLING, enumerated as the grandson of Sarah. His birth is registered in Erpingham RD in Q3 1866. In 1881, when Ann's sister (also Sarah) is head of the household, he is called her nephew. In 1891, he is still living with Sarah jnr but is now her brother. He is a schoolmaster in Hackney in 1901 and in Whitechapel in 1911. Why my interest in Hector, you may wonder? Because thanks to the LDS, the majority of Norfolk baptism registers are available for online browsing at FamilySearch, and Hector's baptism on 10 April 1869 at Hanworth parish church shows his mother as Anne SUFFLING (no father). The two BROWNs living in the same house as Ann in 1881 may be a red herring, as it is such a common name. I will have a closer look and see if I can come up with anything. Best wishes for now, Caroline > > I can't find my grandmother, born Caroline Selina "Lena or Helena" > Brown > Suffling, or her mother in the 1891 census. Gran was born in May 1877 > at > Elmore St. Islington and was living with her parents at the same > address in > 1881. Her parents didn't marry. Her mother, Ann Suffling, born Hanworth > Norfolk, was living with her father Thomas H. Brown or Suffling in 1881 > - > but I can't find him earlier or later in time, though from something > Gran > said her father was living when she was nine. The 1881 shows Thomas H. > "Suffling" as a railway clerk born "Lewes Yorks" - no such place. > George > Brown, born Norfolk and also a railway clerk, was head of the household > in > 1881. I think Thomas H. may have been a much younger half brother of > George > but can't prove it. Ann Brown, widow, aunt of widow Emma Haynes living > in > another flat in the house on Elmore St, may have been married to a > relative > of George and Thomas H. Brown (or Suffling,) but I can't find out who > her > late husband was. Ann Suffling died at Albion Grove Islington in Feb > 1899. > Can anyone solve the mystery? > > Appreciate any ideas! > Sonia in the U.S. >