Hello I am new to this list and not sure what areas covered by the old Middlesex - I presume it was much of Greater London? My surname interest is MACGREGOR and the places involved include Finchley/Friern Barnet, Hendon, Willesden and thereabouts from 1900-1950s. If anyone is connected with these Macgregors, I would be delighted to correspond. These were my maternal ancestors on the father's side. I am also interested in the maternal mother's side and the surname here is CULL of North Kensington, but I know very little about them apart from the census entries. many thanks Jacqueline Cooper

Hi all Just a little meditation upon a few findings, if I may. I recently found that my Mary Ann Eliza Bennett, bap. Dec 1850 St. Margaret's Westminster, eldest dau of William John Bennett and Mary Ann Bennett nee Pittway, married William Robert Pether at St. Luke's Chelsea 28 Apr 1878. I find that she is deceased (March Qtr 1879) and that in the 1891 census William is noted as widower with no children living with him. William's father was Samuel and mother Marie and while browsing around Ancestry.com I came across Mary Ann Eliza's sister-in-law's (Pether) marriage two days prior to Mary Ann's wedding, which got me thinking as it does - would there perhaps have been a child born (hopefully), or a still-born, or whatever when Mary Ann died during that March quarter of 1879? Well, there were several Pether children born in the district who might have fitted this situation and several also died the same year, but one I particularly zoomed in on was Florence Alice, born (or shown to be born) September quarter 1879 St. Saviours (just across the river). This would seem to stretch the imagination a little far, but if the child was not registered for a few months, well, just maybe? Hmmn. Anyway, following on this line of thought and wondering if any Pether members of the family may have taken into their warming arms a child without a mother I then came across a marriage of one James William Nicholls to an Eliza Pether (Lambeth 1d 498) June quarter 1877. Okay, so checking into the 1881 census one finds living at Richmond Surrey, Barnes? High Street: RG11/848, one James Wm Nicholls and wife Eliza with no children but one niece Florence M. Pether 5 years, scholar, born Surrey Mortlake. Some considerable inconsistencies here, so one wonders if the census is incorrect, or if it is correct, is it worthwhile applying for the birth certificate of Florence A Pether? Is she A or M? Born Mortlake or St. Saviour? Amazing coincidence, whatever, and intriguing. (Just shows you how one can get lost in genealogy!!!) If anyone has access to other records and may find some clues, I certainly would be impressed. Of course, I am hoping that a child from that Bennett/Pether married did survive though have my doubts. There are so many that did not. Cheers Graham Melbourne Oz

Hi Graham The Florence M(ary) born in Mortlake is out of the frame, I think, as her birth was registered in Q4 1875 in Richmond (correct district) and she is with her Mum and Dad in 1891 (father is William, a butcher and grocer). There is a death of a Florence Alice in St Saviour in Q2 1884. The index gives her age as 2 (too young to be the one born in 1879), but this may be due to an error when the original, hand-written indices were replaced (in the 1920s, I think) with printed versions. If you are going to lash out on a certificate, I would have thought that Mary Ann Eliza's death might be the one to get. If she died in, or soon after, childbirth, her cause of death may well say something to that effect. On the other hand, it may show that she had some other medical condition which would have made her bearing a child between marriage and death unlikely. Hope this helps Caroline > Hi all > > Just a little meditation upon a few findings, if I may. > > I recently found that my Mary Ann Eliza Bennett, bap. Dec 1850 St. > Margaret's Westminster, eldest dau of William John Bennett and Mary > Ann Bennett nee Pittway, married William Robert Pether at St. Luke's > Chelsea 28 Apr 1878. I find that she is deceased (March Qtr 1879) and > that in the 1891 census William is noted as widower with no children > living with him. William's father was Samuel and mother Marie and > while browsing around Ancestry.com I came across Mary Ann Eliza's > sister-in-law's (Pether) marriage two days prior to Mary Ann's > wedding, which got me thinking as it does - would there perhaps have > been a child born (hopefully), or a still-born, or whatever when Mary > Ann died during that March quarter of 1879? Well, there were several > Pether children born in the district who might have fitted this > situation and several also died the same year, but one I particularly > zoomed in on was Florence Alice, born (or shown to be born) September > quarter 1879 St. Saviours (just across the river). This would seem to > stretch the imagination a little far, but if the child was not > registered for a few months, well, just maybe? Hmmn. > > Anyway, following on this line of thought and wondering if any Pether > members of the family may have taken into their warming arms a child > without a mother I then came across a marriage of one James William > Nicholls to an Eliza Pether (Lambeth 1d 498) June quarter 1877. Okay, > so checking into the 1881 census one finds living at Richmond Surrey, > Barnes? High Street: RG11/848, one James Wm Nicholls and wife Eliza > with no children but one niece Florence M. Pether 5 years, scholar, > born Surrey Mortlake. Some considerable inconsistencies here, so one > wonders if the census is incorrect, or if it is correct, is it > worthwhile applying for the birth certificate of Florence A > Pether? Is she A or M? Born Mortlake or St. Saviour? Amazing > coincidence, whatever, and intriguing. (Just shows you how one can > get lost in genealogy!!!) If anyone has access to other records and > may find some clues, I certainly would be impressed. Of course, I am > hoping that a child from that Bennett/Pether married did survive > though have my doubts. There are so many that did not. > > Cheers > Graham > Melbourne > Oz > >

At 06:25 PM 23/07/2010, you wrote: >Hi Graham > >The Florence M(ary) born in Mortlake is out of the frame Oh dear, looks as if perhaps one of the others, perhaps Caroline born and died in the same year could be on the frame. Oh, does it not cramp the heart to see these things, births and deaths within the same quarter and knowing that the mother also died at the same time? It screws me up each time I see something like this. Hurts. Surely mothers to be these days are exceptionally grateful for all the medical help they get, unlike in the 1870s? So sad. Graham

Sorry Graham - nice try though ! Florence Mary Pether Gender: Female Birth Date: 9 Oct 1875 Christening Date: 5 Dec 1875 Christening Place: Mortlake, Surrey, England Age at Christening: 0 Father's Name: William Pether Mother's Name: Sarah Source Citation: Place: Mortlake, Surrey, England; Date Range: 1677 - 1881; Film Number: 1041795. Anne South Australia Graham Price wrote: > > Anyway, following on this line of thought and wondering if any Pether > members of the family may have taken into their warming arms a child > without a mother I then came across a marriage of one James William > Nicholls to an Eliza Pether (Lambeth 1d 498) June quarter 1877. Okay, > so checking into the 1881 census one finds living at Richmond Surrey, > Barnes? High Street: RG11/848, one James Wm Nicholls and wife Eliza > with no children but one niece Florence M. Pether 5 years, scholar, > born Surrey Mortlake. Some considerable inconsistencies here, so one > wonders if the census is incorrect, or if it is correct, is it > worthwhile applying for the birth certificate of Florence A > Pether? Is she A or M? Born Mortlake or St. Saviour? Amazing > coincidence, whatever, and intriguing. (Just shows you how one can > get lost in genealogy!!!) If anyone has access to other records and > may find some clues, I certainly would be impressed. Of course, I am > hoping that a child from that Bennett/Pether married did survive > though have my doubts. There are so many that did not. > > Cheers > Graham > Melbourne > Oz