Greetings All. This is not the normal type of posting that you have come to expect from me. It has nothing to do with our Census Campaign. In our capacities as Co-chairs of the Canada Census Campaign Muriel and I frequently receive requests for assistance in ways that have nothing to do with our Census campaign.. Some we can help, others we cannot. This message is one attempt to help someone. The following information regards a request from Australia for someone seeking a relative in Canada that does not know she has family. If the information provided below rings any bells with anyone, or you can provide information advising her how to proceed, please contact Lynne Hall-Cavanagh directly at [email protected] . The following letter was sent to Muriel 26 June 2002. Happy Hunting. Gordon A. Watts [email protected] Co-Chair, Canada Census Committee Port Coquitlam, BC http://globalgenealogy.com/Census en français http://globalgenealogy.com/Census/Index_f.htm Permission to forward without notice is granted. ======================================= Dear Muriel, I read all of your messages here in Australia and admire your tenacity. I do not know your line of work nor your expertise in genealogy but decided to write to you to share our problem and to ask for your advice. SOMEWHERE in Canada we have a very important family BUT THEY DO NOT KNOW ABOUT US and we cannot find them. ANY ADVICE ?? My husband's mother (MARIE) was married in Scotland and had a baby daughter (now almost 60 years old and if still alive living in Canada - at least she was about ten years ago- according to a relative I managed to find in Scotland) MARIE left this marriage and left her daughter (then named Jeanette Anderson Taylor MACDONALD) with her elderly "mother" (recent research has shocked us as we learn that MARIE was adopted into the family). When Jeanette's "grandmother" (MARY) died, she was raised by her "uncle" and his family. She became known as Janette Macdonald BUCHANAN and was a nurse before she married and she and her husband went to CANADA (some time after 1965). They were known as Jan and Russell ELLLIOT. However it seems that Jan left her marriage (no children) and formed a relationship with a man (he may have been a doctor or staff member of the Vancouver hospital) and then had two children Their names were/ are Heather and Cameron and they could be in their thirties by now . JAN (Jeanette) may still be using the surname ELLIOT or any other name. The children may also be ELLIIOT or ??? ( HARRIS was one possibility). Jeanette may believe she is to stay "hidden" from the wicked mother who "abandoned" her (but there is more to the story than this !!) MARIE was in the Army in 1943 and eventually she formed a relationship with another man (my father-in-law) and they had two sons in England (one being my husband). In 1949 they migrated to Australia and all contact was eventually lost with the UK (although MARIE seems to have mentioned Jeanette often she did not tell her other children that she was her daughter). To make the story even more complicated MARIE had two more sons in Australia before leaving her two older sons with their father and taking the two younger ones away to live with another partner for the rest of her life. A daughter was born soon after this move happened. MARIE died in Australia in 1977 and it was only after this that we began to get snippets about Jeanette. I understand that people are hesitant to help people find LIVE people BUT hope you understand our predicament. Having paid people to get certificate details for us and used every research effort that I know of, I managed to locate some of the "adopted" family. One (not so cooperative) cousin heard from Janette about ten years ago and says she has had a hard life and that she was in some form of psychiatric therapy and may now be dead. Knowing what I now know of a very strange story I am not surprised that she would need some therapy. BUT this is the actually my sister-in-law and she does not know that she has family here in Australia who would love to find out if she is okay. While I find the Family Research activity very interesting and addictive, I am certain that locating a person who probably NEEDS to have someone to be related to of far greater importance. I dont often write all the details (names etc) to strangers but have woken early this morning and decided to take a chance on sharing this HUGE BRICK WALL with you IN CASE YOU CAN THINK OF A WAY TO HELP US LOCATE "Jeanette" and/or her children. I send my very best wishes to you for your work re the census release and with whatever other Research you are involved in and hope to hear from you when you find a spare minute. Yours fauthfully, LYNNE HALL-CAVANAGH