finding baptisms/births?

[Rachandgarry]

Hi,

As part of the research in to my somewhat difficult family tree which, without the help from thiis forum, I wouldn't know half of... I'm taking a break from the elusive Emily Rawlins and Henry/Alfred Cresswell Selwyn ha ha and I'm trying to find other people instead...... trouble is I'm not seeing anything that I've expected!

My Nan left a note with a very brief (and in one part inaccurate) family tree on, in which it lists her parents (correctly) as Alfred Cresswell Selwyn b 1894 and Beatrice Clark b 1894 and her siblings as:

Olive b 1914
Irene Florence Rose (my nan) b June 28, 1918. I know she was born in Southwark.
Gordon b 1921
Donald and Doris b 1924

I have the marriage certificate for the parents, they were married in December 1917.

just a note: These parents also had another child, Frederick Cresswell Selwyn, b 1895 who lived in Alderbury, Wilts. and married Hettie (Henrietta?) Thomas also in 1917. He fought in France during WW1, but was home by 1917.

I can't seem to find Olive's birth at all, but whilst searching, there is a Christening showing in Dec 1918 for Olive Selwyn, father Frederick Selwyn.... So, my quandry is this: how likely is it that two brothers both had a child and called her Olive (it doesn't seem to be a significant name in the family), particularly given that I can't find any trace of the other Olive?? Could it be that for some reason Olive was born to Fred and Hettie but grew up as my Nan's sibling?? I wonder? OR..... have I just missed an entry somewhere?

A second pair of eyes would really help, if anyone has a spare couple of minutes and isn't sick of looking up my family lol!

Thank you so much in advance
Rachel

[Guest]

so are you saying the parents married after Olive was born ????

[Rachandgarry]

All I know is that Alfred Cresswell Selwyn and Beatrice Clark married in Dec 1917, and are supposed to have had a daughter named Olive, born in 1914.... so if that is true, then yep I guess she was born out of wedlock.

[Guest]

there are a few Olive Clarks?????????right time

[Rachandgarry]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oo say it isn't true..... There are thousands of Olive Clark's born in London/Middx in 1914!!!! I can't order them all, this is a disaster!

<calms down, breathes deeply>

Thanks for the suggestion Val, you could well be right.

But then where is the Olive Selwyn that was christened in Dec 1918 to Frederick Selwyn? Why can't I find her birth???

AAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaargh!!!

[Night Owl]

Ancestry has a record of the christening (no image) as Olive Margaret Selwyn, birth date about 1918, christened 22.12.1918. Father Frederick Cresswell Selwyn. Mother Hettie Muriel.
Place of christening Alderbury, Wiltshire

[Olde Crone Holden]

Born in 1914, not baptised until 1918 because of the war, maybe?

Or, if Olive was taken on as an unofficially adopted child, the Vicar may have been quite happy to baptise her as the child of the "new" parents - after all, they WERE her parents, if they were committed to bringing the child up as their own.

But I do have to tell you, my relatives took a vicious delight in naming their children the same as their cousins. In my own generation alone, out of ten cousins, five of the males and two of the females have the same first name....and it was never a family name, just a name which was popular at the time!

EDIT - but there is a birth of an Olive E M Clark in 1914 (Croydon) mother's maiden name Clark......

OC

[Night Owl]

There is a birth for Olive M Selwyn Q/E Dec 1918 Amesbury. Mother's maiden name Thomas.
That ties in with Frederick C Selwyn's marriage in Q/E Sep 1917 (Salisbury) to Hettie M Thomas
(That's spooky - I live about 120 miles away from there but I visited family today in Salisbury and stopped of in Amesbury on the way to buy something)

[Olde Crone Holden]

Further to Jackie's post, there is also a Muriel Selwyn, same page...twins?

Think there are two Olives therefore - one Olive Clark, born 1914, one Olive Selwyn born (possibly a twin)1918 to brother Fred and Hettie

OC

[Night Owl]

I hadn't spotted that OC but I've just found the corresponding christening on Ancestry of Muriel Claire Selwyn. All the other details are the same as Olive's

[Olde Crone Holden]

Right, so there you have it, a bit of spiteful fun, lol.

I call these parallel families. They are sent to confuse the **** out of you.

EDIT - If you order the BC of Olive Clark and say mother must be Beatrice, you will only be charged £3 if it isn't the correct cert, but I bet it is, even though the birth was in Croydon. With respect, you don't know WHERE she was born until you get the cert!

OC

[Rachandgarry]

Its brilliant when others look at something, this sounds much more promising! Thank you so much...

OCH - Croydon is a totally possible location so will definitely order the certificate - and thats a good idea to put Beatrice's name on it, thank you!

Just going to re-search on Ancestry to find what you guys have found so I can place the order..

Thanks again, really appreciate the help on this one.

Rachel x