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Stuck on Roland family
Hi everyone on this wet and windy morning here in the UK. This is a complicated one, so sit tight! 😁
I've recently discovered that the parents to my G-G-Grandmother were possibly not who I thought. My G-G-Grandmother was Lilian (often called Lily) Rowland, born either 2nd or 4th August 1887 in Hoxton, Shoreditch, Middlesex/London.
For a long time I thought her father was Henry Rowland but was always stumped on her Mother's name. However, in the past couple of weeks I've found that in fact, her mother's maiden name was Roland, her full name Mary Ann Elizabeth Rowland, born about 1860, also in Hoxton, Shoreditch. I have since found many records of them both, including workhouse records and school admittance records. School records show Lilian's father as Henry, as does Lilian's later marriage to Alfred John Smith. It says "Henry Rowland" but I don't see how that could be the correct last name, as it's her mother's side that was Rowland.
So confuse things more, Lilian was admitted to a home at 14 months old as her mother was destitute, and Lilian was said to be illegitimate (I was almost in tears reading that and the workhouse records!). It says the mother (Mary Ann Elizabeth) was single at the time. So where is Henry? It also states Mary was pregnant when she herself was admitted and gives a date of 1885, although Lilian wasn't born until 1887. I have found a Christening record for both Lilian and a mystery Bertie who I have found nothing about yet (not looked too thoroughly at versions of the Bertie name yet). On the Christening records, both Lilian and Bertie only have the mother's name, not the father.
Are you confused yet? There is more! The same mother, Mary Ann Elizabeth Rowland, married a Charles Perrott Collins in 1885. So 2 years before Lilian was born and also when she seemed to be admitted to this home. None of this makes sense. That married couple went on to have 4 children born between 1886 and 1895. So how does Lilian fit into this? Did Mary cheat on Charles? Lilian doesn't appear on census records for 1891 or 1901, but does in 1911 a year before marrying, living with her mother, Mary Ann Elizabeth. In previous census records, MAE lives with her other family from her marriage to Charles, but in 1911 one of those children was living with just the father, Charles. HOWEVER, that census shows that Charles was a widow - Yet his wife, MAE, was alive and living with Lilian! 😰 There is a strange note on that 1911 census record for Lilian and MAE though, which is something I haven't understood. I may need help to work out the handwriting as it may explain things.
Experience in researching family history tells me I'm confusing 2 different people, but I am sure all my records are correct. I never make assumptions without first double checking with other records that I do have the correct people. I'm aware there is another Mary Ann Elizabeth Collins and I've ruled her out. So my questions are, who is Henry? What was his last name? Was he really Lilian's father? Where was he in every census?
I'd appreciate any clues please! I'm unsure what anyone could do to help as I have an Ancestry subscription, but maybe it will ring a bell in someone's head or someone might spot a silly mistake I've made. I have a lot more information about all these people but I won't write any more of a bore-fest here than I already have, unless asked. 😁
I've recently discovered that the parents to my G-G-Grandmother were possibly not who I thought. My G-G-Grandmother was Lilian (often called Lily) Rowland, born either 2nd or 4th August 1887 in Hoxton, Shoreditch, Middlesex/London.
For a long time I thought her father was Henry Rowland but was always stumped on her Mother's name. However, in the past couple of weeks I've found that in fact, her mother's maiden name was Roland, her full name Mary Ann Elizabeth Rowland, born about 1860, also in Hoxton, Shoreditch. I have since found many records of them both, including workhouse records and school admittance records. School records show Lilian's father as Henry, as does Lilian's later marriage to Alfred John Smith. It says "Henry Rowland" but I don't see how that could be the correct last name, as it's her mother's side that was Rowland.
So confuse things more, Lilian was admitted to a home at 14 months old as her mother was destitute, and Lilian was said to be illegitimate (I was almost in tears reading that and the workhouse records!). It says the mother (Mary Ann Elizabeth) was single at the time. So where is Henry? It also states Mary was pregnant when she herself was admitted and gives a date of 1885, although Lilian wasn't born until 1887. I have found a Christening record for both Lilian and a mystery Bertie who I have found nothing about yet (not looked too thoroughly at versions of the Bertie name yet). On the Christening records, both Lilian and Bertie only have the mother's name, not the father.
Are you confused yet? There is more! The same mother, Mary Ann Elizabeth Rowland, married a Charles Perrott Collins in 1885. So 2 years before Lilian was born and also when she seemed to be admitted to this home. None of this makes sense. That married couple went on to have 4 children born between 1886 and 1895. So how does Lilian fit into this? Did Mary cheat on Charles? Lilian doesn't appear on census records for 1891 or 1901, but does in 1911 a year before marrying, living with her mother, Mary Ann Elizabeth. In previous census records, MAE lives with her other family from her marriage to Charles, but in 1911 one of those children was living with just the father, Charles. HOWEVER, that census shows that Charles was a widow - Yet his wife, MAE, was alive and living with Lilian! 😰 There is a strange note on that 1911 census record for Lilian and MAE though, which is something I haven't understood. I may need help to work out the handwriting as it may explain things.
Experience in researching family history tells me I'm confusing 2 different people, but I am sure all my records are correct. I never make assumptions without first double checking with other records that I do have the correct people. I'm aware there is another Mary Ann Elizabeth Collins and I've ruled her out. So my questions are, who is Henry? What was his last name? Was he really Lilian's father? Where was he in every census?
I'd appreciate any clues please! I'm unsure what anyone could do to help as I have an Ancestry subscription, but maybe it will ring a bell in someone's head or someone might spot a silly mistake I've made. I have a lot more information about all these people but I won't write any more of a bore-fest here than I already have, unless asked. 😁
I shall order that certificate once I've posted this.
(I just got sick of my own lot and needed a 20 minute break!)
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