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Finding my Aunt

By Ancestry |
General Genealogy

Through submitting my DNA to Ancestry, I am now matched to a Lloyd family in Southport. I initially was looking for my biological father, who appears to be a member of the Lloyd family. George and Florence Lloyd had at least 11 children, I have managed to trace 10 of them, one girl (my aunt) I just cannot find. I am hoping one of your members may be able to shed some light on her. She is Bertha Lloyd born at home at 12 Broome Road, Birkdale, Southport on 1st April 1926. I have her birth certificate, but nothing else. I just cannot find any further information out about her.
One small thing that is different with her certificate, is that her father registered her birth, when all the other babies born the mother registered them, this made me wonder if the mother on this occasion was not well enough to go and register the birth, if that was the case then maybe she had a difficult birth and something happened with the baby.
I started to wonder if Bertha was a still birth, but if that was the case, I wouldn't have got a birth certificate, as they only started recording still births a year after Bertha was born.
I have other birth certificates for infants who died at a few months old, so I don't feel that is the problem here.
I have also researched the deaths and burials of all these children, and they are all buried in various graves in Duke Street Cemetery, but again no mention of a Bertha.
My last resort was wondering if she went overseas, but again I can't find any information to help with this. The rest of the family stayed around Southport apart from the eldest girl who moved to live in Essex.
I would love to know if any of your members know this family, or can help in any way as to where I can look as I am stuck.
Thank you so much.
Irene

I'm assuming you have identified the family living at 14 Broom Road in the 1939 Register.  George, Florence, Margaret and Maria are the oldest members of the family listed, younger siblings are a Jean and a Grace.

In between Maria and Jean there is a gap of eight years, and one child redacted, presumably not yet identified as having deceased so we are unable to see it.  Have you identified three children to fill in that gap? and have you confirmed why they may not be shown, ie deaths of two of them? so as to attempt to identify who is the redacted entry?

Hi Mary
I have looked at all the census etc., not many of the children are listed, the two boys went to war so I suppose that's why they are not listed. Two of the other children died, one 19 months old and the other at 8 years old. I have death certificates for all of them except this Bertha, so I know all the others made it to adulthood and married. The parents of these children are my grandparents, so all children are my aunts and uncles and one is my biological father. Just don't understand why I can't find Bertha, all the others have been straightforward. There is a gap as the father Peter George went to fight in WW1. I have tried to upload a document for you, but it failed, saying the file is too large. Irene

Have you looked into this marriage?
Bertha Lloyd, John R Whitehead, 1971, Southport.

It doesn't appear any children were born to this couple which may suggest both of an older age.

Good Morning,
Yes I got the marriage certificate for those two names, but Bertha's father is listed as a Charles Lloyd, so not the right lady.
But strange on the certificate, it states Bertha Whitehead formerly known as Bertha Lloyd.
Her birth certificate has George Lloyd as her father, which is correct.
I have pondered about this, but with the wrong father on the certificate, I have now ignored it. wish you could upload pdf's. I could put up the certificate.
Thank you
Irene

Thank you.

Irene

There's a death of a John Royle Whitehead, 1987, Eastbourne, aged 90. Probate gives the address, 28 Forest Rd, Southport.
Worth looking into the address if you can. I know its a big age difference with your Bertha, but still a possible.

Good Morning
Thank you very much for that, I will look into it, I have the marriage certificate for a Bertha who married a John Royle Whitehead, but its the wrong father listed. But it is a link I can explore.
Thank you.
Irene

Irene,
Google, Convert PDF to JPEG free.

Do the ages match for Bertha on the marriage cert, are the fathers occupation similar or same?

Hello
Thanks, I didn't know you can convert files, I will attach the certificate if its not too large.
To be honest the writing on the certificate is poor, I can't make out the ages of them when they married, doesn't help me. I can't make out if they were in their 40's or 70's. Bertha's father on the certificate is Charles, well her father was George, their occupations are quite different.
Earlier today I ran off a copy from the 1939 Register, at an address in Southport of 54 Avondale Road, where it shows a John Royle Whitehead living, status married, but no wife listed, a Bertha Whitehead is listed but down as single and born in 1896 same year as John, so that's not her. Real strange one this. Irene

Hi Bertieone
Forgot to mention, the John Royle Whitehead on the marriage certificate is the same John on the 1939 Register, as he is listed as having the same occupation, working in customs and excise.

JRW's wife was Lottie Maud Whitehead, nee Cowen and was living in Liverpool and died in 1970, hence the 1971 marriage.

At least we can now dismiss Bertha Whitehead

I repeat my question above, second post down.  Without me working out all the children, a list of which you already appear to have, I would prefer you to state them and determine whether one of the redacted entries might be Bertha, or not.

I have been looking at the 1939 Register, most of the children are listed there, with the exception of Florence, Lilian and Bertha, who would all have been at school. I am now in the process of sending copies of death certificates to Find My Past, so they can include the two deceased people in the report. On the report it shows one line as closed. I am not sure what the reason is for these closed lines. I am just keeping my fingers crossed that it may refer to Bertha. I have also been advised to contact local Funeral Directors who were operating from 1926 to see if they have any burial record for Bertha. I still have a funny feeling that she died young, but could of course be totally wrong. All her siblings records have been straight forward to find, but nothing for Bertha, its like she disappeared from the face of the earth.

Have you looked at this death,
LLOYD, BEATRICE age 0
GRO Reference: 1926 J Quarter in ORMSKIRK Volume 08B Page 911
There isn't a birth registration for this child in the previous 12 months, perhaps a name mix up at either registration?

Oh, thank you so much, any lead would be fantastic, I will certainly look at that. You are quite right to suggest a different spelling of the name. When I was looking for another record, for a birth for Maria I looked of course for a mother named Ratcliffe, but I eventually found the record with the mother being recorded as Rockcliffe. I have had a response from Find My Past and they will not open this record, reason being "The reason for this is the person in question is not within this household" I find that strange as if the person was a visitor they are usually recorded. This has made me curious now as to who it was. Many thanks again. Irene ps in this case the father registered the birth so maybe he made a mistake.

The above information is from the GRO
Below same child recorded Free BMD
Deaths Jun 1926
Lloyd Beatrice age2 Ormskirk 8b 911
Nothing runs smooth.

Good Afternoon, I have got a certificate from the GRO and this Beatrice is the correct child. She died 2 hours after birth due to a premature birth and lacking vitality. Her aunt registered the death, so maybe that's why she got the wrong name. I am so grateful to you for all your help. I now have all the information for this family. But I have my maternal ancestors to work on now, I'm doing okay, but again have one child I can't find the birth record, I have the baptism and death records, if they are correct of course, so I shall try looking for this little baby under different names, see what I can come up with. Once again many thanks for your help.

I have received my latest copy of your Journal, really good articles in it. I have ordered a copy of Professor Frank Neil's book Black 47. Starting to do research now on my maternal side of my family, all my ancestors originate from Ireland, I have found it very hard to find Irish records for the 1800's, Some of my ancestors came over from Ireland to Liverpool during the 1800's maybe because of the famine. I am hoping that some of the information in this book may help. Thank you for referencing it in the Journal.