Hi Di
Thanks for the thoughts! My problem is more like a missing bridge than
a wall. :-)
But I guess I didn't make it clear. So apologies for the following long
post!
My mother was actually adopted, but it wasn't until long after everyone
directly involved was dead that I realized that my birth grandmother had
been 'Auntie Lil'. I remember her well, and have some details (like
where she lived) from personal knowledge. My grandmother was Lilian
(always known as Lil) JENKINS (married name CLARE).
My mother's adoption papers confirmed the connection giving her mother's
age at the time and her place of birth.
I have Lilian Jenkins' death certificate and the informant was a woman I
now believe to be her cousin (another Jenkins, Deniliquin connection),
so I have my grandmother's mother's name, place of birth and age at death.
I have her marriage certificate. I'm sure it's her from personal
knowledge, although she seems to have reduced her age a bit (well, it
was wartime!) and given her grandparents' names as her parents. My
working theory is that she was in fact raised by her grandparents in
Deniliquin as her mother normally lived in Bendigo (there are newspaper
reports of a young Lil Jenkins in Deniliquin at the start of the 20th
century). Her mother married in Bendigo at a later date and ended her
days in Broken Hill (her husband was a miner). I have her mother's
death certificate and there's no mention of her first daughter from her
unmarried days, but that's not surprising.
This gives a neat set of facts that are consistent with the JENKINS
family of Deniliquin in that period. Just on spec, I've now extensively
researched that family right back to the first arrival in Australia
(with Launceston, Bendigo, Deniliquin and Melbourne connections (thanks
goodness for Trove!).
Now:
There is no apparent record of my grandmother's birth that fits.
But:
There is Lydia GA JENKINS: right age, right place, right mother (I have
her birth certificate as well).
So:
My tentative assumption that Lydia is in fact my grandmother, who always
actually went as Lil or Lilian. The name Lydia could be from her
mother's older sister.
To try and disprove this, I've looked for further details for Lydia
JENKINS. If I could find her mentioned and it was inconsistent with
what I know of my grandmother, then they couldn't be the same person.
I've never been able to find an appropriate Lydia Jenkins, so I thought
I would see if anyone else could (although hoping that no-one else will!).
Hope that's clearer! Having written all that, the evidence and
connection seems pretty obvious, but we all know the dangers of the one
wrong link in the chain.
I plan to get in touch with the Deniliquin people - I'd thought that
they might have church or school records for example.
Thanks again.
Best
Lloyd
Post by s***@gmail.comPost by Lloyd MitchellAll
I just thought I'd give the archive aces here a challenge.
Can any one find any trace in any Australian state of Lydia Georgina
Aldridge JENKINS after her birth in Deniliquin NSW in 1897 (mother Agnes
JENKINS; father unknown)?
I can't, and I'm hoping that no-one else can! The reason is that I'm
using this lack of any other appearance as negative evidence that this
person is my grandmother. My grandmother was Lillian (Lil) JENKINS and
there is no listing of her birth in the state indexes. There is a young
Lil Jenkins in a Deniliquin newspaper report in the early 20th century
of the right age, and every other detail for my grandmother matches
those of Lydia GA Jenkins (apart from the full name obviously). I know
that Jenkins is a very common name, and Lillian was popular in that
period, but all the facts fit very neatly. I've persuaded myself that
she may have preferred Lillian to Lydia and went by that name afterwards
(she was always known as Lil in any case). I'm also wondering if the
middle names, which don't relate to anyone else I've come across, might
give a hint as to the father's name, and I'm working on that. Lydia
might come from her mother's older sister.
Anyway - what do you think?
Best
Lloyd
Lloyd,
Have I got this correct and how certain are you that that was her name?
Grandmother - Lydia Georgina Aldridge JENKINS born Deniliquin December 1897.
Have you purchased her birth certificate?
Lil could be short for a variety of first names e.g. Lila, Lillian, Lilian, Lily, Lilah and could have used a second name or someone else's name because her mother liked it.
Have you purchased her mother's birth certificate - she might have had Lil as a second name?
Did she have any siblings?
Did she marry?
You don't state your mother's surname name and I am guessing she married as a Jenkins and became a Mitchell.
I'm clutching at straws here. My great grandmother's registered birth name was Eleanor Anne but she was ALWAYS known as Mary Ellen or Mary Eleanor and her death certificate states Mary Eleanor which is not correct but it can't changed.
Have you looked at the Australian electoral roles, she may be listed on there?
Have you contacted a Deniliquin family history or historical society? They should be able to help you, hopefully.
Good luck, I hope you know down this brick wall.
Cheers,
Di
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