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Hello, both my dad and my husband's dad were adopted. I know my dads mother was Mary Ann Pickering and she came from Durham, though my dad was born in hackney. He was adopted by the fugazza family, who used the surname Manning.

My husband's dad's family name was Baber, he was born in Ireland and adopted by a family called Fear in Bristol.

Has anyone any suggestions of how I could research this?

Do you know when your dad's mother was born? Was she old enough to be on the 1911 census or would she have been born after that? Would she be on the 1939 register?

Kath. x

Your dad's birth name and year of birth might be helpful too.

I don't know dad's mum's birth date. Dad was 7 May 1934, his name Clive Pickering, his mum's majesty Ann pickering. His birth certificate can be found. There is even an address in Chester le street of 4 Don Crescent, but I can't get any further.

Probably not connected, but here's who was at 4 Don Crescent in 1939: It's mistranscribed on FMP as Oak Crescent- but definitely Don Crescent. (running off Esk Avenue)

4 Don Crescent , Chester-le-Street R.D., Durham, England

Adelaide M Miller 10 Nov 1899 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married
George Miller 22 Jun 1899 Male General Labourer (Brickworks) Married
Thomas R Miller 27 Sep 1921 Male General Labourer (Brickworks) Single

Oh- wait- I think they are connected- their marriage:

First name(s) GEORGE
Last name MILLER
Marriage quarter 2
Marriage year 1920
Spouse: ADELAIDE M PICKERING <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
District HOUGHTON LE SPRING
County Durham
Volume 10A Page 1460

Baptism for Adelaide:

Name: Adelaide May Pickering
Gender: Female
Birth Date: 10 Nov 1899
Baptism Date: 5 Dec 1899
Baptism Place: Houghton-le-Spring, Durham, England
Father: Thomas Pickering
Mother: Susannah
FHL Film Number: 1885559
Reference ID: item 5 p 76

I think Adelaide is listed as May. Note sister Mary Ann-

1911 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Bore Hole Penshaw, Painshaw, Durham, England

Thomas Pickering Head Married Male Farm Labourer Agricultural 62 1849 County Durham
Thomas Pickering Son - Male None 16 1895 Thurton Durham
Susannah Pickering Wife Married Female - 37 1874 Hetton Le Hole Durham
Florence Pickering Daughter - Female School 13 1898 E Rainton Durham
May Pickering Daughter - Female School 11 1900 Houghton Durham
Mary Ann Pickering Daughter - Female School 8 1903 Coxgreen Durham<<<<<<<<<
Isabella Pickering Daughter - Female - 5 1906 Penshaw Durham
Jane Pickering Daughter - Female - 3 1908 Penshaw Durham
William Hardy Boarder Widower Male Agricultural Labourer 65 1846 Chester Le Street Durham

Same family 1901:

1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
8, Robinson Street, Houghton Le Spring, Durham, England

Thomas Pickering Head Married Male 53 1848 Horsekeeper At A Colliery Durham,
Susannah Pickering Wife Married Female 28 1873 - Durham, England
Thomas Pickering Son Single Male 6 1895 - Murton, Durham, England
Florence Pickering Daughter Single Female 3 1898 - Rainton, Durham,
May Pickering Daughter Single Female 1 1900 - Durham, England
Mary Thompson Mother-In-Law Widow Female 80 1821 - Thorpe, Yorkshire, England
------------------------------------------

Marriage of Thomas and Susannah:

First name(s) Thomas
Last name Pickering
Sex Male
Marriage year 1892
Marriage date 03 Dec 1892
Place Dalton-Le-Dale
Spouse first name(s) Susannah
Spouse last name Thompson
Groom's first name(s) Thomas
Groom's last name Pickering
Groom's parish Murton Colliery
Bride's first name(s) Susannah
Bride's last name Thompson
Bride's parish Murton Colliery
County Durham
Country England

Possible birth for Mary (there is another in Chester-le-Street 1902, but I think Cox Green, registers under Houghton le Spring:

Name: Mary Ann Pickering
Registration Year: 1902
Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep
Registration district: Houghton le Spring
Parishes for this Registration District: View Ecclesiastical Parishes associated with this Registration District
Inferred County: Durham
Volume: 10a
Page: 530

Just trying to find what happened to the children

Thomas b1895

Florence b1897, m George H Hayton 1914, d 1980 Durham

Adelaide May b1900, m George Miller 1920, d 1978 Sunderland

Mary Ann 1903

Isabella b1905, m Edwin Adamson 1932, d 1996 Durham

Jane b1908, m Thomas Dawson 1931, d 1988 Durham
----------------------------------------------

I'm having difficulty following Mary Ann forward in time. If she was single at the time of your Dad's birth, any marriage for her would be after 1934.

There's a marriage in 1947 Durham for a Mary Ann Pickering and William R Black- amazingly this Mary was also born in 1902- but it's not your Mary as this one was the daughter of Robert and Annie Pickering.

It might be easiest to order her birth certificate and then with the exact DOB you may be able to trace her on the 1939 register, or find her death.

If that IS Susannah's mother on the 1901 census.......I am dubious of her age of 80.

I have to say I wasn't looking too hard at the past- was trying to come forward but-

I think this is likely Susannah before marriage:

1881 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
4, Pemberton Street, Hetton-Le-Hole, Houghton-Le-Spring, Durham, England

Mary Ann Thompson Head Single Female 34 1847 Ag Lab Easington Lane, Durham,
Isabella Thompson Daughter Single Female 10 1871 Scholar Durham,
Susan Thompson Daughter Single Female 8 1873 Scholar Hetton-Le-Hole Durham,

Me too Austin.

I think the Mary Thompson on the 1901 was her Granny:

1851 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Colliery Row, Houghton Le Spring, Durham, England

Joseph Thompson Head Married Male 38 1813 Farm Labourer Durham, England
Mary Thompson Wife Married Female 34 1817 Thorp, Durham >>>(Susannah's Granny)
Mary Ann Thompson Daughter - Female 3 1848 Seaham, Durham >>>> (Susannah's Mum)
Margaret Thompson Daughter - Female 0 1851 - Colliery Row, Durham,

Wow...Thank you. These are the right people, my dad is always saying he used to go and stay in Durham with his mother and they used to see a family called Miller...I have searched and searched, thank you thank you, this means a lot, dad has Alzheimer's and often says about being alone because he was adopted. He thinks I am a sister who found him and asks about his real mum...Thank you so much....I don't know what to say...Thank you... :-D

Bless your Dad's cotton socks Lynn.

Alzheimer's is such a cruel disease.

<3

Thomas Raymond Miller in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
Name: Thomas Raymond Miller
Birth Date: 27 Sep 1921 <<<<<<
Date of Registration: Dec 2000
Age at Death: 79
Registration district: Sunderland
Inferred County: Durham
Register Number: B62E
District and Subdistrict: 0581B
Entry Number: 211

Possible marriage for Thomas........


???

Thomas R Miller in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005
Name: Thomas R Miller
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1943
Registration district: Durham Northern
Inferred County: Durham
Spouse: Betsy Hankin
Volume Number: 10a
Page Number: 1211

( A daughter born to this marriage in 1949)

Betsy Hankin in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2005
Name: Betsy Hankin
Mother's Maiden Surname: Park
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1924
Registration district: South Shields
Inferred County: Durham
Volume Number: 10a
Page Number: 1806

Betsy Miller in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
Name: Betsy Miller
Birth Date: 5 Apr 1924
Date of Registration: May 1998
Age at Death: 74
Registration district: Sunderland
Inferred County: Durham
Register Number: B56E
District and Subdistrict: 0581B
Entry Number: 265

Following on from "Granny" on the 1851 census.......

1861 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Seaton Village, Seaton and Slingley, Easington, Durham, England

Joseph Thompson Head Married Male 49 1812 Screenman At Pit Durham, England
Mary Thompson Wife Married Female 45 1816 - Durham, England
Mary A Thompson Daughter - Female 12 1849 Scholar Durham, England
Margaret Thompson Daughter - Female 10 1851 Scholar Colliery Row, Durham,
Jane Thompson Daughter - Female 8 1853 Scholar Durham, England
Isabella Thompson Daughter - Female 6 1855 Scholar Durham, England


1871 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Downs, Low, Hetton-Le-Hole, Houghton Le Spring, Durham, England

Joseph Thompson Head - Male 56 1815 - Durham, England
Mary Thompson Wife - Female 50 1821 - Yorkshire, England
Isabella Thompson Daughter - Female 18 1853 - Durham, England
Mary J Thompson Granddaughter - Female 1 1870 - Durham, England

Isabella married Joseph Bates in 1871.........


Marriages Jun 1871 (>99%)
Bates Joseph Houghton 10a 650
THOMPSON Isabel Houghton 10a 650


1881 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
25, John Street, Hetton-Le-Hole, Houghton-Le-Spring, Durham, England

Joseph Bates Head Married Male 32 1849 Coal Miner Castle Eden, Durham,
Isabel Bates Wife Married Female 26 1855 - Durham, England
Thomas Bates Son Single Male 7 1874 Scholar Durham, England
John Bates Son Single Male 3 1878 - Close House, Durham, England
Joseph Bates Son Single Male 1 1880 - Durham, England


1891 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Shaws Row, Hetton Le Hole, Houghton Le Spring, Durham, England

Joseph Bates Head Married Male 44 1847 Coal Miner Easington, Durham, England
Isabella Bates Wife Married Female 36 1855 - Seaham
Thomas Bates Son Single Male 17 1874 Coal Miner Hetton, Durham, England
John Bates Son Single Male 13 1878 Working Bishop Auckland, Durham, England
Joseph Bates Son - Male 10 1881 Scholar Hetton, Durham, England
James Bates Son - Male 6 1885 Scholar Hetton, Durham, England
Robert Bates Son - Male 3 1888 - Hetton, Durham, England
Mary Thompson Mother In Law Widow Female 71 1820 - - <<<<<<<<<


I have to pop out so will continue later......Prickles.;o))