A rambling post but it is about an honorary aunt

My mother had letters that she wrote to my father through the war and he had saved them She asked me not to read them after she died and also not to read her diary. I have kept this promise. I shall burn them.
In the 1950's an 'aunt' used to holiday in Cornwall and with her came, I presume her nephew and niece.
The lady was sent to Cornwall from Wales during the war and struck up a friendship with my aunt and they kept in contact for years.
What is interesting is a Welsh address on one of the envelopes of my mother has a Welsh address and I know that my mother stayed with the person in the very late 1940s.
There is a also a photograph of the 3 from Wales and my parents,my sibling and me taken at Lands End in the late 1950s.
Thinking about the photograph I asked my mother could she remember the surname of the 'aunt' but she couldn't. I was interested to see whether the nephew and niece were still alive.
As you can imagine I was surprised to find this envelope and sorry that my mother didn't live long enough to 'fill' me in.
Being nosey, I put the address from the envelope in the 1939 register and the aunt that we called Betty appears as Elizabeth ,so I believe that I got the correct person.
Trying to find her nephew and niece is difficult .

 

Have I missed the point (as if)? From the 1939 Register you have an address (as per envelope), a name (Betty/Elizabeth), a surname (as per 1939 Reg), a marital status and a date of birth. All other things being equal, Date of birth should show her father's name. If she was married at the time, do you have her husband's name. If Yes, then can you not find the marriage and hence her maiden name? If she was single, then you have her name at birth. Married name and maiden name will show up through a search of births. If she was single, then a marriage search based on her father.
Sorry if I'm "teaching granny to suck eggs", but can you say where the difficulty is, as most people are nosey too and willing to help.

 

Betty wasn't married.
Using her surname in the hope that she had a sister, I used that surname in the maiden name section on BMD hope that the names of Betty's nephew and niece would appear. They didn't. I don't know if Betty had siblings.
I looked up this information was just after my mother died so everything was up in the air at that time.
I shall look at the 1939 register again to see of Betty was living with her father and then try to find his marriage. Maybe that will lead to any siblings Betty may have had.
I can't put the names of Betty's nephew and niece online in case they are still living.

 

I appreciate the last sentence, but can you name Betty?

 

Betty appears to be living with her mother at the address on the envelope so her father may have died.
I have put Betty's name in BMD and she appears to have had 3 siblings all born in the Pontypridd district.
Looked for a marriage of Betty's parents I think that they are William Alfred Hayman and Margaret Powell.

 

Have you found that couple in 1911? They were at 16 Old Park Terrace, Treforest. The GRO site suggests they'd had two children by then, but according to the 1911 census it was only one and that child had died. The other children were all born later. Have you checked to see whether the younger children all survived?

 

I haven't looked for the couple before 1939.
1939 the address was 10 Cliff Terrace,Wood Road,Pontypridd.

 

It looks like the same family to me.

 

Are you certain Betty didn't marry? There is one in 1936, Elizabeth Hayman and Bertram Read, Pontypridd, and 3 possible children 2 in Cardiff, 1937 and 1939 and one in Pontypridd 1943.

 

Sorry Sue, but FreeBMD has the bride as Margaret. The children seem to be two boys and a girl. The 1939 Register shows Bertram, Margaret and two others in Cardiff. If right, that would give Elizabeth/Betty a niece and a nephew, so at least something worth looking into.

 

Oops, yes. Margaret. I do remember looking up Margaret and writing down Elizabeth.....thank you.

 

It could be that Elizabeth Winifred Hayman born 21/2/1916 passed away January 2001 at Pontypridd.

 

My turn to be nosey now.
I have now looked at Find a will and her grant and will is there.

 

I looked for the birth of Aunty Betty's nephew and niece though her sister and it is possible that I have found them but unfortunately if correct the nephew died in 1994.
He appears in the 1939 register with an older brother that I have no knowledge of. The niece was born in the early 1940s.
There is a will of the nephew on will gov.

 

I found the birth year of the daughter and her marriage. I then looked at the electoral rolls for an address and found them still in Wales.
It seems most likely that I have the correct person.
Would it seem to be stalker like to contact this person by letter and enclose a copy of the photograph taken all those years ago in the hope that it is her or do I leave it? I have also found a photograph of the 'girl' with my sibling ,cousins and myself taken at the beach in Cornwall in the very early 1950s.

 

I have done this myself with great success.( Three times!)
I think you will regret it if you don't go for it.

I would advise you to start your letter along these lines-

I hope you don't mind me contacting you out of the blue. If this letter worries you or you're simply not interested then please put it in the bin.

Then carry on with your story.

(and don't forget to tell us what happens.....or doesn't if they bin it!)

 

I had the same idea as you. Shall have to search for both photographs now and make copies to send.

 

Best of luck- I do hope you get a good response

 

@Genie1.. If you are on Facebook you can also try to find her there. I was successful with one of my searches that way.

 

I am not on Facebook or Twitter.
Have forgotten the married name of her now so will have to search again.