Who Was She?

Hi, OK, it's very complex but in a nutshell,..... My maternal grandmother was born in 1934 and never knew her birth mother/family. As of 1936 she was adopted by the following and as of 1939 was residing at;

15 Piercey Street, Wednesbury
Thomas Wilson Palmer b 1900 Storekeeper and electrical Engineer
Dora Mercy Palmer (formally Collett) b 1900
Wilson Palmer (sibling) b 1930
Freda (surname unconfirmed at this point but possibly Smith but Palmer from1936) b 1934

We imagine she was illegitimate and recent searches may suggest that she may be related to Dora/the Collett side but nothing concrete as yet!

In 1939 there was a public house by the name of 'The Three Tuns' (58-59 Union Street, Wednesbury) that was ran by the Palmers for a time.

It's vaguely possible that my grandmother may be the daughter of a Annie Palmer Collett who is the sister of a Dora Mercy Collett.... Who married Thomas Wilson Palmer..... Who between them adopted and raised my grandmother.

My grandmother as far as I know is Freda, born 14th February 1934 in Birmingham, Warwickshire, the name Vanes, Smith, Birch, Collett, Palmer have all been thrown out thus far and I remember the name, Louisa Brassington Smith being the name my grandmother mentioned as a possibility for her mother but searches don't offer a lot.

Let me know what you think lol

Yes, have tried FREEBDM and on ancestry

 

There is a birth registration listed for a Freda Smith mmn Smith, Mar qtr 1934 Bham. Having both name and mmn listed on freeBMD as Smith can mean the child was illegitimate.

There was a Louisa Brassington Smith. She was born 1908 in Wolstanton. She didn't marry until 1936, so that doesn't rule her out.

 

Louisa Birch was born on 2nd Jan 1894 in
1901 living in Bridge Street west, 1911 Preston road both very close to Soho road.
She married a James Frederick Vanes in 1913
their children were
Frederick 1913,Stanley 1914,Dennis 1916 and Rose 1918.
She and James must have divorced because she married Albert Brassington in September 1934 they lived in Victoria Road , the Soho Rd end.
When she married she used 2 names Louisa Birch or Vanes.
In 1934 she would have been 40 , if this is our lady whether or not Freda was Alberts perhaps she didn't want to be a mother again.
The only hole in my thought process is that there is not a Freda registered with any of the surnames so she might have called herself Smith.
I know it's a bit of a long shot but all of these people lived near the Soho road

Albert Brassington was first married to Alice SMITH in 1915 she died in qtr July,Aug. sept 1934 age 38. My money is still on Freda smith as the baby.

I would still try to get the birth certificate that I mentioned before but as well as 14th February I would use criteria that mother must be Alice.

James Vanes and Louisa must have divorced in 1929 because he couldn't marry until then
although he lived with his future wife in 1920 and they had a daughter.
Perhaps the same could be said about Albert and Alice,perhaps they were. not together because he lost no time in marrying Louisa in the same quarter that Alice died.
It may be Alice was too ill after the birth and Freda was always with the Palmers,it would be interesting to see who registered the birth of the Freda Smith.

The adoption was carried out in 1936 and at Darlaston Juvenile Courts but any records of that I cannot find.

Dora Mercy Collett who married Thomas W Palmer was the daughter of
Richard Henry Collett and his wife Eliza Annie PALMER, (will explore if any relationship between the Palmers.)
as well as Dora they had another daughter Annie Palmer Collett b 1905 she married in 1938, age 33, perhaps the baby was hers and adopted by her sister but it doesn't explain no birth certificate.