hello, My Great Grandmother, we believe, was a foundling in Chatham in Kent. She is listed in an in
Answers
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We have one "English Genealogy Community". I urge you to join that community and ask the very experienced folks your question. You will receive the help you need from them. Good Luck, Pam Whicker
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@HelenGreen37 HelenGreen37
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Helen
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As an aside ...
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I am "Tagging" this (General) 'Question' of yours in this "Community.FamilySearch" Forum, to some 'Groups' in the Forum being:
(1) "England Genealogy Research"; and,
(2) "British Isles Family History Research"; and,
(3) "Adoption and Unknown Family Research",
in the hope that, the members of those groups may be able to answer/assist you.
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Those Groups are "Public", which you can join, if you wish.
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Brett
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@England Genealogy Research
@British Isles Family History Research
@Adoption and Unknown Family Research
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Is this in the UK or Canada ?
There were many children brought over from England & ended up in Chatham Kent Ontario which is near London Ont
My grandfather was part of the Home Children scheme & ended up in Chatham Ontario
You could check the data base if she was sent to Canada
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DNA testing, especially of her closest living descendants, could help you identify her birth parents.
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Thank you Lynda,
This is the UK. I didn't realise there was a Chatham, Ken in Ontario..
Best wishes
Helen
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Thank you, I have taken a DNA test, which has given me hundreds of matches but as far as I can see no close matches to Mary Bolston. She was very much alone in the world. I will keep looking.
Best wishes
Helen
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Ok great
I just wanted to check
Many children were sent to Canada back then
My GGrandmother had 4 children & the husband just died so she could not afford to feed them all the older boy was working & the girl was only 1 so she sent to 2 middle boys to Canada they were 10 & 14 at the time
Maybe that is how your ancestor ended up in a home
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You don't say what company you tested through. MyHeritage seems to provide me with more European matches than does Ancestry, since it is based in Israel. You might want to add your DNA results to several sites to see if you get more matches.
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Try using the Leeds Method to group your DNA matches.
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From Wikipedia: "The Industrial Schools Act was intended in 1857 to solve problems of juvenile vagrancy in England by removing poor and neglected children from their home environment to a boarding school. The Act allowed magistrates to send disorderly children to a residential industrial school. An 1876 Act led to nonresidential day schools of a similar kind."
Here's more information: http://www.childrenshomes.org.uk/IS/
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Hi Cathy
Thank you so much for this, it does make sense. My Mother said that a magistrate could have sent her to the school which was St Margaret's Industrial School, Hendon, Middlesex. The 1881 census shows her being there aged 9 so DOB 1872/3. I will try the other websites you have suggested.
Thank you again
Helen
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Hello, thank you for the tip. I did spend a while going through the data. I have more very distant relatives than 4th cousins or closer. I have ancestors from all four of my grandparents but nothing from Mary Bolston. I am wondering now if that is her name? Although she is named in the industrial school.
Thank you again for your help.
With kind regards
Helen
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Foundlings need a safe home and there is always concern for the mother as she could need medical help, grandmar survived and I hope she had a good life
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I think she had a lonely life, She met my Great Grandfather in around 1898, married in 1903 had my lovely Nan in 1906, was in hospital, blind in 1910 and was there until her death in 1922 my Great Grandfather died in 1916, during the war, he is named on the memorial in Portsmouth. My nan was looked after by foster families and relatives. So both women were very alone. I am sure they both had happy moments where they were loved. I like to think they did have some happiness in their lives.
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