Genealogy Chat

Hi,

I need some advice on the best way forward in my latest brick wall.
I have an ancestor born John Cotton Davies in 1915 Staffordshire with no fathers name. his mothers name on his birth certificate is Elsie Davies and it gives her full address & occupation (domestic servant). She gave him up as a baby in an informal adoption. A different family were living at the address in 1911.

How do I trace Elsie Davies birth/ family with such scant information? the only other bit of info I have is from John Cotton Davies marriage certificate, in which he uses the surname Davis not Davies and gives his fathers name as John Davis. I hold no hope of finding his father, the name on tha marriage certificate may have been fabricated, but I would like to try and find out more about his mother Elsie.

Is there a way of finding out who was living with Elsie in 1915? Am at a loss as to where to go from here.

- Clare

Who was he living with .was it still family

Sorry, not clear on what you are asking?

In 1915 John Cotton Davies was born in Chorley, Staffordshire. I have his birth certificate which gives his mothers name, no father and full address of where he was born in Chorley.

I searched for the address In the 1911 census (prior to his birth) but another family was living there.

John Cotton Davi(e)s was married in 1936 in Lichfield, Staffordshire, and would have been living with his adoptive family prior to his marriage. The adoptive family lived only a few miles from his place of birth in a place called Brownhills, Staffordshire. Their surname was Pike, not related to Elsie Davies in any way as far as I'm aware.

I think with a name as common as Elsie Davies you are going to find it very difficult to find anything about her. If she was a domestic servant her family could be living anywhere.

I would think it is a fair bet that John Cotton Davies father's surname was Cotton (unless there is a connection to this surname in Elsie's own family).

Do you know anything about the Pike family? Maybe if you followed that family one of them might know of Elsie and her background.

Only other thing I can think of is to check electoral registers but in 1915 not that many people had the vote so you might not find anything. You would need to check with the library closest to the address you have.

Not much help I know. Sorry.

Kath. x

???

Name: Elsie Davis
Age in 1911: 19
Estimated birth year: abt 1892
Relation to Head: Daughter
Gender: Female
Birth Place: Chorley Green, Staffordshire
Civil Parish: Farewell, Chorley Curborough and Elmhurst
Search Photos: Search for 'Farewell, Chorley Curborough and Elmhurst' in the UK City, Town and Village Photos collection
County/Island: Staffordshire
Country: England
Street address: Low Road, Chorley, Nr Lichfield
Marital Status: Single
Occupation: At Home
Registration district: Lichfield
Registration District Number: 367
Sub-registration district: Lichfield
ED, institution, or vessel: 14
Household schedule number: 57
Piece: 16872
Household Members:
Name Age
William Davis 59
William Davis 21
Elsie Davis 19

Andy

Thanks for the info. I have looked at a couple of different Davis/Davies families in the area from the 1911 census and the above seems to be the most logical fit. But proving this is the correct family is the sticking point.

I have spoken to the Pike family and it seems Elsie was not known to them, the story goes that she handed her son over the counter of a Bakery in Chasetown at 2 days old. I will talk to the family again to clarify how this 'transaction' took place as the Pikes ran. Pub called the queen hotel at the time, so how the bakery was involved I don't know!

Found a Elsie 1891 born to James Davis/Davies and Sarah Ellen Lewis cant find a marriage and she sometimes is Sarah E or Sarah Ellen on census returns she was born @ 1850 Bilston Staffs,James born @ 1848 Bishops Castle Shropshire.

This Elsie had brother lewis Davis born 1887.Her parents on 1911 census had 11 children 2 died.

1911 they are in Brownhills Staffs,but in
1891 Chester Road Ogley Hay Staffs No 40 of 70 on census record
and at Chester Road 46 of 70 is Charles Arthur Pike who according to a tree on ancestry .co.uk was the man who adopted the said John C Davis.

Charles Arthur Pike born @ 1873 in Stourbridge.

Maryb.

Charles Pike in 1911

Hotel Manager

Name: Charles Arthur Pike
Age in 1911: 37
Estimated birth year: abt 1874
Relation to Head: Head
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Stourbridge, Worcestershire
Civil Parish: Burntwood, Ethal and Woodhouses
Search Photos: Search for 'Burntwood, Ethal and Woodhouses' in the UK City, Town and Village Photos collection
County/Island: Staffordshire
Country: England
Street address: Queen St, Chasetown, Walsall
Marital Status: Married
Occupation: Hotel Manager
Registration district: Lichfield
Registration District Number: 367
Sub-registration district: Lichfield
ED, institution, or vessel: 11
Household schedule number: 75
Piece: 16869
Household Members:
Name Age
Charles Arthur Pike 37
Alice Pike 30
Kathleen Emily Pike 4
Emma Jane Foster 17
Dora Bridgwater 13


Andy

Thanks for looking into this. Andy, yes that my Pike family on the 1911 Census.
Charles & Alice informally adopted John Cotton Davi(e)s and he then became known as Harry Pike thereafter. His name was not formally changed and both names appear on his marriage certificate!

Mary that is a brilliant find. It now seems plausible that the Pikes knew the Davi(e)s given they lived on the same road in 1891. Would be nice to somehow cement that fact.

Would love to know where the name Cotton came into it. I am assuming this was John C Davi(e)s fathers name.

I researched the house where Elsie was living in 1915 which is called Providence Cottage in Farewell Chorley, Lichfield. I found an advert in an old newspaper saying the house was up for sale by a Mr Sammons prior to Elsie moving in (the Sammons family are living there in an earlier Census. I don't know how to find out who bought it. Prior to this find I thought it may have been part of the 'Beau Dessert' estate of the Marquis of Anglsey & perhaps Elsie was working as a domestic servant there. Looked for her in subsequent census records but she is not working there on Census night at least & neither is anyone named Cotton. Another dead end.

I have thought about finding more out about the bakery, see who owned it or was running it. Waiting for some more info to come back from the relatives. I am doing this from the other side of the world (NZ) so have to wait with the time difference.

That is my tree on Ancestrry that you found Mary. Thanks for the help, though I fear I may never be able to confirm who Elsie's family were for sure.

- Clare