Genealogy Chat

Hi

I have been researching my Harmson family tree since 1990 on and off when time and funds have allowed. I have done well and got back quite far but recently I wanted to find out more about the people from my grandads generation. He was one of 10 surviving children and his eldest brother George was known as the black sheep of the family.
I sent of for the birth certificates of my grandads nieces who were brought up by their grandma when the mum died of Spanish flu in 1918. On the firsts daughters it states the fathers name as George Harmson, this is either the brother or the grandfathers name. On the mother name it says Blanche Harmson, formerly Harmson. I called the registry office to check and they read it all out and there is no mistake.
After around 1913, the time the first daughter was born George had very little to do with the family, he married in 1913 and had children with the wife then disappeared.
Has anyone else encountered anything like this? What could it mean?

Thanks

Carol

sorry but this doesn't make much sense

what is it you are looking for?

Are you questioning the fact that the mother's name is given as Blanche Harmson, formerly Harmson? Perhaps George married a cousin?

Your post doesn't make clear what it is that you are not sure about.

Kath. x

Sorry, I just wondered why her brother or her dads name was down on her childs birth certificate and if anyone had found this before?

No other George Harmsons alive at that time that could have married the mother.

Carol

Still quite confused I'm afraid.

Do you have your grandad's name and date of birth and have you found the family in the census records?

I'm not sure if Blanche is one of your grandad's siblings or not. Do you know when and where she was born?

Kath. x

this one??

Name: Blanch Harmsen
Age: 8
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1893
Relation to Head: Daughter
Gender: Female
Father: George Harmsen
Mother: Ester Ann Harmsen
Birth Place: Hull, Yorkshire, England
Civil Parish: Acomb
Ecclesiastical parish: St Stephen
Town: Acomb
County/Island: Yorkshire
Country: England
Street address:
Registration district: Great Ouseburn
Sub-registration district: Poppleton
George Harmsen 47
Ester Ann Harmsen 37
Harry Harmsen 11
Blanch Harmsen 8
Ernest Harmsen 5
Albert Harmsen 3
Priscilla Harmsen 1

Working backwards:

Deaths Jun 1918 (>99%)
Harmson Blanche 25 York 9d 10

The first daughter:

HARMSON ELSISE HARMSON York 9d 98

Another of the daughters

Births Sep 1917 (>99%)
Harmson Esther Harmson York 9d 54

What was the 3rd daughters name?

Hi Blanche is my grandads sister, his name is Edward born 1906, he would never talk about either Blanche nor George.

I have found them all in census records.

She was born in Hull in 1892 George was born 1886

Carol

Perhaps they were trying to cover up illegitimacy.

Linked to the above 1901 census is this death
Name: Blanche Harmson
Birth Date: abt 1893
Date of Registration: Jun 1918
Age at Death: 25
Registration district: York
Inferred County: Yorkshire East Riding
Volume: 9d
Page: 10

The daughters are Elsie, Esther and Henrietta. On the others birth certs father is unknown.

Was Elsise the 1st daughter?

Births Sep 1911 (>99%)
Harmson Henrietta Harmson Gt. Ouseburn 9a 157

This would seem to indicate that the children were Blanche's and not George's.

Blanche died 4th April 1918 in York county hospital with her mum by her side. Death is down as Spanish Flu.

On the cert where a father was named, who is the informant? If it were one of Blanche's parents, there might have been some confusion by the informant and what info the Reg Officer wanted.

the other possibility could be incest....perhaps we don't want to go there :-0

Agree with DET, probably to cover up illegitimacy or maybe she didn't understand the question and gave her father's name instead of the childs.

When I spoke to the registry office about it they said that if she was unmarried the father would have to be present when the birth was registered or else it wouldn't go on the certificate.

WIth the black sheep label being given to George and being thrown out of the family around that time the incest label sadly fits.

We probably all have situations where the mother has pretended to be married when in fact she's been cohabiting. Unless the informant is known to the Regstrar it would be easy to make up a name.

Although not a birth reg, I've a baptism where the father is actually the grandfather. It all comes down to how the question was asked and interpreted.

As there is no birth for Blanche Harmson ,did one of Georges brothers marry someone who already had children? in-effect Georges neice but no blood relation.

Further to comments by DET.
I have a birth certificate where the mother was the informant and the mothers maiden name on the certificate is in fact her own mother's maiden name.
So confusion at the time. And a wild goose-chase for me as I went after a marriage with the wrong maiden surname for the bride.

Kay,

Births Sep 1892
Harmson Blanche Sculcoates 9d 127

Rose