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Hi Lancashire Ann,

Frank Oakley's eight children with Rosina were born between 1939 and 1957 - this means that Frank Oakley was married to Rosina when he turned up to make Mary Blake's funeral arrangements. We never really considered that Frank might be related to Lena Woods, other than possibly being her spouse. It's worth considering.


Hi Dominique,

Thanks. Yes, we know that Lena Woods address was a home for unwed mothers at the time. We also have the names of the people who ran it in 1931.

Hi. I am from around that part of L'pool except I was born a lot later lol.......

There was up untill 1960's I think an unwed mums home on Greenbank Lane which was about a 10 - 15 min walk from Sefton Gen hospital..

I don't know if that helps ..... Regards Nicky

If he had 8 children with Rosina and only married her in 1939 it is highly possible he was still married to her in 1951. Worth checking the electoral roll for each of them?

I.m still trying to find a connection between Rosina & the Amelia Hope who married a William Woods. Possible Frank was related to Lena on his mother's side?

He moved to Somerset for the latter part of his life and died in 1999. His marriage to Rosina Hope ended in divorce. He had eight children with Rosina Hope, and two children with a second wife. I have no knowledge of who the second wife might have been or when the divorce took place. I'm most interested in his finding out who he was married to around the time of 1951 - this was when Mary Blake (my grandfather's step mother died and Frank Oakley turned up to see my grandparents). What we really want to know is what Frank Oakley's relationship with Mary Blake. Other than that, there is a possibility that he had a relationship with Lena Woods.

You say he lived much of his life in Chorley. Where else (other than his early life in Derbys) did he live?

Frank Oakley's daughter doesn't have much information about him. He was married twice, but I can only get the name of one of his wives (Rosina Hope).

Dear Lancashire Ann,

Thank you so much again for your help. I have made contact with the family of the Frank Oakley of Chorley (1914) and am waiting to speak to the member of the family who knows most about him. This Frank, I believe was born in Derbyshire, but got married and lived much of his life in Chorley. I'm trying to put the pieces together, I will post any more information that might be applicable.

Gwyndaf

this is all guesswork and I am not sure how you would prove anything but here goes

Frank's mother = Rosina Hope

Marriages Jun 1912
Hope Amelia Woods Liverpool 8b 91
Woods William Hope Liverpool 8b 91

pure coincidence?

BUT - they had a son

Lancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1939
Reference
OAKLEY Frank
Mother's Maiden Name HOPE
Chorley

you did say that Frank was possibly 20 years younger?

the Frank Oakley I found before is possibly this one - they are the same area

Lancashire Marriage indexes for the years: 1938
OAKLEY Frank
HOPE Rosina
Church - St James, Chorley

Gwyndaf, I think that St Clements Church records include the baptismal records for Sefton General Hospital, but the records are held at the Liverpool Record Office. You can contact them on 0151 233 5817 or email them at [email protected]. It is probably information about patients at the hospital rather than baptisms that you need, and the record office have a leaflet about hospital records.I'm sure they could help you if you got in touch.
Best wishes, Liz

Thanks Elizabeth. We have written to Sefton Hospital, but with no success. I am going to try again using the name Helena Woods. I found paperwork informing us that the birth and baptismal records from Sefton Hospital are now being stored at St. Clements Church - I will contact them
tomorrow.

Hi Lancashire Ann,
I have approximated the year of birth for Lena Woods as 1914, which would have made Lena Woods 17 years old when she gave birth. A 1914 birth for Frank Oakley is therefore very realistic. (My grandparents think that he was around 45 years old in when he turned up to see them at around 1950).

Please forgive me, I am new to studying family history as a hobby, and am giving the priority to finding Lena Woods' family. Is it possible to view Frank Oakley's birth details online or do I need to order his birth certificate from the records office?

I have been searching more for marriage or death records as there are a few Lena Woods born within the possible dates. How do people normally trace missing relatives from birth records? i.e. how would one find out if she was the correct Lena Woods? The problem is, we can find no trace of a marriage or death record. I've also looked under emigration records, which is by no means fool-proof, but nothing has rung a bell yet.

Kindest regards,
Gwyndaf

would this one be too young?

Lancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1914
OAKLEY Frank
Sub-District Chorley
Mother's Maiden Name RIMMER

there is also this one if she moved from her home town to have the baby

Lancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1907
WOODS Lena May
Sub-District Great Harwood
Mother's Maiden Name STINSON

Gwyndaf, I think that 126, Smithdown Road where your grandfather was born was Sefton General Hospital( previously Smithdown Road Infirmary) This no longer exists but there is an Asda store on the site which has the same address. Liverpool Record Office hold the old hospital records so you may be able to find out more that way. There is a birth for a Lena Woods in Liverpool in July-Sept1904 - West Derby 8b 729 but I don't know how you would prove it was your great grandmother. There is also a possibility that her name was actually Helena which was often abbreviated to Lena. I think the hospital records might be your best bet. Good luck with your search, Liz

Thank you, we have my grandfather's birth certificate. The information on it is:

Place of birth - 126 Smithdown Road UD
Name: Geoffrey
Sex: Boy
Father: -
Mother: Lena Woods steamship company typist of 369 Edge Lane
Registered: Sept 1931
Registrar: Joseph Maiden
Registration District: Liverpool
Sub District: Toxteth Park North

Kind regards,
Gwyndaf

Birth for John T Blake

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Births Mar 1884 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blake John Tully Liverpool 8b 130


Andy

I wonder if anybody out there might be able to help. My family have been searching for my great grandmother Lena Woods for years.

Lena Woods gave birth to my grandfather on 26 August 1931.
IT IS ALMOST CERTAIN THAT NO ONE KNOWING OR RELATED TO THIS LENA WOODS WOULD HAVE ANY KNOWLEDGE OF HIS BIRTH OR EXISTENCE.

My grandfather is believed to be the son of a prominent doctor in the Liverpool area at this time. He was born as the result of an affair between this doctor and Lena Woods (his assistant). Because of the nature of his birth, a cover up was initiated, and the resulting drama would give Dickens a run for his money.

This is what we know about Lena Woods: her 1931 address was 369 Edge Lane - based on records obtained recently, this house may have been a haven for unwed mothers. At the time of his birth she worked for a shipping company as a typist.

John Blake (my grandfather) was born Geoffrey Woods. He was adopted at the age of three months. This was well planned in advance, as his adoptive mother even feigned pregnancy so that not even her family knew the truth. He was adopted by a Mr. John Tully Blake and Mrs. Mary (Minnie) Blake. This was probably planned by the doctor - for whom Mary Blake was household staff.

John Blake lived as the son of John Tully and Mary Blake for 16 years before he had even the slightest notion that he might not be their real son. He was horrifically mistreated and abused during these 16 years. It was not until his neighbor, an elderly lady, told him that he was adopted that he even began to suspect anything at all. John moved away and began his own life in Anglesey, fought in the military and married, still unsure as to the truth. He and his family continued to consider Mary Blake to be his mother during this time.

Contrary to every rational thought - as well as contrary to records found in the Liverpool adoption registry - Mary Blake denied my grandfather's adoption even on her death bed, and she wasn't the only one who vehemently denied it. The cover up went deep, and whether the reason was monetary or just plain pride, people surrounding Mary Blake were very determined to keep it quiet, even though years had passed since my grandfather's birth.

At the time of her death, she had a bizarre friend hanging about - who was unknown to any member of my family. A man twenty years her junior named Oakley (possibly Frank Oakley, but we're not 100% sure).
He was at the hospital as she was dying; he began and paid for funeral arrangements before family members stepped in. He, too was vehement in his denial of my grandfather's adoption, and highly defensive of the subject of my grandfather's real mother. My family spent some little time with him as they traveled back and forth to Liverpool after Mary's death. It was not until years later that my family began to put the pieces of the puzzle together to realize that this man Oakley may have had some knowledge of or relationship with Lena Woods.

If you have ANY knowledge of any of these people:

Lena Woods --- (born early 1900's - around 1910)
(Frank?) Oakley --- (born early 1900's)
John Tully Blake --- (born late 1800's - possibly around 1880)
Mary (Minnie) Blake --- (born late 1800's - possibly around 1880)
John Blake --- (born 1931)
Geoffrey Woods --- (the given name of John Blake, born 1931)

or if you have knowledge of the home for unwed mothers, any shipping company record information for a Liverpool shipping company in 1931 - basically anything even remotely insignificant that might shed some light on my grandfather's birth, we would be overwhelmingly grateful.

If you have any of these names in your family tree - please would you open it up to us, so that we could finally put the pieces of this puzzle together.

Please understand, my grandfather is now in his late seventies, and merely wants to find out the truth about his mother and about his real family. Please, please, please help!