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trying to find a friends mom my friend was adopted her birth mother is elsie may oliver born 1919/20/21 elsie married henry walter westwood 1940 at age 19 both from from birmingham or black country area, my friend was born 5th march 1944 adopted by alfred and hilda abbott in 1949 both parents elsie and henry signed the papers my friend sandra is trying to find who she is and what happened to her mother and father, hope for some help thanks

It would seem quite likely that this is the birth??

Births Mar 1921

Oliver Elsie M Oliver W.Bromwich 6b 1641

The birth cert may not give the father's name as it seems the parents were not married, but it should at least give the mother's full name and an address

Dea x

im not sure if you mean Elsie may Oliver was adopted ,or she is the mother of a child that was.

(update by PM -its the latter)

Hi Edwina,

I see you have added further info to your original post.

Whilst it is helpful to have more info, it gets a bit confusing when you do it by editing your first post, and we often don't notice it.

When you add more info, could you do it by adding another post lower down on the thread please?

To do this, click on the purple reply button at top of thread and type into the box, then click 'submit' button under the box and it will come up as a new post.

Thanks,

Dea x

has Edwina changed her original message??

Have found birth registration for Sandra B Westwood JFM quarter 1944 West Brom.

Of course this was during WW11 and a lot of men returned from the war to find an addition to the family.

Will see if I can find anything on parents.

Sylvie

Thanks Dea,
thought I was having another senior moment.

Have found this death a might be.

Henry Walter Westwood born 30th July 1919 died March 1995 Sandwell W Midlands.

Sylvie

thanks everyone we are getting somewhere sandra my friend is sooo excited and grateful

sandwell is there we think elsie may was disowned and never spoke of again we realise she is probably gone but to know what happened to her is a start are there brothers sisters that came after? a mystery

i am off to work soon but i will check messages tonight, hopefully you lovely kind clever people will have more news

can not find elsie may mewis dead or alive anybody know a elsie may mewis nee oliver born 1921 thanks

Edwina - where has the name Mewis come from?

She was born Elsie May Oliver and married Henry Walter Westwood in 1940.

Mewis?


There is one other Westwood birth with mother Oliver in W Bromwich around the same time, and one or two others in the same vicinity. Does your friend know whether she has a sibling or siblings, and does she know who they are?

If not, the info can be sent to you by private message -- shouldn't be put here because with birthdates in the 1940s, the person or people would likely still be living.


edit - have PMed the 1941 birth reg info.

i found elsie may married lawrence stanley mewis in 1949 coventry

An Elsie May Mewis death Dec qtr of 1990 Birmingham ref: v32 p854

Shows a date of birth as 14 June 1900 Are you sure the Mewis one is yours?

Edwina,

The marriage you found Lawrence S Mewis is to Elsie M Oliver AMJ quarter 1949 9c 1765.

I don't think you can just assume it is your Elsie without documentary evidence, she should have married under the name of Westwood. Sometimes people reverted to their maiden name but reference is usually made ie Mewis married Oliver or Westwood.
I realise you are trying hard to find your friends family for her so it is important that you get right info.

best wishes,
Sylvie

Hi Edwina,
Your message says Elsie May Oliver was born 1919- 1921. Is this age taken from her marriage certificate to Henry Westwood? Do you have the marriage cert, and are there any other clues given on it: Witnesses, father's names etc.

for ref: 6c 293
Marriage: 1940 Oct- Dec qtr Oldbury
Elsie M Oliver
Henry W Westwood

pm'd 2 possible siblings

And I had PMed the info about Elsie's other child.

No acknowledgement ("thanks") as yet.


It does seem rather obvious that the Elsie who married Mewis was a generation too old to be "our" Elsie. The deceased Elsie May Mewis was born 14 June 1900.


Births Jun 1900
OLIVER Elsie May Windsor 2c 429
Births Sep 1900
Oliver Elsie May Bedwelty 11a 102


Either of them - or, possibly more likely, Elsie May Oliver Mewis was an Oliver by marriage.

hello again thanks for your help so far but we are stuck again
elsie may oliver born 1921 15th may
married henry walter westwood 1940
married lawrence stanley mewis 1949
lawrence stanley mewis was a divorcee when he married winifred blanche wood in about 1953
where is elsie may after 1949
elsie may mewis formerley westwood nee oliver
a divorcee in 1950s aged about 30

So you purchased the 1949 marriage certificate?

yes we got elsie may olivers birth certificate and lawrence stanley mewis death cert we contacted lawrence mewis neice by marriage via winifred blanche wood she said she knew nothing of elsie may but knew lawrence was divorced before marrying her aunt so we know about lawrence but not elsie may

Sorry, Edwina, but you don't seem to be paying attention.


Name: Elsie May Mewis
>>> Birth Date: 14 Jun 1900
Death Registration Month/Year: Dec 1990
Age at death (estimated): 90
Registration district: Birmingham


If this is the Elsie May Oliver who married Lawrence Mewis, **she was 20 YEARS OLDER than your Elsie May Oliver**.

She also married as OLIVER, but your Elsie May was a WESTWOOD.

It just isn't reasonable to think that the Elsie Oliver who married Mewis was your person.


Julie asked whether you got the 1949 Oliver + Mewis marriage certificate.

You said "yes we got elsie may olivers birth certificate and lawrence stanley mewis death cert".

Those are not the 1949 Oliver + Mewis marriage certificate.

If you think that was your Elsie May Oliver, that is what you need to get, to see whether the age is the same, the father's name is the same, and she was previously married to Westwood.

You really can't go assuming that your Elsie May married Mewis, when all of the known facts show that this was not your Elsie May at all.