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I am trying to trace my great grandmother, Elizabeth Young. This is difficult, because Elizabeth Young is a very common name. I have a good guess as to her identity, but I would like some way to prove, or disprove, this guess.

My grandfather, Harry Young was born in 1902 in Paddington Workhouse in London. On his Birth Certificate, his mother’s name is given as ‘Elizabeth Young’, and she is described as a cook, at 6 Bridge Street, Willesden. His father’s name is unknown. My Great Aunt, Phyllis Edith Young was born in Marylebone Workhouse in 1894. Her mother’s name is also ‘Elizabeth Young’, a General Servant at 65 Seymour Street, Marylebone. Her father’s name is also unknown.

Unfortunately, there are no Workhouse Records for either Marylebone or Paddington available and I cannot find any useful information anywhere else.

Both Harry Young and Phyllis Edith Young were raised by a family named ‘Myers’. I cannot find any family relationship between the Myers family and anyone named Elizabeth Young, so I am assuming they are not blood relations.

I have found an ‘Elizabeth Young’ who looks to be a likely candidate,in the Census for 1901, working as a ‘Cook’ at 23 Buckland Crescent, Hampstead, and the same Elizabeth Young, in the 1891 Census working as a ‘General Servant’ at 65 Seymour Place, Marylebone. This Elizabeth Young looks as if she may well be my great grandmother, but at the moment this is just a guess.

Can anybody suggest how I might get any information to prove, or disprove, this guess ?

I think the likelihood of two Elizabeth Youngs of the same age and birthplace working for the same household is highly unlikely. I don't normally like making assumptions but would accept the info in this instance (just my opinion).

PS - would you like to add a board name in your account settings?, I don't want to call you "Unknown" !

Background info for anyone who has advice -

1891:
THATCHER, Samuel Head Married M 41 1850 Plasterer Nailsea Somersetshire
THATCHER, William H Son Single M 19 1872 Plasterer Bristol Gloucestershire
WHITTING, Robert Boarder Single M 26 1865 Plasterer Chapel Allerton Somersetshire
WELLS, Annie E Boarder Single F 31 1860 Dressmaker Manchester Lancashire
>>YOUNG, Elizabeth Boarder Single F 22 1869 General Servant Ross Herefordshire
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Sub District: St Mary Enumeration
District: 4
Ecclesiastical Parish: St Luke

Address: 65, Seymour Place, St Marylebone County: London
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

and 1901:
WEILER, Amalie Head Widow F 66 1835 Living On Own Means Germany (German)
WEILER, Ernst Son Single M 31 1870 Clerk Germany Nat British Subt
>>YOUNG, Elizabeth Servant Single F 28 1873 Cook Domestic Ross Herefordshire
WHAY, Rebecca Servant Single F 21 1880 Housemaid Domestic Harlow
Essex
LAURIE, Rose Servant Single F 16 1885 Housemaid Domestic Newark Nottinghamshire
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Sub District: Hampstead
Enumeration District: 18
Ecclesiastical Parish: St Peter

Address: 23, Buckland Crescent, Hampstead County: London

HMMM, 4 year difference in birth year between the census isn't beyond the realms of possibility, I suppose.

The children with Myers in 1911:

MYERS, John William Head Married M 34 1877 Forwarding Clerk County of London Marylebone
MYERS, Alice Wife Married 10 years F 34 1877 Bookfolder County of London St Pancras
MYERS, Hannah Mother Widow F 60 1851 County of London St Lukes
MYERS, Phyllis Adopted Sister Single F 16 1895 Bookfolder County of London Marylebone
MYERS, Harry Adopted Brother M 8 1903 County of London Paddington
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Registration District: West Ham
Sub District: Walthamstow
Enumeration District: 25
Parish: Walthamstow

Address:37 Ruby Road Walthamstow County: Essex

The Myers had only had one child who didn't survive.

What research have you done to confirm the Myers aren't related in any way? (Quite possibly they aren't).

Here's the Myers marriage:

London, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921

Name: John William Myers
Age: 22
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1877
Spouse Name: Alice Over
Spouse Age: 22
Record Type: Marriage
Event Date: 25 Dec 1899
Parish: Paddington St Augustine
Borough: Westminster
Father Name: James Christopher Myers < Horsekeeper
Spouse Father Name: Edward Over < Ex Policeman
Register Type: Parish Register

Their address at marriage was 6 BRIDGE STREET

Here's the Myers in 1901, note Phyllis' supposed relationship:

MYERS, James C Head Married M 53 1848 Horse Keeper Leeds Yorkshire
MYERS, Hannah Wife Married F 50 1851 St Lukes London
MYERS, John W Son Married M 24 1877 Chemists Packer Marylebone London
MYERS, Alice Daughter-In-Law Married F 23 1878 St Pancras London
YOUNG, Phyllis Niece Single F 6 1895 Marylebone London
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Sub District: Willesden
Enumeration District: 44
Ecclesiastical Parish: St John the Evangelist

Address: 6, Bridge Street, Willesden County: Middlesex

This could be Phyllis' baptism?

Name: Phyllis Edith Young
Record Type: Baptism
Date of Birth: 15 Jun 1894
Baptism Date: 30 May 1897
Mother's Name: Elizabeth Young
Parish or Poor Law Union: St Marylebone
Borough: Westminster
Register Type: Parish Registers

Abode: 6 Lyons Place

No father mentioned

Harry's baptism?

Name: Harry Young
Record Type: Birth
Birth Date: 10 Jul 1902
Baptized: 24 July 1902
Mother's Name: Eliz Young
Parish or Poor Law Union: Paddington
Borough: Westminster
Register Type: Parish Registers

Abode: Paddington Workhouse

In the 1891 census James C Myers & Hannah were living at 18 LYONS PLACE and Elizabeth gave her abode as 6 LYONS PLACE for the baptism of Phyllis in 1897

Well spotted Londonbelle! I think the connection is well and truly there. Wouldn't be surprised if the father(s) were connected to her workplaces.

Sent a message to the poster earlier to come back and check.

What I'm finding strange is that Phyllis was born in 1894 and Harry was born in 1902 but both end up with the Myers family.....this would make me think that there must be some kind of family connection but I'm blowed if I can find it!

Perhaps she was a well loved member of the domestic staff?

I even looked at James C & Hannah's marriage, but she was a Cootes.

Ha Ha.....!

Yes, I looked at that too MC. It's the fact that Elizabeth was born in Ross Herefordshire that really puts the cat amongst the pigeons!

It was quite common for lasses to head to London to go into service. I've tried tracing her back but found nothing definite.

I've also tried to find a marriage for her to see if there were any clues, but again nothing conclusive.

Hope the info at least is useful to the poster (I know he's read the message I sent about coming back on here) - hope he'll give some feedback and also if he he any more clues.

I was hoping that I could find some kind of connection with the Myers, Coote, Over & Wheatcroft families to Ross Herefordshire through the censuses but can't find anything.

It just seems strange that Elizabeth had Phyllis in 1894 and persumably still had her in 1897 when she was baptized. Then Phyllis was with the Myers family in 1901. Elizabeth then has Harry in the Workhouse in 1902 and he too ends up with the Myers family. You would think that if there was no family connection the children would have ended up with different families

Many thanks for your replies.
I have looked for brothers and sisters of both James and Hannah Myers, but none of them married anyone called Young, so I do not beieve Harry and Phyllis were nephew and niece in the usual sense of the words. They may have been related more distantly.
I have also considered the possibility that there never was an Elizabeth Young. Could she have given a false name to the workhouse to avoid detection ?
Sadly, my grandfather never liked talking about his past, so there is a lot I never found out. I do not know if he kept in touch with his real mother.

I'm not sure that she would use an alias with the workhouse - that would be quite a pretext to keep up with employers for such a long time, too.

Bear in mind that when many girls who were in service had illegitimate children, the father was often someone in the household (either upstairs or downstairs).

The Myers may have been friends with one of the local squires where Elizabeth came from - girls often got posts through that sort of recommendation.