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I am doing some research for a great aunt, The Howe family came from Chatham in Kent we know her mother was May and she was born in 1905 (sister's Minnie and Philadelphia and a brother george) May's mother was also called minnie and her father was called Felmer, Fulmer or filmer
We would like to now what happened to May, she had a daughter in 1929 (my great aunt) she was born at Jeffereys nursing home Lambeth

Births for Howe's in the Chatham area


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Births Sep 1897 (>99%)
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Howe Philadelphia Medway 2a 607


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Births Jun 1899 (>99%)
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Howe George Medway 2a 648

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Births Jun 1903 (>99%)
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Howe Minnie Medway 2a 715



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Births Sep 1904 (>99%)
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HOWE May Medway 2a 733

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Births Sep 1905 (>99%)
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Howe Filmer Medway 2a 750


Looks like they may have had a brother called Filmer - such an unusual name it would be a coincidence if they weren't related - who died very young

Deaths Mar 1906 (>99%)
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HOWE Filmer 0 Medway 2a 434

The marriage registration for May's parents is interesting - was Filmer a double barrelled Freshner-Howe or was Freshner a third christian name

Marriages Jun 1896 (>99%)
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Freshner-Howe Filmer George Medway 2a 1077
Freshner-Howe Filmor George Medway 2a 1077
Hales Minnie Charlotte Medway 2a 1077
Howe Filmer George F Medway 2a 1077
Street Jessie Medway 2a 1077
Webb Walter Medway 2a 1077

Births Sep 1897 (>99%)
Howe Philadelphia Medway 2a 607

Births Jun 1899 (>99%)
Howe George Medway 2a 648

Births Jun 1903 (>99%)
Howe Minnie Medway 2a 715

may was born 1904 by the looks of it

Births Sep 1904 (>99%)
HOWE May Medway 2a 733

all from,,http://www.freebmd.org.uk

Did she marry?

I dont think she married before the birth of her daughter in 1929 Ninja
as there is a howe/howe birth for a lady in lambeth at the right time.

what do you think ninja?
I havent posted it as we have not been given the daughters name.

You're right!!

The Fowler/Howe marriage had produced two boys up to 1931 and no female children!!

I shall delete the previous post!

This is interesting - possible birth registration for May's father?

Births Dec 1871 (>99%)
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Freshner Filmer George H Medway 2a 465

Could it be the same guy?

It has to be really as how many people of that name can there be?!!!

Unless Neil comes back to tell us the last known sighting of may howe born 1904 we cant really do much to try and find her.
Its a trawl through the marriages as you know and there are quite a few may howes!!

I'm wondering if the great aunt might have been adopted, if the request is to find out what happened to her mother?

I thought she probably was as soon as I saw the post ,as,
most people have some idea of what happened to their mothers
true not all ,but most.

message from Neil
I have explained how to reply on here,hope I have explained well enough

Patricia is May howes daughter but no father on the certificate what we are trying to find out what happened to May after 1929 which could be impossible. May gave away Patricia with just a note to my great grandmother that's all we know, also the family didn't have a double barelled name. Maybe her family did not know that May was expecting as she went to Lambeth to have Patricia It's a mystery .
From Neil

Neil
could you tell us a little of what the note said if it could help?
But if its too private or you dont know please dont worry about it
viv

message from jackie,neils wife

Hi Vivienne
I have clicked on my threads but nothings happens I am new to this maybe I am doing something wrong, anyway we don't know what was in the letter. My great grandmother gave her the letter the night before she got married and she threw it on the fire, she did not read it. We was also told as soon as she gave birth she gave away Patricia Mystery ! I don't think we will know what happened to May or the father
regards Jackie (Neils wife)

can someone please explain how to reply on here better than me,I have to go now.
viv

Hi Neil and Jackie

I understand you're having a little trouble posting your replies onto your thread. I'll try and explain.....

When you click on my threads that should bring up a list of all the threads you have posted/replied to. Select whichever thread you wish to reply to - in this case 'Howe Family' and this will then open up the thread.

To post a reply on the thread click on the purple 'reply' button just under the title which will then open up a message box. Type in your reply and then click the purple 'submit' button under the message box.

This will then post your reply directly onto the thread and makes the information instantly available to all those people who might wish to help you.

The problem with private messages is that if that particular person is offline then your message may not be seen for quite some time.

So, did May have her daughter formally adopted? It sounds like she still had contact with her mother's family if your great grandmother gave her the letter left by May.

Do you know if May stayed in London or went back home? Don't give up hope - there are some very talented people who may possibly find some more clues for you.

Hi
No Patricia was not adopted. Her mother just gave her away with a letter to a lady, and she gave her to my great nan as she was well known in the area and at the time had nine children so gran took her and the letter which she never opened it and one the eve of patricia wedding she gave her the letter and patricia threw it on the fire (should write a book about this) so she never read this letter. In 1929 when patricia was born Jefferys Nursing home was a private Hospital , the family was told that someone maybe the father paid for May to go there and have the baby but why Lambeth I was thinking that she may have been a nurse. I did find on the passengers list a may howe (nurse) but her birth was 1901 from epsom

regards Jackie

So, it was an informal fostering arrangement.

Why Lambeth? Maybe the fostering arrangement had already been put in place before Patricia was born and Jeffreys Nursing Home was nearest. Was May already working in London? If the father possibly paid for the nursing home then perhaps he was reasonably well to do.

I've had a quick look in the search trees facility and there are a couple of members with George Howe in their tree and one of those also has Minnie Howe. They don't appear to have May Howe but it still might be worth dropping them a line (if you haven't already done so) to see if there are any old family stories about a missing sister.

Have you checked the marriage indexes for possible marriages for May after 1929? Although without knowing if she stayed in London, moved back to Kent or went elsewhere it could be a long and expensive job as you would need to buy the certificate to see if the father listed is Filmer Howe to be sure that you have the right person.

Hello again
Info from 1911 census Filmer howe was May's father but in ancestry he is Fulmer, born 1872 mother minnie born 1876 sister's Philadelphia born 1898 and Minnie born 1904 brother George born 1899 May born 1905 which is quite close to Minnie . In 1911 they lived at 233 Constitution Road Chatham. There was a Border in the house called Alexander Tonge born 1876. I spoke to another member of the family she is going to get back to me I did pay to look at the document si I know this is correct
thanks Jackie

Taking the easy ones of the howe family to marry off and search for descendants who may know something?

Marriages Sep 1927 (>99%)
Crossland Lewis F Howe Medway 2a 2142
Howe Philadelphia Crossland Medway 2a 2142

There does not appear to be any children of this marriage.
maybe someone else can see some?

No partners name transcribed yet,why do they do that?

minnie right time right place.

Marriages Sep 1928 (41%)
HOWE Minnie SMITH Medway 2a 2269

2 daughters of this marriage

Joyce E Smith Oct Nov Dec 1930 Medway Surrey,Kent

Jill Smith Apr May Jun 1934 Medway Surrey,Kent

There is an exact match for

Jill smith 1934 chatham kent in a tree on here ,
tree owners name is Hazel

worth a message to her I would think,to see if she knows anything?

viv

Hi Neil/Jackie

I wouldn't get too hung up on Ancestry saying May's father was called Fulmer - possibly a transcription error. The birth registration given earlier is almost certainly your man - I'll eat my hat if he isn't!!!

Viv

The marriages for September quarter of 1928 on freeBMD are only 41% of the way through being transcribed so the entry for husband ?Smith hasn't been entered yet. I know its frustrating but files are uploaded to freeBMD as they are completed and go on the database at the next update I think. The Smiths may be uploaded at the end of April or May - depending on how fast the transcribers in that particular syndicate work.

I'm working on Deaths for June quarter 1935 and I do about 700 entries a week but other members of the syndicate may only do 150 entries per month.