Find Ancestors

I am looking for a bit of advise as how to proceed with something that I have very little information about. (apart from ordering a death certificate).

I have Thomas Richards (my Great Grandfather) 22 May 1877, Aberdare, Wales, to 5 June 1948, Maesteg, Bridgend, Wales. Living at 75 Tonna Road, Maesteg, Bridgend.

I don't need any information about Thomas, his wife or children, as I have it all.

But: on the 1939 register for 75 Tonna Road, a lady has popped up recently who I have never heard of.

She is also on the 1939 register at 75 Tonna Road, as Maggie Norwood, Married, date of birth 22 Nov 1915. Unpaid domestic duties.

I have found what is a possible death for her in 1943. Registration district Bridgend, Volume 11a, Page 533. Age 27.

Is there any way I can find out anything about her on the limited information I have.

It is possible that she was there as a housekeeper, as Thomas's wife died in 1930.

Please don't spend too much time on this, just looking for ideas as where to look please.

75 Tonna Road was the family home for many years and none of the cousins who are still alive have ever heard of her.

On the 1939 image Maggie Norwood is a household on her own. She is transcribed as one person with no others in her household (although at the same address as Thomas).

Thomas is described as having one other person with him who is a closed record (perhaps one of his children?)

Kath. x

This is a possibility for Maggie's marriage:-

First name(s) FREDERICK W
Last name NORWOOD
Marriage quarter 3
Marriage year 1937
Registration month -
MarriageFinder ™

FREDERICK W NORWOOD married one of these people

Maggie Davies

Spouse's last name Davies
District Neath
District number -
County Glamorganshire
Country Wales
Volume 11A
Volume as transcribed 11A
Page number 1914
Record set England & Wales Marriages 1837-2005

Kath. x

Would you think that she was just lodging there then Kath.

I know the property, it is a 3 bedroomed house, my Great Grandparents lived there with some of their 9 children for many years, what I mean is that it was not divided up into separate living quarters at any time.

All of Thomas's children are now deceased but I am in touch with a few of his Grandchildren.

He was a womaniser and a very violent man towards his children, and very religious at the same time.

If the death I found is her and she was living with him, she was very young when she died.

Lots of people took in lodgers during the war period as people moved around the country.

My own mother-in-law lived at an address in London with other people to whom she was not related. She was sent to do munitions work by the government as were many others as at the time she had no children and her husband was away with the army.

Kath. x

I presume this is the death you found:-

First name(s) MAGGIE
Last name NORWOOD
Gender Female
Birth day -
Birth month -
Birth year 1916
Age 27
Death quarter 2
Death year 1943
District Bridgend
County Glamorganshire
Volume 11A
Page 533
Country Wales
Record set England & Wales Deaths 1837-2007

Kath. x

Ok, thank you Kath, I will have a look at Frederick Norwood and see what I find, there are a lot of Frederick W Norwoods to choose from, just had a quick look.

I should also see if I can find who the closed record is, when I first studied Thomas a few years ago Maggie wasn't on there, only Thomas and a closed record, so I assumed that Maggie was the "now opened" closed record, but obviously not.

Information on the images seem to vary between Ancestry and FMP.

Do you know when your great grandparents moved into 75 Tonna Road?

It's just that Maggie is written on the register before Thomas and the other person with him. This would suggest that it was her house (either owned or rented) and he was the lodger but I may be wrong about that.

Kath. x

Yes that's the death I found, there were others but that one fits the location.

My Grandfather Trevor Richards was born in the house 17 June 1912, I have his birth certificate.

There are the transcriptions from Findmypast:-

75 Tonna Road, Maesteg, Maesteg U.D., Glamorganshire, Wales

Richards household
(2 people)

First name(s) Last name(s) DOB Sex Occupation Marital status Schedule Schedule Sub Number
Thomas Richards 28 ? 1877 Male Unemployed Colliery Haulier Belowground Widowed 183 1
The record for this person is officially closed.

and:-

75 Tonna Road, Maesteg, Maesteg U.D., Glamorganshire, Wales

Norwood Household (1 person)

First name(s) Last name(s) DOB Sex Occupation Marital status Schedule Schedule Sub Number

Maggie Norwood 22 Nov 1915 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 182 1

You will see that Maggie is schedule number 182 and Thomas is schedule number 183 - which denotes the separate families.

Kath. x

Oh, in that case if Trevor was born in the house in 1912 then it must have been their house.

Kath. x

They were not there on 30 Dec 1910 when one of my Grandfathers sisters were born. But there were there on the 1911 census.

Maggie is Schedule 182, sub no 1
Thomas is Schedule 183, sub no 1.

SO...............separate households as far as the officials were concerned

And, as she was listed first, it's more likely that the home was that of Maggie and her husband

I know the house was quite big, in fact I have seen it, it is terraced and it had a basement/cellar, probably big enough for plenty of people, but there were quite a few of them.

Its just very strange that no one has ever mentioned another family living there.

Thanks Erika, Maggie is probably a red herring then. Pity because I thought I had solved the mystery of who the other person was as a closed record with Thomas, I still cant think who that could be, and I have asked the family. I think my next step would be to see if there is any way to get the record open.

There is this POSSIBLE birth for Frederick W. Norwood:-

First name(s) FREDERICK W
Last name NORWOOD
Birth year 1914
Birth quarter 1
Registration month -
Mother's maiden name Thomas
District Bridgnorth
County Shropshire
Country England
Volume 6A
Page 983
Record set England & Wales Births 1837-2006
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records

which would then suggest that these could POSSIBLY be his parents:-

First name(s) FREDERICK W
Last name NORWOOD
Birth year 1914
Birth quarter 1
Registration month -
Mother's maiden name Thomas
District Bridgnorth
County Shropshire
Country England
Volume 6A
Page 983
Record set England & Wales Births 1837-2006
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records

The times and places seem to fit.

Kath. x

Have you accounted for the rest of the family in 1939? Is there a child who could still be living at home?

You would need to know who the other person was and produce their death certificate before you could get the record opened.

My mother was originally a closed record but she died in 2003 and I had to provide details of her death before I could get the record opened.

Kath. x

Whoever the closed record is - he/she is connected to Thomas Richards, by virtue of the fact the the record must be Schedule 183, sub no 2