Genealogy Chat

Hi I know there are plenty of sites about but can anyone point me in the right direction or even help? My grandmother's birth mother & sister supposedly emmigrated to America after she remarried. I do not know the name of the person she remarried - if she indeed did. Her mothers name was Dora Ethel Mason (nee Altree) born c1887, sisters name was Sybil Mason born c1909. Her father, Clarence Mortimer Mason died but we cannot find that either. That might have given us a clue as to when it happened. My grandmother was born in 1913 so it could have occurred anytime from then up to 1923. Many Thanks

Im starting this again. Firstly is the person you are looking for Dora Ethel Mason? She is the one who remarried and may have gone to the States? What area would she have been living in before she went? When did the father die? Roughly. You can search for a marriage on either familyrelatives.org or by sifting quarter by quarter through ancestry bmd England and Wales index.

Well, the only Dora E Mason who married between 1913-1920 was this one to a Mr Codman. There was a further one but she had a third inital - of H - and I thought you would have mentioned that. Mason Dora E Codman Docking.4b 999 Marriage 4 1919 Is the district of Docking right for her?

Two Sybil Mason's born in 1909 on the US Social Security Death Index (free to search on the familysearch website): Sybil MASON - U.S. Social Security Death Index Birth: 23 Aug 1909 State Where Number was Issued: New York Death: 25 Aug 2001 Sybil MASON - U.S. Social Security Death Index Birth: 5 Feb 1909 State Where Number was Issued: Indiana Death: May 1982 Would this be Sybil's birth? If so then probably the first of the above would be the more likely: Births Dec 1909 MASON Sybil Bristol 6a 105 Maybe someone with access to US Ancestry could search for them on the 1920/1930 census, see which one (if any) was born in England?

There's another possible marriage in 1915: Marriages Jun 1915 Hollis Henry C Mason Islington 1b 923 Mason Dora E Hollis Islington 1b 923 Where did they all live, Tina? We can't get very far without that information.

First job is to find death of father. Search here for free:- http://www.ancestry.*co.uk/search/rectype/vital/freebmd/bmd.aspx(remove *}

Cant find the fathers death. Im assuming he died after or just before 1913? These are the only ones coming up from that date to 1920 - all children Mason Clarence E 5 Basford.7b 476 Death 4 1918 2 Mason Clarence 4 Cannock.6b 1047 Death 4 1918 3 Mason Clarence 1 Lanchester.10a 585 Death 1 1919 Well, if the above marriage and death arent right, at least it has cut down the period you need to check. .

married BRISTOL View Record Dora Ethel Altree 1908 Apr-May-Jun Bristol Avon, Gloucestershire View Record Arthur Davie 1908 Apr-May-Jun Bristol Avon, Gloucestershire View Record Clarence Mortimer Mason 1908 Apr-May-Jun Bristol Avon, Gloucestershire View Record Violet Gertrude Powell 1908 Apr-May-Jun Bristol Avon, Gloucestershire

Take your pick!! Mason Dora Nicholls Bridlington.9d 633 Marriage 4 1916 2 Mason Dora G Addington Brixworth.3b 241 Marriage 3 1916 3 Mason Dora V Freebury Cheltenham.6a 973 Marriage 2 1916 4 Mason Dora Evans Chesterfield.7b 1390 Marriage 3 1917 5 Mason Dora Money Dartford.2a 1553 Marriage 4 1919 6 Mason Dora E Codman Docking.4b 999 Marriage 4 1919 7 Mason Dora E H Collins East Preston.2b 1094 Marriage 2 1919 8 Mason Dora R Ottevanger Goole.9c 2261 Marriage 2 1919 9 Mason Dora A Wallis Islington.1b 611 Marriage 3 1913 10 Mason Dora R Hollis Islington.1b 923 Marriage 2 1915 11 Mason Dora Blacker Kidderminster.6c 146 Marriage 2 1916 12 Mason Dora M Phillips Monmouth.11a 55 Marriage 4 1918 13 Mason Dora Whitby Nantwich.8a 524 Marriage 1 1919 14 Mason Dora Williams St Martin.1a 1354 Marriage 3 1913 15 Mason Dora Elliott Stockport.8a 223 Marriage 4 1919 16 Mason Dora Wilkes West Bromwich.6b 1428 Marriage 3 1916 17 Mason Dora Boulton Yarmouth.4b 45 Marriage 2 1919 I think I shall leave this til we have more info to go on, we could be chasing the wrong peeps.

This looks like Dora in 1891: Edward A Aldree abt 1849 London, Middlesex, England Head St James Gloucestershire Janetta M Aldree abt 1853 Melbourne, Australia Wife St James Gloucestershire >>Dora E Aldree abt 1888 St James, Bristol Daughter St James Gloucestershire Ernest A Aldree abt 1885 St James, Bristol Son St James Gloucestershire Nellie Aldree abt 1882 St James, Bristol Daughter St James Gloucestershire The image isn't very clear, but it looks more like Altree than Aldree.

If that's the right Dora, perhaps she emigrated to Melbourne, Australia, where her mum came from?

I am going to have to get into the habit of providing the right information aren't I?!! I am useless! I am looking for either Dora Ethel Mason or Sybil Mason. I am not aware of any further initials in either name. I have obtained the marriage certificate of Dora Ethel Altree and Clarence Mortimer Mason (her first husband and Sybil & Eileens father) We think that he may have died in the war but again not certain and not managed to trace anything. I noticed the marriage to a Mr Codman and have ordered that certificate just in case. Also ordered the birth certificates of Dora and Sybil but the local register office (Bristol) have said that they may have been destroyed so I have been redirected to Southport. I am not sure as to what area they were living in before the emmigration, my grandmother was adopted by a family in the Sidcup/Lewisham area so they could have moved to there from the Bristol area? Mary, I saw the census for 1891 too and certain that it should read Altree as her fathers name was Edward Austin Altree (think he may have been known as Austin Edward as some point too) I have also ordered Janetta's death certificate for any information on that as I have also noted that a Janetta Altree was living in Wales at the time of the 1881 with another family but some random Altree children who do not seem to belong to Edward Austin (these children later died and I have ordered their certificates too) I think there is another mystery with that woman! Thank you everyone for your help so far - anymore thoughts as to the most effective search. Have I ordered some of the right things? Tried for an adoption certificate but there isn't one.

Not sure - is Docking an area she is likely to be - its Norfolk I believe??? If he died in the war have you tried the Commonwealths Graves site? Or see if he had a medals card on NA site? I have to say Ive just had a quick look for him and there is no sign of a Charles Mortimer Mason. Not having a moan, but if you do ask for look ups in future, please do give all the info you already have as people will be duplicating searches and spending units for stuff you have already. I guess you could have a look at passport applications but Im not sure what dates they cover? Anyone know?

Yep no Clarence Mason. We originally was told he was a Captain in the army but his marriage record and my grandmothers birth record show that he was a second then first mate merchant service. The mystery of disappearing relatives...doesn't help when they keep using different names either!!

So he was navy, not army. Have you tried the registers of seamen on National Archives?

I got in touch with them and there seems to be C Masons - quite a few but couldn't find Clarence. They told me that if I was to search all C Mason's it would cost me a fortune!

Incidentally - the marriage between Mason & Hollis in q2 1915. Had a look at the record and not sure whether middle initial is E or R?

Well I think Mary said it was an E but it is shown as R on familyrelatives - see the list Ive added on to this thread.

Yes sorry about that Heather - I am still pretty new to this and keep forgetting to put all the relevant information :o(

FreeBMD showed it as an E, but I've just had a look at the image - it's a bit faint, but it does look more like an R.