Genealogy Chat

I wonder if anyone can help me please. I'm quite new to searching for information and need some advice on what to do next.

I am looking for information about my grandmother, Daphne Hilda Tippins. Tippins is her married name. The birth certificate of her eldest child states she is "Daphne Hilda Tippins formerly Spring" but for subsequent children her maiden name in the index is Unwin. I am waiting on a birth certificate from the GRO for another child to confirm the exact wording.

Daphne died in 1959, aged 59 which would put her birth at around 1899 or 1900. My mother thinks Daphne might have been born in Scotland.

I have looked for a marriage between John William Tippins and either Spring or Unwin between 1920 and 1931 (I have actually browsed the images from freebmd for Tippins and similar surnames rather than just using the search engine). Their first child was born in July 1930, in Southwark, London. John Tippins was from Southwark and we have traced a number of members of his family.

My mother believes that Daphne was estranged from her family following her marriage, but had secret meetings with her sister, name unknown, who may have lived in Kent.

Scotlands People seem to have no birth records of a Daphne Spring nor Daphne Unwin.

I suppose if her family disapproved they may have nipped off to Gretna Green or similar to get married. Is it likely that they didn't marry at all, but she just took his name?

Can anyone give me some tips on what to do next please?
Thanks,
Claire.

Have you got her death certificate?

Best Wishes

Jane

Thanks Lost for Words and Jane.

I do not have the death certificate as I didn't think I'd learn anything from it - do you think otherwise? Her death was registered in the JAS quarter of 1959 and she was recorded as being 59.

I've been doing the tedious task of browsing the images for Tippins marriages on Freebmd as they actually have images of the index pages for later dates that they haven't processed yet. So far I've done 1920 to 1931 - the second child was born in Oct 1931.

Freebmd is incomplete for marriages in the '20 onwards, but I haven't tried ancestry yet. Do you need a subscription to search?

Thanks,
Claire.

Yes you need subs to use Ancestry but you could always take a 14 day free

HI Claire

I have done 1927 through to 1940 to no avail I am afraid. Will check out 41-59. I take it the death certificate is listed a Daphne Hilda Tippins?

Best Wishes

Jane

Thanks Jane,

Death Index is indeed Tippins, Daphne H.

Regards,
Claire.

Hi Claire

I have also looked for a marriage for a Daphne Unwin from 1920-1931 and there are none, unless it took place in Scotland?

Best Wishes

Jane

Hi Jane,
It is possible it took place in Scotland. I suppose it is also possible that the marriage took place earlier than 1920. I'm starting to speculate what might have happened, and one thing is whether she fell out with her family because she took up with John Tippins when she was already married..
Based on those birth certificates it is not clear to me whether she would have been born Daphne Unwin or Daphne Spring (or, lateral thinking going overboard whether Spring was something she made up..I'm thinking spring onion/unwin here!!).
Regards,
Claire.

Hi Claire,

Well I never thought of that spring onion/unwin. There is no marriage for a Daphne Spring or Unwin before 1920

Best Wishes

Jane

Have you checked 1901 census
Julie

Thanks for all your help Jane.

Julie, I have not found anything using www.1901census.nationalarchives.gov.uk nor scotlandspeople. I agree, if the age on the death index is accurate, she should be on a 1901 census somewhere.
Cheers,
Claire.