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In 1933/34 a letter was sent to my wife's great uncles wife from a Mrs Taylor of 3 Sylvan Avenue, Exeter, Devon. It stated that her husband had got her pregnant while her husband was away in the forces and she was worried that her husband would know that the child was not his! In the 1939 register the property was empty, and I cannot find any record of residence prior to that. I assume the property may have been built after 1911? Two of my wife's great uncles children have told me this detail in the last 3 days and one e-mailed me this morning that she is happy for me to order and pay for 12 birth certificate (1932/1933/34) to see if we can get an address match. Before I order in most likely order, can anybody please help finding any residence names associated with 3 Sylvan Avenue, Exeter, Devon that can help confirm a Taylor residence or any other family name in 1930s or prior to that date.

I can't help with what you are asking but checking on Google the house was sold a year ago. Could you possibly write to the new owners and see if they have the deeds to the house? If they have perhaps they could check to see who owned the house at that time.

Kath. x

Thank you for the suggestion, but from my experience I received my deeds 7 years ago and the building society held them for me for 18 years until I paid the mortgage off. I'll search for my own when I get home as I don't recall previous occupants listed on it and my house was built 1947.

You could ask Exeter library if they will check electoral lists for the required period. You would then have first names for Mrs Taylor and perhaps her husband.
You might then be able to find their marriage and any possible offspring on freebmd site.

A child's birth registered to a married woman would likely show her husband's surname, regardless of whether or not it was his natural child.

First you could ask on a new thread to see if anyone could do a lookup for you in the Exeter library or local archive.
I have done this in a nearby library for other board members, often being able to provide key information.

Presume there are 12 birth records for that time reg as Taylor

If the property was empty in 1939 it may be Mrs Taylor may have been a tenant not an owner

Gwyn, thank you for the suggestion. I have just e-mailed Devon Libraries '[email protected]', so hope they have some local electoral records for the 1930s at that address. Automated reply says I will get a reply in 5 working days.

Does the letter still exist? Why the uncertainty over the year?

Rose

Probably no connection but may help to narrow when Mrs Taylor was at the property- in 1926 Henry Waller Preston is listed on the electoral register at 3 Sylvan Road, Exeter. He died in September 1930:

England & Wales, National Probate Calendar

Preston Henry Waller of 3 Sylvan Road, Exeter died 2 September at Torquay Probate 6 October to Annie Staines (wife of John Staines) Effects #1235

(Annie Staines was Henry's sister)

EDIT: Ignore this- have just read your post again- SYLVAN AVENUE not Road- my mistake.

The name of the child's father might help us to narrow things down a bit, too - but maybe that's too sensitive and recent to post here - which is presumably why AndyTG hasn't done so.

The dates of the birth certs ATG proposes buying suggest that the child had already been born before the letter was written.

Sales particulars for houses on Sylvan Avenue indicate that the houses were built in the 1920's - one of them specifically in 1928.

I'm not sure how helpful birth certificates would be- surely any births would be registered in the lady's married name.

Some of the 12 children can be followed- but as we don't know if the child stayed with his/her mother I'm not sure what that would achieve either.

Have you tried googling your Great Uncle's name to see if anyone is searching for him?

Hopefully the library will be able to help- or provide a name for you to work with.

Oh,I see! The great uncle was the father - I was mis-reading the opening post.

I think so AG- unless I'm reading it wrong?

Just read it again, and now understand why Andy thinks the birth certs could help- hoping to find an address match. Expensive! Hopefully the electoral register will help first.

Lots of Fascinating Records, in the SOUTH WEST HERITAGE TRUST: Devon Archive Catalogue but only 4 references on search to Sylvan Avenue and one of those sale of no 2 in 1934! The neighbours!

http://devon-cat.swheritage.org.uk/collections/all

The reply said I may find the answer, but cannot see it yet! Re-visited the great uncle's army records in question and he was re-posted between Feb 1933 to Dec1933 and that when I reckon he was up to no good! So late 1933 to 1934 the birth window, So gets me down to 5 certificates and will be ordering a few late tonight. Its a bit like Ross Polldark and George Warleggans story.

Won't help though Andy if the baby was born in hospital as most were at that time

Hopefully one of the births was at home

Possibly but I have plenty of other examples of at home and at the mothers mum home in my family records. If profession of father is recorded as a member of armed forces and address of who registers the birth may help tick the boxes? We shall see its worth the investment for me to know the answer.

I think it's worth a try- even if baby was born in hospital certificates sometimes record mother's usual address, and as you say, if father is listed in the forces, it could indicate another lead worth following. It's perhaps worth looking at a map of the local area to see births that are close to the address too.

As you didn't really get a satisfactory answer from Devon Libraries I wondered if it was worth contacting the Heritage Centre directly as it looks as though the electoral registers are held there:

http://www.devon.gov.uk/family_history_using_the_local_studies_collections_factsheet_feb_2014-2.pdf

If the baby was subsequently adopted then that may be indicated on a birth cert

What about Land Registry - Deeds and Documents on line? Would this help for previous owners.
www.landregistrysearches.com/house-deeds?.

May be worth a try.
Good luck
Ru

One of 3 received certificates, I have a married mother, states no father and child adopted strong possible. Addresses don't match but with this one two different addresses. I have 3 more birth certificates on order, and a lot more to investigate around this mother. The Devon heritage centre appear to charge £34 hence thought I get likely certificates 1st.