Trying to find Clara Parkin

[BlueSavannah]

Hi

My husband's great x 3 grandma is Clara Parkin who apart from the fact she had an illitimate son, I cannot find anything about.

Illigitimate son is Herbert Parkin who was born the 4th October 1876 in Thorpe Hesley, Wentworth, nr Rotherham. Clara baptised Herbert on the 1st February 1880 at St John the Evangelist, Masborough, Rotherham. Record says he was the son of single woman, Clara Parkin of Swansacre nr Sheffield.

On the 81 census, Herbert is a vistor to Joseph and Mary Grove aged 4. By the 91 census, he is still listed as Herbert Parkin, but is now showing as a son to the Grove family. There is what looks like a number 7 next to the word 'son' and wasnt sure if this meant anything or not.

He married Lucy Ellis on the 10th June 1900 as Herbert Parkin-Grove. Herbert & Lucy had 5 children, all surnamed Parkin-Grove. Herbert died in 1919 in Rotherham.

I cannot find any link between this Grove family and Clara to why he would end up living with them and take their surname double-barrelled with his own surname. Apart from the name 'Clara Parkin' on his birth and baptism record, I dont know where to search for who she was.

There is a Clara Parkin on the 81 census born circa 1860 in Wentworth and she is a servant in Dalton, Rotherham, which is not a million miles away from Kimberworth where the Grove family and Herbert were. She does scream out as the obvious candidate as 'our Clara' but there is nothing to prove anything.

Would there be any kind of records that are searchable to try that might give me any lead on Clara and why her son went to the Grove family?

Any guidance will be greatly appreciated.

[kiterunner]

That thing that looks like a 7 on the 1891 census is an F, presumably short for "Foster".

[BlueSavannah]

Ah, that would make perfect sense, cant believe I hadnt thought of that :(

[kiterunner]

What are Clara's address and occupation on Herbert's birth certificate?

[BlueSavannah]

I havnt got it to hand Kiterunner :(

I thought I had uploaded it to my ancestry tree so I could check it now but I havnt. I will check it when I get in from work around 5pm. Very sorry.

Just noticed though that on the death index for 1919, Herbert is listed as Herbert P Grove and also again as Herbert Parkin. :(

[BlueSavannah]

Hi Again

just checked the birth cert for Herbert Parkin. Clara had no occupation listed and only address given is Thorpe Hesley, Wentworth.

[Jenoco]

Don't know if this is of any help, but there's a Clara Parkin living in Cockpit Hill, Wentworth on the 1861 (RG09 piece 3510 folio 88 p 1) and 1871 census returns (RG10 piece 4710 folio 82 p 6). There's also a birth registered JuneQ 1860 in Rotherham registration district - she would have been only 16 when Herbert was born.

[Merry]

I followed that one through to 1911 in the hope someone living in her house would turn out to be connected, plus looking at her parents marriage etc, but nothing stood out to prove she is the right person (though as has been said, she is the most obvious candidate)

[Merry]

Did Clara sign Herbert's birth cert? (you would need a photocopy from the local reg office for her actual signature, not a GRO copy)

[BlueSavannah]

Hi Jenny & Merry

I think the Clara on the 61 and 71 is the same Clara that is a servant on the 81 census in Rotherham. She does seem the obvious person, plus being 16 when Herbert was born would be a likely reason she gave him up. I am just suprised that she must have been in his life for aprox 4 years as she baptised him in 1881, not long before the census was taken :(

I have the GRO copy of his birth certificate Merry. It does say that Clara registered the birth. I didnt know that you could get a different version from the local reg office. My only experience of ordering through local reg offices is that they have written or typed the information themselves, not copies of originals. Is it worth me giving Rotherham reg office a call?

[Merry]

When I had a similar situation I phoned the local office to ask if they were able to do a photocopy of the cert and they said no (can't remember why not now, but often it's because the register is too fat to open into the photocopier!). Anyway, the registrar offered to send me a tracing of the signature, which was very nice of her. I was then able to match this to the signature on my ancestors will which was written about two years later (and it matched!).

I'm assuming the Clara you are following is the one who married Mr Rodwell? (sorry, forgotten his first name now!) It's a pity they didn't marry sooner as Clara's sig may have changed over the years.

[BlueSavannah]

I will give the Rotherham office a call and ask them if they can do something similar for me. Apart from a potential signature on her marriage (if that is her to Mr Rodwell), I cannot think of any other way I might prove if this is our Clara or not.

Yes, the Clara from Wentworth born 1860c does appear to have married James Rodwell in 1888, quite a long time after the illigitimate birth if its our lady. Looking at them in 1891, they are in the Masborough district of Rotherham...same as Herbert with his foster family, the Grove's.

I am hoping to get over to Sheffield in the next couple of months for the archives so I will check if their marriage was at St John the Evangelist, Masborough (where Herbert was baptised).