Thread: My Elusive Gt/Grandmother

I have hit a brick wall with my Gt Grandmother. She was born Sarah Browning 9 Jan 1864 in Birmingham, England. On the 2 Jun 1882 she married my Gt Grandfather



James John Wescott Oldfield in Birmingham England, on the marriage cert he is just shown as James.



Sarah and James had 4 children, the last being born in 1892. Sarah appears on several of the England census, the last one being 1901 where she is living as a lodger in



Birmingham, accompanied by 2 of her children (one had died aged 1 year) James was in the habit of vanishing off to America from time to time, he appears on the 1891



England census at his sister's house, with Sarah living in another road as a lodger, and showing herself as a widow!!! accompanied by 3 of the children.



James next appears in the workhouse records in Birmingham in 1913, and he died in the workhouse in 1924.



My problem is finding a death for Sarah. I have searched and searched for her under both surnames (Browning and Oldfield) There is a family story that Sarah



eventually commited suicide by drowning herself in the river in Rea Street in Birmingham, because James would not support her and the children.



Where do I go from here?

[quote name='pejay']Could this be her March qr 1922 Sarah Oldfield age 56 Birmingham 6d 419?[/quote]





my apologies pejay, I should have said about that one. Believe it or not, that lady is the Sister-in-Law of the lady I am looking for.



James Oldfield and his brother Michael, both married girls named Sarah.



James married Sarah Browning and Michael married Sarah Griffiths, both marriages were in Birmingham. You couldn't make it up could you.



Barrie.

[quote name='pejay']Sorry I can't find anything else either, how strange, she must be registered and she must be buried somewhere, any ideas where she could be buried? do you think she moved out of the county?[/quote]



I think she must have been taken by aliens, and is now living happily on the planet Zog.

Almost certainly your Sarah is not in Brum in 1911!!



Therefore death is probably 1901-1911



Does the family say whether she ever went to USA



Alice disappears as well!!



**********



Births Sep 1861 OLDFIELD Michael William Birmingham 6d 133



Marriages Sep 1885

GRIFFITHS Sarah Ann Birmingham 6d204

OLDFIELD Michael William Birmingham 6d204



Can't find Michael in 1891 with a Sarah



In 1901 states he is born 1869 instead of 61. Clearly written on image!!



Baffled

[quote name='markf']Almost certainly your Sarah is not in Brum in 1911!!



Therefore death is probably 1901-1911



Does the family say whether she ever went to USA



Alice disappears as well!!



**********



Births Sep 1861 OLDFIELD Michael William Birmingham 6d 133



Marriages Sep 1885

GRIFFITHS Sarah Ann Birmingham 6d204

OLDFIELD Michael William Birmingham 6d204



Can't find Michael in 1891 with a Sarah



In 1901 states he is born 1869 instead of 61. Clearly written on image!!



Baffled[/quote]



He is on the 1891, BUT, he didn't like the name Michael, because people called him "Mick" so he used the name William, then everyone called him Bill.



1891 census RG12/2393

William Oldfield Head 27 Gun Furniture Maker Birmingham

Sarah ` Wife 25 `

William ` Son 5 `

May ` Dau 4 `

Maud ` Dau 5 mths



I think that in 1911 Alice May Oldfield was living with a family on Lozells Road in B'Ham. I do have a note of it somewhere.



Barrie.