Page 1 of 4

The elusive Norah Prendergast

Posted: 02 Nov 2015 14:21
by Sue H
Afternoon everyone

The long await 1939 register has arrived, and you can guess I was busy on it soon as I could this morning !

Had not found anyone I was desperately hoping to find I thought I would have a look at my dads family. I was lucky I knew his address. He was born in 1926 and died in 1989.

And there he was along with my Grandad, Nan (a closed record for my uncle, who died 2004) and wait for it................Nora Murray, a housekeeper.

Ok depends which way you look at it..............is it......or isnt it my elusive great grandmother ???

Date of birth is out (but when has that bothered my lot!!) 4th October, 1882 and a widow. I have darted over to ancestry new tree........put in details and lo and behold a death for Mrs Murray 1945, same address, Ford Cemetary !!

I know in 1948 my auntie norah (nans sister)was still there as she got married from that address to Sydney Usher. So am I being unrealist to think this is her :oops:


Have I found the family home..........maybe.

Jobs to do:

1. Order death certificate see who signed it
2. Try and find a marriage for Norah to Mr Murray !!

I really am shocked........can I just ask .......can anyone suggest a plan of action for me to check if this women is my great grandmother and not just a string of coincidence :shock:

Many thanks

Sue x

Re: The elusive Norah Prendergast

Posted: 02 Nov 2015 14:50
by Sue H
Well thats done it................the grave in Ford Cemetary is only the Usher grave :shock: :shock:

I have found my great grandmother :o

Still sending for death certificate xx

Sue x

Re: The elusive Norah Prendergast

Posted: 02 Nov 2015 14:58
by Blue70
Well done. The 1939 Register whether using the old process or the new has proved very useful for me. You can get some good information from FMP's new collection just through playing with the search. I haven't spent anything yet and I've found new information. The address search is very good you can go through streets and view one name for each house so you can eventually track people down if you have a rough idea where they lived.


Blue

Re: The elusive Norah Prendergast

Posted: 02 Nov 2015 15:39
by Sue H
Thanks Blue, you know how much this means to me x

Cant find a marriage for her and Mr Murray, death certificate may give me a clue.........although how did she marry Prendergast or Davies a lot of combinations to go through. She was a widow in 1939 she say...........and the only thing right is October the month she was born, but who cares xx

How can I get details of the grave in Ford Cemetery...........I have now found a few Ushers in the grave.........wondering if there are any other surprises.

Suex

Re: The elusive Norah Prendergast

Posted: 02 Nov 2015 16:41
by Fledge
Sue H wrote:
I have found my great grandmother :o
Wonderful. :D

Re: The elusive Norah Prendergast

Posted: 02 Nov 2015 17:28
by MaryA
Well well the elusive Norah Prendergast who has raised her head more than once to confuse us on this forum!!!
Sue H wrote: How can I get details of the grave in Ford Cemetery...........I have now found a few Ushers in the grave.........wondering if there are any other surprises.
Need the exact details of "Mrs Murray's" burial - name, date, address and the most important - what is the Grave Reference? I could put it on the list to see how much time I have before the Help Desk tomorrow.

Do I have the correct one - 30 July, 1945 - 37 Hampden Street, 64, does it say JL? 412

Re: The elusive Norah Prendergast

Posted: 02 Nov 2015 17:51
by Sue H
Hi Mary that would be brilliant yes those are the correct details. At the moment I have Sydney and Nora USHER, William Surtees Usher 1933. Hoping maybe Mary Josephine Scott there as well.....she's Nora' s sister.

Can't believe I stumbled on it.........thought I'd find nans sister....but as yet no luck.


But can't be greedy can I

Sue x

Re: The elusive Norah Prendergast

Posted: 02 Nov 2015 18:54
by simone
Great find Sue :D xx

Re: The elusive Norah Prendergast

Posted: 02 Nov 2015 19:36
by BarbaraW
Well done Sue in smashing down a brick wall. :D

Re: The elusive Norah Prendergast

Posted: 02 Nov 2015 19:57
by Sue H
Thanks Barbara I decided to open it up to see if my auntie Norah was with Nan at the time. Never registered at first, just wondered who she was, lodger maybe. When I found the burial started getting excited.....now for death certificate :lol:

I do have to say thank you to this group......I popped up on here a few years ago with memories and some family tales but nothing else.......no close living relatives, no photos, no paper work only a half filled in baby book from 1952

Today I have a family tree that contains people I never knew existed, photographs of my great great grandmother's family and my granddad' s family which have been sent to me.


Thank you all you're a wonderful group of people

Sue xx

Re: The elusive Norah Prendergast

Posted: 02 Nov 2015 22:08
by Alison C
Hi Sue

FreeBMD has the following marriage in Q1 1914

DAVIES Norah
MURREAY Herman C
Liverpool 8b 182

The only problem is that John William Davies was still alive at that point. However I don't think we ever found a marriage for Norah and John William so maybe she was free to marry Herman?

Alison

Re: The elusive Norah Prendergast

Posted: 02 Nov 2015 22:24
by Blue70
Ozranga on Rootschat does Ford Cemetery private grave look-ups she has the RC records on microfiche:-

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.ph ... 651292.333


Blue

Re: The elusive Norah Prendergast

Posted: 03 Nov 2015 07:49
by Sue H
Alison wow!!! Spent most of last night into wee hours looking at marriages.

John would probably be in army then and his records don't mention "wife" or children, only a question at front of his papers probably put there in 1915 where he died from cancer. His belongings went to his mother. And in a letter years after his death she never mentions Norah or her grandchildren.

I think the opinion on here was he never married Norah.

So I will now go and look at Herman Murray xxxxxxx

Thank you so much

Sue x

Ps can't say she's boring can we xxx

Re: The elusive Norah Prendergast

Posted: 03 Nov 2015 07:53
by Sue H
Thanks blue will have a look today.


Give everyone a laugh today............have had a 24hour heart monitor on starting at 9:30 yesterday !!! May have to give the hospital an insight into a couple of the readings :lol:

Re: The elusive Norah Prendergast

Posted: 03 Nov 2015 08:41
by MaryA
Blue70 wrote:Ozranga on Rootschat does Ford Cemetery private grave look-ups
Let me know ASAP if my offer of help isn't needed then.

Re: The elusive Norah Prendergast

Posted: 03 Nov 2015 09:53
by Sue H
No Mary please can you go a head with your search if you have time xxx

Re: The elusive Norah Prendergast

Posted: 03 Nov 2015 11:39
by MaryA
Owner is Mary Usher
Those in grave are John William Surteer Usher 1933, Nora Murray 1945, Sydney Usher 1950, Mary Scott 1955, Norah Usher 1969.
Will post a scan this evening with full details of ages, addresses and exact dates.

Re: The elusive Norah Prendergast

Posted: 03 Nov 2015 18:09
by Sue H
Mary this is fabulous xxx

Mary Scott is Mary Prendergast, Nora Murray is Annie/Nora Prendergast my great grandmother. John is Mary's son...Sydney is Mary's son. Norah USHER is nora' s daughter (my great aunt who married Sydney).

I only wish this was known when my Nan, Sara, grandad were laid to rest it would have made a full house xxx


Thank you so much x

Re: The elusive Norah Prendergast

Posted: 03 Nov 2015 20:24
by MaryA
There you go, hopefully a few loose ends tied up
Image

Re: The elusive Norah Prendergast

Posted: 04 Nov 2015 09:17
by Sue H
Thank you Mary that's brilliant all those address are known to me.

Was expecting to see John Scott there Mary's second husband who died before her but not to be.


when Nora's death certificate comes I will see if her husband is named, they normally are aren't they if she is down as widow ?

At present cant find Mr Herman C Murraey............tried variations but nothing, there was one soldier in the Liverpool Kings Reg that's a possibility but its only initials and spelt Murray, and I cant find sign up documents ........but not loosing to much sleep over it until I get the certificate.

At least now I know where she is xx