Who was Katherine 'Kitty' Winfield?

Question

My Great Grandmother was called Katherine Winfield.

She gave birth to Valentine 'Smith' (my grandfather) on 14th Feb 1909 in Lincoln.

The father was Thomas Rowland Smith although he was not on the birth certificate. He grew up in Tibshelf, Derbyshire, then moved to Newark before going to fight, and die, in The Great War (WWI).

Kitty was sent away to have the baby in Lincoln (registered as living at 13 Swan Street, Lincoln on Valentine's Birth Certificate).

Valentine was then brought up by Thomas' aunt.

On the birth certificate of Valentine, Kitty's occupation is recorded as 'Domestic Help'.

A lady called Harriet Cunnington was present at the birth who lived at 19 Swan Street, Lincoln. I'd be interested to find out more about her as well.

I would be grateful if anyone can point me in a good direction to look for information on Kitty. I've searched census and birth records etc but have so far found nothing conclusive.

She had her child, Valentine (my grand father), taken off her and my family really want to find out how she got on after this tragic event.

Comments

Your family is so lucky to have information about the father if he wasn't included on the birth certificate. Congrats! Forgive my provincialism but I'm presuming that all of these events happened in England. Can you clarify the country for Rubes like me? (Wikitree is international in scope.) Thanks!

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Valentine Smith Winfield

 in the England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915

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Search for Valentine Smith Winfield in the UK Census Collection

Search for Valentine Smith Winfield in the London Times

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Name:	Valentine Smith Winfield
Registration Year:	1909
Registration Quarter:	Jan-Feb-Mar
Registration district:	Lincoln
Parishes for this Registration District:	View Ecclesiastical Parishes associated with this Registration District
Inferred County:	Lincolnshire
Volume:	7a
Page:	482

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Valentine Wingfield Smith

 in the 1911 England Census

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Name:	Valentine Wingfield Smith
Age in 1911:	2
Estimated birth year:	abt 1909
Relation to Head:	Adopted Son
Gender:	Male
Birth Place:	Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England
Civil Parish:	Pendleton
Search Photos:	Search for 'Pendleton' in the UK City, Town and Village Photos collection
County/Island:	Lancashire
Country:	England
Street address:	18 Saxby Street Irlams Oth Height Pendleton Salford Manchester
Registration district:	Salford
Registration District Number:	465
Sub-registration district:	Pendleton
ED, institution, or vessel:	20
Piece:	23951
Household Members:	Name Age Walter Parton 50 Elizabeth Parton 48 Lavinia Elizth Parton 18 Louise Parton 17 William Geo Parton 15 Walter John Parton 12 Valentine Wingfield Smith 2

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Valentine S Parton

 in the England & Wales, Marriage Index, 1916-2005

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Name:	Valentine S Parton
Spouse Surname:	Crompton
Date of Registration:	Apr-May-Jun 1936
Registration district:	Barton
Inferred County:	Greater Manchester, Lancashire
Volume Number:	8c
Page Number:	1786
Find Spouse:	Find Spouse

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Norah Crompton

 in the England & Wales, Marriage Index, 1916-2005

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Name:	Norah Crompton
Spouse Surname:	Parton
Date of Registration:	Apr-May-Jun 1936
Registration district:	Barton
Inferred County:	Greater Manchester, Lancashire
Volume Number:	8c
Page Number:	1786
Find Spouse:	Find Spouse

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Valentine Smith Parton

 in the England & Wales, Death Index, 1916-2007

Index-only record

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Name:	Valentine Smith Parton
Birth Date:	14 Feb 1909
Date of Registration:	Mar 1984
Age at Death:	75
Registration district:	Salford
Inferred County:	Lancashire
Volume:	39
Page:	1015

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Betty Fox, you are a miracle worker. Howja do all that so fast!?!

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Betty, what a terrific answer.  Great job!

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Thank you Betty; what a lot of research! I genuinely wasn't even expecting a reply.

Were you not able to find any sign of Kitty (Katherine) in your research? If you weren't then it confirms that I won't be able to and I won't bother.

Thanks again for all your help,

 

Ed

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Sorry Dorothy, I forget to be specific sometimes. All locations are in England.

My Grandfather was raised by a relative of the father so we know that side. The problem is we never knew about Kitty who had her baby (my Grandfather) 'taken' from her. We've always wanted to know what happened to her after this event.

Thanks for taking an interest; I'm really grateful for your support.

 

Ed

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Hi Ed

It appears that Kitty is born in 1894 in Grantham, Lincolnshire.  I see that Findmypast have her school record starting in 1897.  The same lady is in the 1911 census, again in Grantham.

I also see that Kate W Winfield marries in Grantham in the Jun qtr of 1918 to a Mr Miller.  If this is the right person then the marriage certificate will confirm more details. 

Surname	First name(s)	Spouse	District	Vol	Page
Marriages Jun 1918   (>99%)
Winfield	Kate W	Miller	Grantham	7a	981

Then, you are looking for a Kitty Miller death after this time.  I then found:

Surname	First name(s)	Age	District	Vol	Page
Deaths Sep 1927   (>99%)
Miller	Kate W	31	Stamford	7a	307

I would buy the marriage certificate from the English GRO and if that works, by the death certificate.  Both are easy to do online at:

https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/Login.asp

Good luck and do report back with how you go.  We all love success stories!!

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Wow, that is exciting research! Thanks.

How confident would you be that this is 1) all the same person; and, 2) my great grand mother?

Or put a different way, can I upload this information to Wikitree and, most importantly, can I tell my mum?

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Hi

You are very welcome.  I appreciate your kindness in return.

I am pretty confident that the marriage and death are of the same person.

As to whether she is yours....the only way to tell is to buy those certificates and match the information to what you already know.  The birth dates match, the townships match, the names match.

But, you now need to prove it.  Good luck!

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OK, more information.  This time, the 1901 census shows:

Kate Winfield

England and Wales Census, 1901

Name	Kate Winfield
Event Type	Census
Event Date	31 Mar 1901
Event Place	Spittlegate Within, Lincolnshire, England
County	Lincolnshire
Civil Parish	Spittlegate Within
Ecclesiastical Parish	Grantham St John The Evangelist Spitlegate
Sub-District	Grantham North
Registration District	Grantham
Residence Note	Commercial Road
Gender	Female
Age	6
Relationship to Head of Household	Daughter
Birth Year (Estimated)	1895
Birthplace	Grantham, Lincolnshire
Schedule Type	113
Page Number	17

Household	Role	Gender	Age	Birthplace
Frank Winfield	Head	M	48	Orston, Nottinghamshire
Eliza Winfield	Wife	F	48	Orston, Nottinghamshire
Frank Winfield	Son	M	17	Grantham, Lincolnshire
Jno Winfield	Son	M	15	Grantham, Lincolnshire
Eliz Winfield	Daughter	F	14	Grantham, Lincolnshire
Kate Winfield	Daughter	F	6	Grantham, Lincolnshire
Robert E Bellamy	Boarder	M	25	Hornsey, Middlesex

Citing this Record

"England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XS8B-Z2F : accessed 23 September 2015), Kate Winfield in household of Frank Winfield, Spittlegate Within, Lincolnshire, England; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing Grantham North subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.

 and in the 1911 census:

Kate Winfield

England and Wales Census, 1911

Name	Kate Winfield
Event Type	Census
Event Date	1911
County	Lincolnshire
Parish	Grantham
Sub-District	Grantham North
Registration District	Grantham
Gender	Female
Age	16
Birthplace	Grantham, Lincolnshire
Record Type	Household

Citing this Record

"England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7YC-6Z2 : accessed 23 September 2015), Kate Winfield, Grantham, Grantham, Lincolnshire, England; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.

 

and that marriage that I mentioned:

Kate W Winfield

mentioned in the record of Miller and Kate W Winfield

Name	Kate W Winfield
Event Type	Marriage
Registration Quarter	Apr-May-Jun
Registration Year	1918
Registration District	Grantham
County	Lincolnshire
Event Place	Grantham, Lincolnshire, England
Spouse Name (available after 1911)	Miller
Volume	7A
Page	981
Line Number	135
Kate W Winfield probably married one of the following people
Name	Herbert E Miller

Citing this Record

"England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:26V8-JD4 : accessed 23 September 2015), Kate W Winfield and null, 1918; from “England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005,” database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Marriage, Grantham, Lincolnshire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.

 

again, you still need to those marriage and death certificates, but, this just gives you the extra information.  I'd also have a look at the 1911 census to see who else is living in the house and the exact address.

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I agree, beautifully done. Thanks a lot for all your help. I'll get those certificates and hopefully find out she lived a happy life after all. I'll let you know when I find out.

Thanks again.

Ed

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Hi Dale,

I recently received the marriage certificate and the Kate Winfield (c1895) is the same person as that who married Herbert E Millar in 1918.

However, I currently have no actual link between this lady and the Kitty Winfield who gave birth to my Grandfather. In addition, she would have only been 14 or 15 at the time of his birth! Does this sound plausible? 

 

Ed

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Hi Ed

Good for you.  Having those original source documents always helps.

Yes, Kitty being so young when she had the baby does make sense when she was sent away and it was then "adopted".

I'm afraid that you may never get 100% proof that Kate is Kitty unless you can find a child of the marriage to compare DNA.  But, that starts a whole new journey in itself.

I believe that all you can do is compile a story of your ancestors based on the information available.  Sometimes, you can have absolutely no doubt and sometimes, you can only work on what you feel is right based on what you have, and, then be prepared to correct your research if new evidence emerges disproving the original claim.

Good luck!!

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Thanks so much for all your help. I'm extremely grateful and my mum is going to be thrilled.

Regards,

Ed

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You are very welcome, Ed!  I am glad that we could all help,  Now, you can trace her family line if you would like.  I can totally relate to your situation, and, understand the sense of peace and relief knowing this will bring to your mother and your family.  I've been down this road, myself.  Best wishes, Ed.

Answer 1

Beautifully done, Dale!

Comments

Thank you, Dorothy.  You are very kind.

Answer 2

I don't know if it really adds anything except another source and some  speculation but  Kate Winifred Winfield was baptised only a few months before Valentine was born,

 She has the same parents and is living at the same address as the 6 year old Kate on the 1901 census.  (there weren't any others from the family baptised on the same day,  so if it is the same Kate then as your ancestor then perhaps the local vicar had some hand in finding a place for the  confinement)

County Lincolnshire

Place Grantham

Church name St Wulfram

Register type 

Register entry number 1476

Baptism date 24 Nov 1908

Person forename Kate Winifred

Person sex F

Person abode Commercial Road

Father forename Frank

Father surname WINFIELD

Father occupation Labourer

Mother forename Eliza

Mother surname WINFIELD http://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/554611e6f493fda415015c08?search_id=5630d40733045bca48000ec8