can not get anywhere researching one family ancestor

[forcesilver]

Hello,
We have been trying to search for my wife's mother who left when my wife was only a toddler, seventy years ago.
Her older siblings had no information either and have now passed.
All we have is her father and mothers wedding certificate, which has the mothers maiden name, date of birth in 1913 and her fathers name.
We have spent time searching for over two years now with no luck at all.
The surname is a common name so have spent hours searching.
Spent time at the local library using the 1921 census but still no luck.
The only info we have is her maiden name, date of birth, father's name, also on the wedding certificate it stated the father was a miner.
We contacted the miners union they was very helpful but could find anything in their records regarding the full father's name that is on the certificate.
We also did have a suggestion from older siblings a while ago that the mother may have come from Sheffield.
We have used all the information we have but no luck at all.
This is certainly one brick wall indeed.
Any ideas to any other ways to research would be very welcome indeed.
We have been signed up with Ancestry for many years and have reached back for three centuries plus with my own ancestors.
Bob

[meekhcs]

Welcome to the Forum.

I realise this is a sensitive issue for your Wife, but in order to be able to offer help Members will need at least her maiden name and date of birth, and any other info you can share ie parents names and dates, and her marriage details.

[forcesilver]

Thank you for the reply Sally

Information that we have:

The mother's maiden name is Thelma Florence Kathleen Holmes born 1913
Her father's name is John Henry Vincent Holmes a coal miner
We have this information from my wife's father and mother's marriage certificate dated 1945 in St Albans Hertfordshire
My wife's fathers name is Costas Haji Efstathiou
We have had indications that Thelma came from Sheffield Yorkshire, have used this in research.
I have had access to the 1911 and 1921 censuses but no luck finding John Henry Vincent Holmes and no Thelma in the 1921 census she would have been about 8 years old then.
The only information we have is my wife's parents wedding certificate dated 1945 and their names which are together in the 1939 register which was done before WW2 in that it shows them in St Pancras London.

Bob

[meekhcs]

Morning

I know others will be all over this mystery but here are a few pointers to start with, in case you haven't seen them.

There are death and probate records for a Costas Haji Efstathiou on Ancestry and FMP. He was of Cypriot descent born in 1898 and died in 1970.

FMP have quite a few newspaper clippings carrying the name Efstathiou, you may glean something from them.

In 1936 there is a Thelma and Costas Efstathiou living at 81 Whitfield Street St Pancras according to Ancestry.

The only birth for a John Henry Vincent Holmes that I found was in 1916 Q3 NEATH Vol 11a page1822 Mothers maiden name EYNON. Bearing in mind you mentioned Father John was a miner, this would have been a mining area in Wales, and this birth record could be for a son.

[VALLMO9]

I have had access to the 1911 and 1921 censuses but no luck finding John Henry Vincent Holmes and no Thelma in the 1921 census

1921 census - John Henry Holmes (born 1916) is with his parents Philip and Sarah (and siblings) at 8, Park Terrace, Pen-Lan, Neath Higher, Glamorganshire. Father is a Tin Worker Roller Man.

I'm wondering what his connection is to Thelma, particularly as she gives "his" name on her 1945 marriage record.

[woodchal]

Two other Holmes births with MMN of EYNON in Neath

HOLMES, MARTHA LORRAINE 1914
HOLMES, PHYLLIS MAY 1912

But no Thelma, doesn't feel like right for the direct family but possibly a relative - worth investigating the Holmes/Eynon tree to find if there is an older John Henry Vincent who has passed the name down to different branches of the family

[woodchal]

Other researchers have

Philip Holmes m Sarah Ann Eynon

The John Henry may have Verdan (Verdun) as a middle name not Vincent - this was quite comment at the time I believe

[jonwarrn]

Were you able to trace what happened to Thelma after she left the family home?
There is this death possibility, has she been eliminated?
June qtr 1981 Camden 14 1880
Harkell, Thelma
d-o-b 26 July 1913
Which is the same date of birth as Thelma Efstathiou's on the 1939 Register.

Her partner seems to have been Charles Robert Francis Harkell, known as Frank, who was born 1914 in Bermuda. He died 1985.
Don't see a marriage for them.
They were living at 13 Lady Somerset Road, Kentish Town, in the mid 1960's.

The Harkell family are in Hertford, Hertfordshire, in the 1921 census and the parents Charles and Elizabeth were stilll living there in 1939.

Death certificate should give maiden name and place of birth (as believed by the informant)
Of course it may not be the same Thelma, no middle names, but she seems quite a good match

[forcesilver]

Thank you jonwarrn
We have been unable to trace Thelma after she left home.
My wife has 5 older brothers and sisters, of which 3 have passed on.
None of the older ones had anything to tell us about Thelma.
Costas brought up all 6 of them on his own, he was a top chef and a really lovely man

Bob

[forcesilver]

I have had access to the 1911 and 1921 censuses but no luck finding John Henry Vincent Holmes and no Thelma in the 1921 census

1921 census - John Henry Holmes (born 1916) is with his parents Philip and Sarah (and siblings) at 8, Park Terrace, Pen-Lan, Neath Higher, Glamorganshire. Father is a Tin Worker Roller Man.

I'm wondering what his connection is to Thelma, particularly as she gives "his" name on her 1945 marriage record.

I will look into that
Thank you VALLMO9
Bob