The story with Mary Harris started out with my research for Alexander Campbell Harris records in Wales.
Eventually I located a burial entry for Alexander at Llanelli Cemetery and they kindly provided my with a print out with the details.
I noticed on this print out that there was another person buried in the same grave. He was buried in 1935 and she (a 5 month old girl) on 30 March 1920.
I searched for a death certificate for this girl and it was as I suspected:
- Rank or Profession: Daughter of Alexander Campbell Harris
- Informant: Father Alex Harris
So my wife's Great Grandfather had a daughter that no one knew about and fits in the tree correctly:
My problem is locating her birth entry which I would make out as October / November 1919. I did an initial search and came up with a Mary Harris in the district of Kings Norton. I know this was not Llanelli but I thought it worth a short. Turns out that this Mary did not have a father on the certificate but had a mother (Gertrude Lois Harris) so this can't be our Mary.
On Mary's death certificate it said her father was a "Licensed Victualler" which I understand to be an old term for a Landlord. And I know from family that Alexanders wife Esme was a Landlord. The certificate says Brecon Arms, which has been confirmed to be in Llanelli at the time.
So that is the history. I can easily find her death but why can't I find her birth? I admit that I have assumed that the mother was Esme, but it just makes sense.
Either way, I am hitting a brick wall and it would be nice to find the correct birth entry.
