Life History

1889	Resident in Union Workhouse, Strood, Kent, England..2
30th Jan 1889	Born in Union Workhouse, Strood, Kent, England..1
31st Jan 1889	Note in Date of birth according to death certificate.3
1891	Note in 1891 census lists Louisa to be the daughter of john and Martha Harris.5
1891	Resident in 5 Barn Meadow, Halling, Kent, England.5
1901	Resident in 11 Railway Place, Halling, Kent, England.6
1912	Resident in Mount Pleasant, Holborough Road, Snodland.7
1912	Witness in A.J.Monk.14
1912	Witness in H.M. Goodwin.14
1912	Witness in J.Datlen (Groom's mother).14
1912	Witness in Johns Harris (Brides uncle).14
5th Aug 1912	Married Edwin Albert DATLEN in The Primitive Methodist Church, Malling Road, Snodland, Kent, England..19
1913	Resident in Living at 70 Exeter Road, Bristol..8
19th Jul 1913	Birth of son Dennis Vernon DATLEN in 70 Exeter Road, Bristol, England.15
4th Apr 1916	Birth of son Raymond Hector DATLEN in Bristol, Somerset, England
26th Jul 1924	Birth of daughter Edwina Alberta DATLEN in Portsmouth, England
1926	Resident in Living at 152 Old Tovil Road, Maidstone..9
20th Aug 1926	Birth of son Kenneth John DATLEN in 152 Old Yovil Road, Maidstone..17
1937	Resident in Living at 55 Benning Avenue, Dunstable..10
9th Feb 1937	Death of son Kenneth John DATLEN in The Bute Hospital, Luton..16
21st Jan 1969	Death of Edwin Albert DATLEN in St Mary's Hospital, Luton, England.18
1975	Resident in Chalkacres, Ridgeway Avenue, Dunstable..11
2nd Sep 1975	Died in Chalkacres, Ridgeway Avenue, Dunstable, England.4 Bronchopneumonia, Cerebral arterio-sclerosis, Severe senile dementia

Other facts

Note in Was adopted by her uncle John Harris.

Notes

• 27th September 2001.
  Dear Mrs.Cobb,
  
  Further to our recent Email correspondence, I have now completed theresearch you requested regarding Matilda Harris and her daughterLouisa Bessie and can send a report.
  
  I ascertained that the Strood Poor Law Union's Register of ChildrenBoarded Out 1888-1920 (reference G/St AW/2) and the Foster Parents'Undertakings 1888-1908 (G/St AW/5) are both subject to a 100-yearembargo period and therefore do not become available to the publicuntil the years 2020 and 2008 respectively. I believe that undercertain circumstances relatives of people in these registers can gainaccess to the information in them, but your client would have to getin touch with the Medway Studies Centre, Clock Tower Building, Strood,Kent, where these volumes are held, if s/he wants to pursue this.
  
  I was able to examine the following:
  
  Medway Studies Centre, Strood (copy on film at the Centre for KentishStudies, Maidstone):
  G/St WIb1 - Strood Poor Law Union Register of Births in the Workhouse:
  Born 31 [sic] January 1889, female, mother Matilda Harris.
  From which parish parent admitted : Halling.
  In what name baptised: Louisa.
  Remarks: Illegitimate.
  
  G/St WIc 1 - Strood Poor Law Union Religious Creed Register.
  This is arranged in alphabetical order of surname and within thesechronologically by date of admission.
  The one surviving volume appears to have been started in June 1895 anddetails of those admitted to the Workhouse and still in it at thatdate were recorded, then other inmates were recorded by date ofadmission up to January 1908, where the volume ends. I searched allthrough the 'H' from the beginning to the end but found no entries forMatilda or John Harris or any Harris from Halling.
  
  G/St WId 1 - Strood Poor Law Union Register of deaths in theWorkhouse:
  I searched from January 1889 to the end of the year but found noHarris. I did not search further as it seemed likely that once Matildahad had her baby she would have left the Workhouse.
  
  In the catalogue to the records of the Strood Poor Law Union, there isa calendar noting the main contents of letters written to the Clerk tothe Board of Guardians. I looked through these for the period1889-1912 but found no mention of Matilda, Louisa or John Harris orany Harris from Halling.
  
  Looking at the two possible Matildas you have identified in the 1881census index, I see that a 9-year old Matilda Harris was born atHalling and was there with her family in that census, so she wouldseem to be a likely candidate to be the mother of Louisa.
  

Sources

• 1. Birth Certificate for Louisa Bessie Harris
  • Name: General Register Office; Date: 18 February 1889;
  • Column 1 - Date and place of birth
• 2. Birth Certificate for Louisa Bessie Harris
  • Name: General Register Office; Date: 18 February 1889;
• 3. Death Certificate for Louisa Bessie Harris
  • Name: General Register Office; Date: 4 September 1975;
  • Box 5 - Date and place of birth
• 4. Death Certificate for Louisa Bessie Harris
  • Name: General Register Office; Date: 4 September 1975;
  • Box 1 - Date and place of death
• 5. 1891 British Census for John Harris of Halling, Kent
  • Name: The National Archives; Date: 5th April 1891;
• 6. 1901 British Census for John Harris of Halling, Kent
  • Name: The National Archives; Date: 31 March 1901;
• 7. Marriage Certificate for Edwin Datlen & Louisa Harris
  • Name: General Register Office; Date: 5 August 1912;
  • Column 6 - Residence at the time of marriage
• 8. Birth Certificate for Edwin Albert Datlen
  • Name: General Register Office; Date: 20 December 1889;
• 9. Birth Certificate for Kenneth John Datlen
  • Name: General Register Office; Date: 11 September 1926;
• 10. Death Certificate for Kenneth John Datlen
  • Name: General Register Office; Date: 11 February 1937;
• 11. Death Certificate for Louisa Bessie Harris
  • Name: General Register Office; Date: 4 September 1975;
  • Box 6 - Occupation and usual address
• 12. Marriage Certificate for Edwin Datlen & Louisa Harris
  • Name: General Register Office; Date: 5 August 1912;
  • Column 2 - Name and surname
• 13. Birth Certificate for Edwin Albert Datlen
  • Name: General Register Office; Date: 20 December 1889;
  • Column 5 - Name, surname and maiden surname of mother
• 14. Marriage Certificate for Edwin Datlen & Louisa Harris
  • Name: General Register Office; Date: 5 August 1912;
• 15. Birth Certificate for Dennis Vernon Datlen
  • Name: General Register Office; Date: 5 August 1913;
  • Column 1 - When & Where born
• 16. Death Certificate for Kenneth John Datlen
  • Name: General Register Office; Date: 11 February 1937;
  • Column 1 - When and where died
• 17. Birth Certificate for Kenneth John Datlen
  • Name: General Register Office; Date: 11 September 1926;
  • Column 1 - When and where born
• 18. Death Certificate for Edwin Albert Datlen
  • Name: General Register Office; Date: 21 January 1969;
  • Column 1 - When and where died
• 19. Marriage Certificate for Edwin Datlen & Louisa Harris
  • Name: General Register Office; Date: 5 August 1912;
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