Does anyone have any information about the Townsend family who lived in Gassiot Road, Tooting Bec, London in the 1920's and possibly 1930's? The parents (my great grandparents) were called Walter and Fanny (nee Whitehead). They died in the 1930's. Their children were called Jessie (my grandmother), Lila, Robert, Margaret, Maria (?) and possibly others.... Jessie was unmarried when she gave birth to my mother, Ruth Celest in January 1923. For some reason, a decision was made not to keep my mother within this fairly large family and she was placed in a Children's Home on Old Westminster Bridge Road, London, when she was nearly two years old at the end of 1924. This Home handed my mother over at a railway station to an unknown, unchecked family living in Birmingham. I suppose that was the way in those days...... Although there were papers to say she was adopted, they were not legally drawn up. Jessie did have more children and I have managed to trace a few of them but nobody has information about the rest of this family. I know that Walter Townsend worked as a London Transport Inspector.

A question:

Was you mother's Maiden name Ruth Celest Townsend? If I had more info on her, I may be able to find more info in Jessie.

What I found on Ancestry.com:

Walter Townsend

Birth ABT 1849 • Charley, Sussex, England

Death Unknown

Spouse & Children

•

Fanny Whitehead 1860–

•

Winnifred Townsend 1881–

Walter Townsend 1883–

Hella Townsend 1885–

Alfred Townsend 1888–

Robert Townsend 1890–

Margaret Townsend 1892–

Jessie Townsend 1896–

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Have Jessie living at home in the 1901 England Census

(Don't know about the story about being places in a home at age 2)

Name: Jessie Townsend

Age: 5

Estimated birth year: abt 1896

Relation to Head: Daughter

Gender: Female

Father: Wallie Townsend

Mother: Fanny Townsend

Birth Place: Stockwell, London, England

Civil Parish: Tooting Graveney

Search Photos:

Ecclesiastical parish: St Nicholas Tooting Graveney

County/Island: London

Country: England

Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status:

View image

Registration district: Wandsworth

Sub-registration district: Streatham

ED, institution, or vessel: 10

Neighbors: View others on page

Piece: 470

Folio: 112

Page Number: 37

Household schedule number: 250

Household Members: Name Age

Wallie Townsend 53

Fanny Townsend 40

Walter Townsend 18

Lila Townsend 16

Robert Townsend 11

Margaret Townsend 9

Jessie Townsend 5

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Have Jessie living at home in the 1911 England Census

(Don't know about the story about being places in a home at age 2)

Name Jessie Townsend

Age in 1911 15

Estimated Birth Year abt 1896

Relation to Head Daughter

Gender Female

Birth Place London, United Kingdom

Civil parish Battersea

Search Photos Battersea, London, England

County/Island London

Country England

Street Address 97 Mallinson Road, New Wandsworth, Battersea S W

Marital Status Single

Occupation AT HOME NO WORK

Registration district Wandsworth

Registration District Number 26

Sub-registration district South West Battersea

ED, institution, or vessel 16

Piece 2236

Household Members Name Age

Walter Townsend 59

Fanny Townsend 48

Margaret Townsend 19

Jessie Townsend 15

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