Looking into the eyes of an undead aunt.
 

Edited/deletion

Ah, what a sad story.

Do you know why Florence was sent to Barnado's?

OC

How wonderful that you were able to discover her, and you must have been pleased that she had the security of marrying - did she have children of her own?

EDIT: out of date info

How wonderful
Can I ask how you managed to get her records ??? as they wouldn't give me my Grandfathers Sisters they wanted a £100 but would only send them if I could prove she had no living rellies ? would be fascinated to know how you got around it thanks

I couldn't get round it, unfortunately. The records remain unseen, due to the fact she does, apparently, have living descendants from her marriage. Barnardos supplied her marriage details and the birth details of her son to prove I wasn't eligable without his express consent.

However, photographs are available to anyone. As long as you pay them :)

Thanks Babel I managed to get the photos they were in the same place as your rellie before they were shipped to Canada in 1900, I may try again as I have now found their marriages and deaths and there are no children from one of them so may get lucky .

How fascinating but very sad

A possible suggestion as to why she kept one child and not the other....I have a story of a woman who was widowed with twins. She met a widower who wanted to marry her but would only take one of the twins........she agreed, presumably hoping he would change his mind. (He didn't, the story ended tragically).

We can't know at this distance of course, but.......HOW could she have put Florence into Barnardo's on Christmas Eve???

OC

What a sad story, but how wonderful to have the photos of her. Have you made contact with her descendants?