Munition Worker

In 1919, Edith Rathbone gave birth to an illegitimate son.

She is described on the boy's birth certificate (in the column for mother), as
"Edith Rathbone, a munition worker"

Is it unusual to put the mother's occupation on her child's birth cert ?

I imagine she would have led a fairly hard life, working in a munitions factory and having an illegitimate child. Would she have been paid much, and what were conditions like?

Her address is given as "Windsor Villa, Halton Brook, Halton" - I have been googling and can't find anything about the address - could it have been a home for unmarried mothers? - I don't know whether they existed in 1919.

That's about 4 questions in one - LOL

This gives an idea about munitions factories of 1919

http://deanocity3.piczo.com/coventry...linkvar=000044

I know during WWI they were very very dangerous places to be.

They weren't much better in WWII my mother worked in a munitions factory in Coventry she lived in Rugby lucky enough she was off shift during the terrible Coventry Bombing raid in November 1940 although the actual munitions places weren't that touched because of the innacurate bombing and the rest of Coventry and its civilians bore the brunt of it.

Thanks for the link Maggie -it looks pretty grim

You have heard of the family of Rathbones from Halton haven't you!

http://boards.ancestry.co.uk/surname...ne/143/mb.ashx

Is that you?

[kiterunner]

Originally Posted by Muggins in Sussex

Is it unusual to put the mother's occupation on her child's birth cert ?

Quite usual on an illegitimate child's birth cert.

Originally Posted by kiterunner

Quite usual on an illegitimate child's birth cert.

- Thanks Kite - I did not know that

Originally Posted by maggie_4_7

You have heard of the family of Rathbones from Halton haven't you!

http://boards.ancestry.co.uk/surname...ne/143/mb.ashx

Is that you?

Maggie, it's not me...but through it I found a related webpage ( http://kitwithers.fortunecity.com/ra.../rathbone.html)

I was over the moon when I discovered it, and found lots of lovely "relatives" - 2 of whom had photos of one of my parents - and I had ( as a result of rummaging, some photos of some of their relatives. I have contributed to the site.

It was wonderful - at last I knew the name of my granny and had a photo of her- and it made me weep as she looked so like me- but I guess that was somehow wishful thinking as it subsequently turned out that she was not my granny - although she brought my parent up....so all the lovely "relatives" are not actually my relatives at all - I think

Sorry it's such a muddle

[kiterunner]

Joan, on that site that you've posted the link to, it says the following:

Hannah RATHBONE (bp 18.2.1894 All Saints,Runcorn) Bp record:
George Henry & Elizabeth, 18 Ellesmere Street, cooper
Birth registered Runcorn 1894 (March qtr). "Annie" in 1901 census.

m 7.6.1919 All Saints, Runcorn sp-George Ernest HOLLAND
Hannah was 25 spinster of Windsor Villa, Halton Brook, daughter of George Henry
RATHBONE (labourer);
George E. was 27, bachelor, boilermaker of 10 Holloway, Runcorn, son of George
HOLLAND (cooper);
Marriage by banns. Witnesses: Arthur RATHBONE & Elizabeth Ellen BAZLEY.

Does that help?

Oh thank you KiteRunner - somehow I had missed that

So maybe Edith was Hannah ?

[kiterunner]

I thought maybe they were sisters, or sisters-in-law, cousins, or something like that? Anyway, it looks as though Windsor Villa was the home of a Rathbone family who would presumably be related to Edith in some way!

Thanks again Kite - I think I'll look for Edith's birth

I just feel that something "odd" happened, because of the way my parent refuses to talk about things