For years I thought I had traced all 19 of my 2xgreat grandparents’ children, including three who died young. Recent (January 2025) research to verify earlier work shows just how wrong I was. I had incorrectly assigned Violet Stocking, born and died in 1899, to the family, but she was my great aunt Emma‘s illegitimate baby. So who was the missing child?

Making assumptions

On the 1911 census (extract below), my 2xgreat grandfather James Thomas Stocking confirmed that he had had 19 children; this information was only required of married women, and he was by then widowed, but although crossed through by the enumerator, it was very helpful.

Extract from 1911 census for household of James Thomas Stocking (Ancestry)

I thought that I had carefully searched FreeBMD and then cross-referenced with the GRO birth indexes for all children with the surname Stocking and mother’s maiden name (MMN) Wales, to identify the family of James Thomas Stocking and Alice Mary Wales. It seems I missed the fact that Violet Stocking’s birth entry had no MMN. When I ordered her death certificate to find the cause of death (acute bronchitis), I was surprised to find that she was the illegitimate daughter of Emma Mary Ann Stocking, Corset Maker. I ordered the birth certificate for completeness.

Extract from digital birth certificate of Violet Stocking (GRO)

I returned to the GRO website and began laboriously searching year by year, separately for males and females as the search engine requires, using family surname and MMN. When I reached 1889, there she was: Mary Alice Stocking, birth registered in the Oct-Dec quarter of 1889, MMN Wales. What was puzzling was the registration district: Westminster. All the other known births were registered in St Olave or Camberwell. Another £3 digital certificate later, and here was the missing child.

Extract from digital birth certificate of Mary Alice Stocking (GRO)

The baby’s parents are clearly shown as my 2xgreat grandparents James Thomas Stocking and his wife Alice Mary, formerly Wales. The family address is 44 Bowles Road, Old Kent Road, but Mary Alice was born on 10 October 1899 at the Hospital for Women, Soho Square.

The Hospital for Women at 30 Soho Square was “founded in 1842 in Red Lion Square by Dr Protheroe Smith, a prominent London obstetrician.  It was reputed to be the first hospital in London for the ‘treatment of those maladies which neither rank, nor wealth, nor character can avert from the female sex’. The Hospital soon outgrew its Red Lion Square premises and, in 1852, moved to buildings at 30 Soho Square and 1 Frith Street.  At this time 20 in-patients could be accommodated”

Lost Hospitals of London

Sadly, baby Mary Alice only lived for ten hours. She suffered from Asthenia, or general weakness, and her death was registered by an Emily Langham from the Hospital.

Extract from digital death certificate for Unnamed female Stocking (GRO)

At the time of her death, as can be seen from the above certificate, she had not been named. When her birth was registered over a month later, her full name of Mary Alice Stocking was recorded.

So, I finally managed to trace all 19 of my 2xgreat grandparents’ children. And I will try not to make assumptions in future.