Amanda Bradley Research
Amanda's research has been mainly around trying to bring together the relationship between her immediate family Chilton and Betsy Chrystal Duncan (daughter of Charles).
At some point in the 1920’s she takes in two young girls – Dora Chilton and Joan Chilton – whom she brings up. Dora’s mother, Ada Adeline Chilton was an unmarried maidservant from Barningham in Teesdale and Dora’s birth was registered by Eleanor Thomas – perhaps she was her employer and she arranged the unofficial adoption. The girls are told their parents died in a train crash and that they are cousins not sisters. Dora is still listed as living with her in the 1939 census and on this census her sister Eleanor Thomas (nee Duncan) is with them. In the census she names herself Elizabeth Chilton and puts her status as widower. I can find no reference to her having married a Chilton and wonder if she took the name as that was the surname the girls had. Dora’s family were gamekeepers so it seems unlikely she married into that family. She still did occasional performances under the name of Chrystal Duncan, for example in Cotherstone Village Hall in 1927 which my Nana remembers attending.
Betsy Chrystal Duncan was a opera singer and performer of some note and further down the page are details of performances recorded all.
Betsy got divorced which must have been quite unusual I'd have thought. She married Henry Bell in 1883 and they divorced in 1894. The divorce transcription has the name Frederick Haslam - I wonder if he was cited as the reason. I think it was harder back then to get divorced wasn't it so they might have to legally mention third parties. I bet that was quite a bit of gossip.
Also I got what I think is my nana's birth certificate (there were two Joan chiltons born in 1922) and her parents were Arthur and Lily May Chilton. So not same as Dora who just had Ada Adelaide Chilton but same surname. It seems as I find another piece of the puzzle there are suddenly more pieces in the puzzle!! I need to spend a few hours digging, see if I can find a link between these two Chiltons and Betsy.
|
FIRST NAME(S) |
LAST NAME(S) |
DOB |
SEX |
OCCUPATION |
|
Dora |
Chilton |
08 Mar 1924 |
Female |
Unpaid Domestic Duties |
|
Elizabeth B |
Chilton |
23 Feb 1861 |
Female |
Incapacitated Home |
|
Eleanor |
Thomas |
25 Dec 1857 |
Female |
Incapacitated |
Also not sure who you know or are related to but my nana remembers cycling to Redcar to visit 'aunt Betsy'. Betsy was Chrystal Duncan's niece and she has a photo with them on, but my Mam says she remembers a fall out after they went to visit in the 1960's after Dora had died and my nana took her some clothes through. Seemingly my uncle got his foot stuck in a drain and words were said and a letter followed telling her not to visit them again. Again it makes you wonder was that because they were skeletons in the family closet - the unmarried maids' unofficially adopted offspring or was it simply my nana was rude to them when my uncle hurt himself. To this day she has a habit of speaking her mind..anyway I thought it a funny story that may have been talked about in the family.
Below are the dates and listings from the research.