Edith Mary Courtney nee Paice b1867

Edith Courtenay is listed as the daughter of Arthur 'George' and Abigail in the 1871 census.  However, it is unclear whether she is in fact the biological daughter of George.  Edith was born in Forton Hampshire in 1867, her birth was registered under the name of PAICE and no father listed on the certificate.  Edith's son Albert was born in 1886, whilst known as Courtney in all records throughout his life, his birth was also registered under the name of Albert PAICE.  This suggests that perhaps Edith knew she was not the child of Arthur 'George'.

 
At the time of the 1881 census, she and her sister Abigail are lodging at Madiera Vale, in the small village of Holdenhurst with William and Jane Brown.  Martha Paice nee Marsh and Henry Paice, are also visiting;  Henry and Martha are half siblings to their mother, Abigail nee Paice.  A Downer family is also living next door.

Holdenhurst, Moule map c1835


By the time of the 1891 census Edith is working away from home in South Newton Wiltshire in domestic service and in 1892 is a witness at her sister Abigail Ann Maud's wedding in Bournemouth, still going by the name of Courtney.
 
In 1901 she is living back in Droxford, still in domestic service.  She is living nearby to Jemima Boswell (nee Singleton) who had been present at the death of her grandfather, James Paice in 1892.
 
Edith is listed in the 1911 census working as a domestic servant in Buckinghamshire. 
 
We lose trace of Edith, but family stories indicate she may have gone to Belguim or France and was a 'courtelaine".  There is a record for an Edith Courtney sailing to Australia in 1894, but as this is before Abigail and her family moved there, it seems unlikely to be her.  Family stories never suggested any other relatives in Australia.

Sadly Albert died in WW1 (without issue) and if he was the only descendant there are no potential DNA candidates from Edith's line.




If you help with any of this research, please use the contact form on this blog or send me a private message via Wikitree, Ancestry or Facebook.

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This blog is dedicated to finding my second great grandfather Arthur 'George' Courtney c1835.   To see a summary of my research click here.  If you can help answer any questions raised in this blog, please contact me via the contact form on the bottom of this page.

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