Woman's Memorial Plaque

[Nichola Stewart]

Hi, looking for help. My Mother-In-Law who is 98 has moved into a nursing home. In amongst her belongings is a "Death Penny" made out to a woman, Andrina Menelawes. I know these are rare and as a result collectable. What I'm more interested in is trying to find out is who this woman was and why she was in the great war. The surname is a distant family name, my Mother-in-law had a cousin William Menelawes who died leaving no heirs. I've asked her about an Andrina in the family but she looks completely blank, denies there was sister or wife and doesn't remember how she came to have the penny. Help! How do I start researching the name? I'm in Scotland, William Menelawes lived in Edinburgh (As far as I know) other than that, I have no other information. I have a feeling the penny should be in a museum or collection, rather than with me??? Thanks in advance x

Edited 28 October , 2017 by Nichola Stewart

[ss002d6252]

There's nothing obvious in the birth/death/marriage records in England/Wales/Scotland under that surame and I can't see anything in the usual military searches as yet - are you sure on the spelling ?

Craig

Edited 28 October , 2017 by ss002d6252

[Nichola Stewart]

Yes, and the surname is an unusual spelling, "Menelawes" rather than the usual "Menelaws"

[ss002d6252]

3 minutes ago, Nichola Stewart said:

Yes, and the surname is an unusual spelling, "Menelawes" rather than the usual "Menelaws"

It is odd - there's nothing under that spelling in the official birth records that comes up.

There is this one though but I don't think it's the same person

 

Edited 28 October , 2017 by ss002d6252

[Nichola Stewart]

I've just phoned the National War Museum who've said I should get in touch with the National archives. This is all new territory for me  is 1922 year of birth?

[ss002d6252]

4 minutes ago, Nichola Stewart said:

I've just phoned the National War Museum who've said I should get in touch with the National archives. This is all new territory for me  is 1922 year of birth?

That is the dob - if it was the same person but checking around further suggests the individual above isn't the correct person.

 

Any chance you can post a picture of the penny ?
 

[alf mcm]

  Nichola,

  She is possibly Andrina Grierson Galloway or Menelaws, wife of William Brown Menelaws, Wholesale Wine Merchant. She died in London on 30^th October 1918. See this record on Ancestry;-

  https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/60558/40884_b206813-00318?pid=617407&backurl=http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc%3DbmY5776%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource%26usePUBJs%3Dtrue%26gss%3Dangs-g%26new%3D1%26rank%3D1%26gsfn%3DANDRINA%26gsfn_x%3D1%26gsln%3DMENELAWS%26gsln_x%3D1%26MS_AdvCB%3D1%26cp%3D0%26catbucket%3Drstp%26MSAV%3D2%26uidh%3D9y4%26pcat%3DROOT_CATEGORY%26h%3D617407%26recoff%3D6%209%26dbid%3D60558%26indiv%3D1%26ml_rpos%3D1&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=bmY5776&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true

 

Regards,

 

Alf McM

[Nichola Stewart]

This is her! I can't open that link but I'd held back her middle name (Grierson). Thank you so much. Now to find out her involvement in the war.

 

[kenf48]

There is a funeral notice in the Scotsman 2 November 1918

She died at Queen Alexandra Military Hospital London on 30th October 1918.

 

As it was a UK death you should be able to obtain a death certificate from GRO which may give more information as to her service, though it seems likely she was a nurse/auxiliary and  her death was attributable to the influenza pandemic.

 

Ken

[david murdoch]

21 minutes ago, ss002d6252 said:

It is odd - there's nothing under that spelling in the official birth records that comes up.

There is this one though but I don't think it's the same person

 

Yes that's a birth entry for 1922, so not the same person, but the combination of first and second names seems too much of a co incidence. There seems to be quite a few Menelaws around the Edinburgh area.

[david murdoch]

This is her for sure.

[alf mcm]

Nichola,

  This MAY be her, wrongly recorded, on the Scottish National War Memorial.

https://www.snwm.org/content/roll-search/?id=1031379&searchid=8b3dacc3880b8724dbe63247e9586778&page=1

 

Regards,

 

Alf McM

 

[Nichola Stewart]

2 minutes ago, david murdoch said:

This is her for sure.

 

So a trip to the archives to see her will might tell me more about her. This is so exciting!

9 minutes ago, kenf48 said:

There is a funeral notice in the Scotsman 2 November 1918

She died at Queen Alexandra Military Hospital London on 30th October 1918.

 

As it was a UK death you should be able to obtain a death certificate from GRO which may give more information as to her service, though it seems likely she was a nurse/auxiliary and  her death was attributable to the influenza pandemic.

 

Ken

Thanks Ken, How do I get to see the funeral notice? Does it say how old she was? Thank you so much!!!

[Nichola Stewart]

6 minutes ago, alf mcm said:

Nichola,

  This MAY be her, wrongly recorded, on the Scottish National War Memorial.

https://www.snwm.org/content/roll-search/?id=1031379&searchid=8b3dacc3880b8724dbe63247e9586778&page=1

 

Regards,

 

Alf McM

 

Is it quite common for people to be mis-recorded? Seems such a shame. 

[Nichola Stewart]

Feeling quite emotional here. Thank for your speedy responses. I'm going to try to find her grave and her family. And find out more about her war effort.

[david murdoch]

16 minutes ago, david murdoch said:

This is her for sure.

This is an entry for her will on Scotland's People. Need to have a look for her on the 1911 Census and for a marriage record. Galloway or Grierson  likely be her maiden name. Either of those should give her age and from there find a birth certificate. As been mentioned she was likely a VAD nurse, and the time fits in with the Spanish flu epidemic. I'd say the Andrina  Menelaws born 1922 was possibly named in her memory. 

Edited 28 October , 2017 by david murdoch

[kenf48]

21 minutes ago, Nichola Stewart said:

 

So a trip to the archives to see her will might tell me more about her. This is so exciting!

Thanks Ken, How do I get to see the funeral notice? Does it say how old she was? Thank you so much!!!

 

The late Sue Light, who passed away last year has a website http://www.scarletfinders.co.uk which has information on researching nurses.  Unfortunately I can't find her in the Red Cross Records http://www.redcross.org.uk/en/About-us/Who-we-are/History-and-origin/First-World-War nor at TNA in WO/99.

 

Here is the notice which also shows the cemetery where she was interred.  There is sufficient information to find her in the 1911 Census.  Incidentally she does not appear to be on the CWGC Roll of Honour I would imagine if her next of kin received a memorial plaque she should be.  If you get the death certificate and I think you can do that online now for historical records it might be worth submitting her name to the In From The Cold Project

http://www.infromthecold.org/index.asp

 

 

Ken

Edited 28 October , 2017 by kenf48

[alf mcm]

Nichola,

 

The 1881 Census shows she was born in Edinburgh in about 1878.

 

Regards,

 

Alf McM

[Nichola Stewart]

2 minutes ago, kenf48 said:

 

The late Sue Light, who passed away last year has a website http://www.scarletfnders.co.uk which has information on researching nurses.  Unfortunately I can't find her in the Red Cross Records http://www.redcross.org.uk/en/About-us/Who-we-are/History-and-origin/First-World-War nor at TNA in WO/99.

 

Here is the notice which also shows the cemetery where she was interred.  There is sufficient information to find her in the 1911 Census.

 

Ken

Thank you again, really quite overwhelmed.

[david murdoch]

Just now, alf mcm said:

Nichola,

 

The 1881 Census shows she was born in Edinburgh in about 1878.

 

Regards,

 

Alf McM

Looking at her birth certificate right now. July 15th 1877 so age 41 when she died.

[Nichola Stewart]

Is this on the GRO site, David? Where was she born? so many questions! She's becoming a real person to me know, if that makes sense? Feel the need to visit her grave and pay my respects. 

[david murdoch]

13 minutes ago, Nichola Stewart said:

Is this on the GRO site, David? Where was she born? so many questions! She's becoming a real person to me know, if that makes sense? Feel the need to visit her grave and pay my respects. 

On Scotlands People site. I just found William Brown Menelaws on the 1891 Census age 14 - so also born in 1877. They were married 2nd July 1900 in St Andrew Edinburgh. I can send you the downloads on a message. She's listed as Drena G Galloway and looking at the certificate that's how she signed her name, so probably known as "Drena".

[kenf48]

2 minutes ago, Nichola Stewart said:

Is this on the GRO site, David? Where was she born? so many questions! She's becoming a real person to me know, if that makes sense? Feel the need to visit her grave and pay my respects. 

 

Before you go she is not listed as interred in Newington Cemetery on Find a Grave

https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gsr&GScid=2168842

so you would need to get the burial records from the Local Authority (not sure how it works in Scotland, but assume it's the same as the UK).

 

There is a screen wall memorial in the cemetery for war dead but as she is not on the CWGC database I guess she is not recorded on it. I can't get a readable image.

 

She is becoming very elusive!  I can't see her death registered on either Scotland's People or the GRO for England and Wales

 

Ken

[Nichola Stewart]

So Andrina Galloway, born 1878, married William Browne Menelaws in 1900. She died in a military hospital in London in 1918, aged 43, Buried(somewhere) in Edinburgh on 2nd November.

William Browne Menelaws remarried in 1921 to a Mabel Letts. Letts is my Mother in laws maiden name. My Husband remembers an Uncle Bill and Aunty Mab. So that's the link as to how we have the plaque...

...I now need to find out, her role in the war, (though we are guessing she was a nurse, and probably died from the influenza epidemic)  and whether she has any living relatives....My brain is exploding! Thank you all once again for your help so far. I'm off for a gin and tonic...

[Jim Strawbridge]

Sorry that I am late to this string. I have yet to research this woman but she is one of the ladies of which I an aware. She was a Voluntary Aid Detachment member. She may or may not have been nursing as the VADs did other duties, too. The fact that a memorial plaque was issued would indicate that she may have completed some of her service overseas. I have not found a BRCS record card as yet but this is not unusual. Some sources show her as Diana Menelaws and that is how she is shown on the York Minster panels. As part of my research I would welcome a photograph of the memorial plaque that I can use in my ongoing Register.

Edited 29 October , 2017 by Jim Strawbridge