The ‘Skeleton In The Cupboard’ – or the ‘Naughty Nina Saga’

‘Episode One’

This is a brief resume of what I knew (or rather didn’t know) about my maternal grandmother (aka Naughty Nina - you'll see why). For my entire life I have never know anything about her other than her ‘maiden name’. Not where or when she was born, died, married or anything!!!

The only snippets I had were recounted by my mother – Nina’s daughter and as you will see – she was left in the dark and it seems lied to throughout her life too.

So first a bit of background and later – in ‘Episode Two’ I’ll update you on the ongoing research being done by a group of superb genealogists to help me solve this mystery. There have been some quite surprising developments but they do need to be ratified.

I’ll post the next episode in a few days time. But until then just enjoy this bit of my muddled family history….

Nina worked in the same place as a guy named Arthur. They had an affair, the result of which was little Muriel Edith. Born in 1913 near Birmingham. Her birth was registered nearly six weeks after the birth. This registration shows Nina Edmed as the mother and Arthur as the father. Itdoesn't indicate who registered the birth or if they were both present when the birth was registered. It does not show Nina Edmed formerly 'anything' (on my BC it shows Mother as Muriel Mercia xxxxxxx, formerly Payne).

So I think that Arthur then probably gradually receded into the background - never to be seen again (the cad), and illegitimacy - being what it was in those days - had to be hidden.

At this point Nina had to move to where she wasn't known and invent a poor 'dead' husband Arthur Payne and with that of course the illegitimate daughter's details had to be the same, to save poor (?) old Nina's dignity. So in effect Muriel Edith became Muriel Mèrcia.

A new 'employer' (sugar daddy?) was found and the scam had to continue. He (whoever he was), clearly didn't want another man's child around so was quite happy to pay for her to go away to a school that would fit in with 'his' standard of life'. I think perhaps he did indeed live in or perhaps 'own' a house called New Place in Stratford. The daughter (my mother), who's poor Daddy 'died' in the war (the subterfuge story) spent her holidays there and went (perhaps) to America on one of these holidays, when still only a toddler, with Mama Nina and sugar daddy!

Then the daughter (Muriel) grows up meets a dashing army Cavalry Captain (true), but falls in love with his 'groom'. Now Muriel needs a birth certificate to be able to marry.... Oh disaster! What is Nina to do now ? I think she pretended 'indignation' that her daughter was marrying 'beneath herself' and that if she went ahead with it she would 'be cut off for ever'....This was what my mother always told me had happened. So the birth certificate was refused by Nina - got to cover her 'dark' past at all costs (wicked old b*tch). As long as Nina's reputation is preserved, never mind about the daughter! To marry, my mother had to provide details of her birth 'To the best of her knowledge' and the wedding went ahead.

Now to sustain this 'You're banned from my life' charade, Nina has to disappear from where her daughter can/may find her. So where better that to the area (perhaps...) where she was born - Kent. Maybe she found a position, or was still with 1st 'sugar daddy/employer/consort or even with another employer. Who knows... it was sufficient that her daughter can't find her and disclose her ongoing lies. Then she is killed (we think) most likely during a WW2 bombing raid in the Dover area. But what name was she using? Nina Edmed or had she by now invented some other 'fantasy life'? We think that during these years she kept in touch with her two old friends in Birmingham, but swore them to secrecy about her lies. She may have listed them as people to inform if anything happened to her. Hence their limited knowledge of her death.

I was with my Mother when she questioned this elderly couple and they really didn't want to talk about it. But the intimation was there that Nina HAD lied, but they would not admit that they knew any more about it....

So that was my theory, having pieced together all the little bits of the jig-saw, until a short while ago.

The problem remains though . That Nina amid all her shame and stupidity kept the most important pieces of this jig-saw to herself and took them with her to the grave!

posted by Carole B @ 12:21 AM