Bonaito/Mills Adoption search..

[Paul Bonaito 0]

Hello,

I am trying once again to locate the family that gave my father up for adoption in the 1930's in South Yorkshire.  He was adopted in the 1930's by a Fred and Lillian Bonaito who lived at 32 Manor Oaks Close, Wybourne.  This house was infact Lillian's parents home, their names were Nellie and Joe furniss.

I have reason to believe that my father Roy Joseph Bonaito may have had links to a family called Mills? We once heard that Roy's Biological father was called Ernest Mills, but we have no definates on this!  We found a site whereby you could enter an old street name to reveal who lived in your house in 1939, upon entering Manor Oaks close, it gave the entire streets occupants, and couldn't help but notice that a lily Mills lived 2 doors away from my family...Could this possibly be the lady who gave my father up for adoption?

It may be a long shot, but I do know that in those days unofficial adoptions took place and a lot of people would 'take in' impoverished children to save them from entering the workhouse!

If anyone could help in any way possible in fitting the jigsaw pieces together, it would be a great help!

[hillsbro 28]

Hi Paul - as you rightly say the 1939 Register shows Lily Mills at 36 Manor Oaks Close. There were actually two people of this name at that address, and they were evidently mother and daughter. The mother’s year of birth is given as 1884 and her daughter’s as 1923 (the younger Lily's surname is given in the transcription as Willis, but it is evidently Mills). As your father was evidently born in 1930, the older Lily could have been his mother, then aged 46, but there was also an "E. Willis" (actually E. Mills) at 36 Manor Oaks Close . His name isn’t clear but begins with an ‘E’ and could be Ernest. His date of birth is given as 8 May 1904, and General Register Office records show an Ernest Mills born in Sheffield in Apr-Jun 1904, his mother’s maiden name being Hartley (this was also the maiden name of the mother of the Lily Mills born in Sheffield in 1923).  A Martin Mills and Lily Hartley married in Sheffield in 1901. So this Ernest Mills could perhaps be the one you have heard of.

 

Here is a link to a scan of the 1939 Register entry for 32 Manor Oaks Close. https://i.postimg.cc/MGcLQV5s/Mills.jpg

 

The 1939 Register shows Frederick and Lilian Bonaito at  221 Maltravers Road .

Edited May 20, 2019 by hillsbro

[retep 68]

35 minutes ago, hillsbro said:

Hi Paul - as you rightly say the 1939 Register shows Lily Mills at 36 Manor Oaks Close. There are actually two people of this name at that address, and they were evidently mother and daughter. The mother’s year of birth is given as 1884 and her daughter’s as 1923 (the younger Lily's surname is given in the transcription as Willis, but it is evidently Mills). As your father was evidently born in 1930, the older Lily could have been his mother, then aged 46, but there was also an "E. Willis" (actually E. Mills) at 36 Manor Oaks Close . His name isn’t clear but begins with an ‘E’ and could be Ernest. His date of birth is given as 8 May 1904, and General Register Office records show an Ernest Mills born in Sheffield in Apr-Jun 1904, his mother’s maiden name being Hartley (this was also the maiden name of the mother of the Lily Mills born in Sheffield in 1923). A Martin Mills and Lily Hartley married in Sheffield in 1901. So this Ernest Mills could perhaps be the one you have heard of.

 

Here is a link to a scan of the 1939 Register entry for 32 Manor Oaks Close. https://i.postimg.cc/MGcLQV5s/Mills.jpg

 

The 1939 Register shows Frederick and Lilian Bonaito at  221 Maltravers Road .

Ernest and Lily baptisms are on Sheffield Indexers.

[Ms Macbeth 73]

On Ancestry I've found a birth for a Roy Mills in the first quarter of 1930, in Sheffield.  Father Ernest Mills, mother's maiden name Chandler.  

[Paul Bonaito 0]

Many Thanks to you all for your kind replies and help.  I do think between us we have found the right 'Mills' family!

My father Roy Joseph Bonaito was actually born on 29 December 1929, so therefore it would all make sense him being registered in the first quarter of 1930.

I also found on free BMD site that Lily Jnr born 1923 actually married an Allen in 1941 in Sheffield, hence the crossing out of the name Mills on the scan you so kindly provided.. Dates seem a little here and there, but as we all know accuracy wasn't always the case back then!

My mission now is to try to locate any family belonging to the said Mills family.. Thankyou all again!

 

[Ms Macbeth 73]

Good luck with your search Paul.

[rbbt 10]

I remember Lillian and Fred from when they lived at 281 Maltravers Rd, Wybourn, we lived next door in the late 50's / early 60's.

A young lad called Kevin Furniss used to visit them, he was the same age as me and was in my class at school, I'm now 64. 

I remember Mr and Mrs Bonaito they were well respected.