What a shame...., but at least I know that it will never be possible to find the records of my Grandmother Lillian (Harris) Smith - the 2nd wife of the Birmingham Boxer , Len Tiger Smith (Leonard Horace Smith).
At least, after searching for Lillian Smith all our lives, we have managed to find her having been admitted to Highcroft Hall for post-natal depression in 1937 when her daughter was only 2 and half year old and my Grandfather Len Smith removing my Mother from Lillian and starting a new life with his mistress Mona Medins Primrose Jones in South Africa.
Len and Mona had a son (Graham Jones Smith) born in 1939 and lived in South Africa till Mona's death in 1972 as well as their son Graham's death - also in 1972, never to inform my mother Mary Elizabeth Smith (Betty Volschenk) about Lillian's whereabouts. Len returned to the UK after their deaths and he died in Erdington in 1978 without making contact with his daughter Betty and his 6 grandchildren in South Africa ever again....
It was quite obvious that none of Len's family members, whom we made contact with since internet, refused to inform us - "nobody ever new nor heard anything!!!", but with the help of Wendy Horn and her family, we tracked her to Highcroft Hall Hopital where she was left to spend the rest of her life from 1937, after being moved to Kingfisher when Highcroft was sold - until she turned 81 years old where she died.
Lillian has 5 grandchildren in South Africa (my brother Jacobus died in 1987) and 14 Great Grandchildren as well as 14 Great-Great grandchildren - HAD WE KNOWN WHERE SHE WAS WHILE SHE WAS STILL ALIVE, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SUCH AN HONOUR FOR US TO HAVE FETCHED HER AND GIVEN HER THE LIFE SHE DESERVED WITH US - PITY THE FAMILY IN THE UK FELT EMBARRASSED TO TELL US WHERE TO FIND HER, NOTWITHSTANDING OUR DESPARATE BEGGING FOR INFORMATION!!!
During 1951 my Mother (Mary Elizabeth Smith - Volschenk, travelled all the way from SA to the UK to try and find her Mother, with Mona Jones and Graham by her side, but the family still maintained that they had "NO CLUE" of her whereabouts - Mom returned to SA, SHATTERED, and spent all these years wondering what could have happened to her dear Mother....
Well, my Mom Mary Elizabeth Smith-Volschenk is now nearly 79 years old - and only now found out what the true story was - that Len's Lady was put away in order that Len could live with his mistress in South Africa without having any trouble of a wife giving him a hard time..... at least Mona Medins Primrose was a good mother to my Mom but she knew Len was a married man with a child.... what a way to start a new life - easy way to get the wife out of the way - just have her admitted.???.
Lillian, may your soul rest in peace - we may never have met you, but we lived our lives with you in our hearts and will love you ALWAYS xxxxxxxxx ,