Who on earth is Herbert Basden Thackway?

[Linwood247]

Eliza Woodfine’s life is well documented, from her birth and baptism in Liverpool in 1866, she appears in a number of directories as nurse/midwife, and documented on all censuses. She married Charles Firth in 1923 when she was 57. When she died in 1949 her effects went to Herbert Basden Thackway, engineer. In 1939 HBT is living with Eliza and husband Charles W. Firth in Sale.
HBT was born to mother “Woodfire” in 1923 in Hackney, the same year Eliza married Charles. His birth certificate shows the mother to be Ethel May Thackway, formerly Woodfine, father Charles Thackway, tailor, of Boalber Road, Highbury. I can find no Thackway-Woodfine marriage. In fact, Ethel leads an interesting life, travelling UK-Canada-USA-Bermuda, often with her sister Constance. She’s on the US census in 1920 in Baltimore. She became a citizen in 1921. Three weeks (!) before HBT’s birth in 1923 in London, Ethel is in Montreal. In 1930 she’s in Manhattan. There’s a death of an Ethel Woodfine in Suffolk County, NY in 1975.

(I’ve looked at all the Charles Thackways I can find, there is one in 1939, b. 28 Nov 1884, single, 220 Upper Parliament St, journeyman tailor, but I find no birth for him.)

The mystery is, I can find no connection between Ethel, from a London area Woodfine family, and my Liverpool Woodfines. I’ve built Ethel’s tree. Her father, Charles G (b.1863), his father Henry (b.1818), and his father Squires(Thomas?) Woodfine are all from the Lewisham/London area. My earliest Woodfine is John, b. abt 1811. In 1841 his age is rounded to 30, not born in county. So potentially he could be the brother of Henry Woodfine, but I’ve found no proof. And is it likely that Eliza Woodfine would ‘adopt’ the child of Ethel, her second cousin once removed?

I started to think I had the wrong Eliza Woodfine who married Firth, but I’ve checked, and don’t see an error. Can anyone suggest any line of enquiry to solve this puzzle? What is the connection between Eliza and Ethel May? Or suggest where I’ve gone wrong? Many thanks in advance.

[MaryA]

Just reading through I'd like to ask a couple of questions to clarify -

Do you have Eliza's marriage certificate to confirm her father?

Do you have the Will naming Herbert as beneficiary or is that information from the Probate Register?

[Linwood247]

No Mary, don’t have her marriage certificate, but I was sure it was her based on addresses on nursing rolls etc. But you’re right, I should send for the certificate. Yes, info is from Probate.
I might have to take some time off this, my mum passed away in her sleep last night.

[Bertieone]

Condolences and God Bless.

[MaryA]

I'm so sorry to hear that Linda, I'm glad you had come home for your visit so that you were here for her. Bless her, take care x

[MaryA]

You aren't going to take any notice of my suggestions at the moment, but I wanted to put down my thoughts so that I didn't forget them.

Marriage certificate - confirmation of her father's name and whether the witnesses were relevant.

The actual Will may give fuller details of the relationship between the two of them.