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Have had information from a relation that our grandfather was been born to our grandmother but the father was not my great grandfather (not sure if the birth was before my great grandparents were married or during their marriage) I cannot find a birth certificate in the BMD section,but have found him in census records. How can I find a birth certificate - born in 1894.??

Have you looked for the birth under gt. grandmother's maiden name?

Well his birth should be reg

If you want to give names we could try and help

Welcome to the Community boards Ronald.


(I'll let Ronald know how to find his replies) :-)

I'm doing a lot of guesswork here. Going by your surname, Ronald, could the person you're asking about be James Gaffrey born 1894, St. Helen's, Lancs.?

He's on the 1911 census aged 17 but mother Ellen says she's been married 16 years. Actually that has been crossed out because it's only supposed to be entered for a present marriage but she is listed as a widow.

I also messaged Ronald! It's been read, so hopefully he will return.

Many thanks to Brummie Jan, Margaret M, Shirley - I`m getting the hang of it,(like this!) and Cynthia (of Genes ReUd?), for your very prompt and helpful advice, which I shall be `checking out´. My eldest granddaughter re-started me on picking up on researching the family tree, as she had asked me for any information that I had, as she too wants to do the same. I will of course let you know how I get on, following your tips and advice.
Muchos gracias.

Ronald ..............


for future reference, please do NOT tick any post on any thread that you start.

The tick is meant to indicate that your query has been answered in full, and you need no further help on that topic. Thta means that helpers will not (or may not) open your thread to see what help you do need.

Unfortunately, it is a quirk of GR that having enable the use of the tick, there is no way to cancel it once enabled.


The only thing you can do would be to alter the thread title to add the words "help still needed".

To do that

click Edit on your opening post ................. be careful, do NOT click "delete" by mistake as that will remove the thread!

It will open in another screen, and you can just add the words to the title box.

Then click Submit.

Thanks for the tip, I guessed I had made a mistake, silly me, still learning. Are you in Canada?, I am in Valencia, Spain, been here 20 yrs.

Ronald has been having problems with Freebmd, so I offered to help him. His reply is as below.

The standard advice is to start with what you know for certain. So, to start with, who did your grandfather marry, and do you have the birth cert?

Can I ask a daft question? How do you know where your grandfather was born if you don't have his birth record?

I can't see the 1911 census you mention, please could you give a bit more detail? e.g. your great-grandfather's name (how do you know that?) & where living. Thanks.

'Details are - James Gaffney, year 1894, place of registering, Boon Hill, Staffordshire. Info from my late cousin (died last year, Australia), was that my great grandfater was BRINDLEY, and that my great grandmother was not allowed to marry him, and that when she did marry my great grandfather he then started using the family name. In the 1911 census there is a boarder named BRINDLEY under my great grandfathers name, (he is listed as Irish).'

I am guessing this might be the 1911 you are referring to? Not sure how it relates tho.


Name: James Gaffney
Age in 1911: 59
Estimated birth year: abt 1852
Relation to Head: Head
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Mayo, Ireland
Civil Parish: Dalton
Search Photos: Search for 'Dalton' in the UK City, Town and Village Photos collection
County/Island: Yorkshire-West Riding
Country: England
Street address: 55 Norwood St Dalton Brook Nr Rotherham
Marital Status: Married
Occupation: Scavenger
Registration district: Rotherham
Registration District Number: 511
Sub-registration district: South East Rotherham
ED, institution, or vessel: 21
Piece: 28063
Household Members:
Name Age
James Gaffney 59
Alfred Brindley 34 Birth Place: Boon Hill, Staffordshire, England
Ann Gaffney 58
Gainey Gaffney 17 READS JAMES Boon Hill, Staffordshire, England
Mary Ann Gaffney 15

Looks like the James above, with mother Ann 1901.

1901

Name: James Gaffeney
Age: 7
Estimated birth year: abt 1894
Relation to Head: Son
Gender: Male
Father: James Gaffeney
Mother: Ann Gaffeney
Birth Place: Audley, Staffordshire, England
Civil Parish: Audley
Search Photos: Search for 'Audley' in the UK City, Town and Village Photos collection
Ecclesiastical parish: Audley St James
Town: Bonehill
County/Island: Staffordshire
Country: England

Registration district: Newcastle under Lyme
Sub-registration district: Audley
ED, institution, or vessel: 06

James Gaffeney 44
Ann Gaffeney 45
James Gaffeney 7
Mary M Gaffeney 5

Looks like James' mother Ann was a Brindley.

Marriages Jun 1894
Brindley Ann Newcastle L. 6b 121
Dutton Hannah Newcastle L. 6b 121
Gaffnay James Newcastle L. 6b 121
Walker John Newcastle L. 6b 121

I think this might be the answer. Ann was a widow 1891, so James was not her late husband's son. So whose was he?

I am guessing she registered the birth as Brindley, as she hadn't yet married James Gaffney?

Births Mar 1894 (>99%)
Brindley James Newcastle L. 6b 82

1891

Name: Annie Brindley
Age: 37
Estimated birth year: abt 1854
Relation: Head
Gender: Female
Where born: Madeley, Staffordshire, England
Civil Parish: Audley
Ecclesiastical parish: Audley
Town: Boon Hill
County/Island: Staffordshire
Country: England

Registration district: Newcastle Under Lyme

Annie Brindley 37
Arthur Brindley 18
Alfred Brindley 14
Frank Brindley 12

Deaths Sep 1890 (>99%)
Brindley William 59 Newcastle L. 6b 46

1881

Name: Ann Brindley
Age: 27
Estimated birth year: abt 1854
Relationship to Head: Wife
Spouse: William Brindley
Gender: Female
Where born: Keele, Staffordshire, England
Civil Parish: Audley
County/Island: Staffordshire
Country: England
Street address: Boon Hill
Marital Status: Married

Registration district: Newcastle Under Lyme

William Brindley 49
Ann Brindley 27
Arthur Brindley 8
Alfred Brindley 4
Frank Brindley 2
Daniel Brindley 0

Thanks again, looks like your info confirms that which I have, but to answer your Qs; My grandfather married Evelyn Robinson, don`t know the year or seen a record of it, yet. Got the year of birth of my grandfather from 1911 census,listed as James Gaffney,age 17 which back dated gives 1894. Reason I reckon am tracking the right Gaffney is that the boarder Alfred Brindley is listed in the same household in the 1911 census, plus my grandmother on her deathbed told my grandfather that he was a Brindley not a Gaffney.
I note also from transcription that my great grandparents James and Ann were married 1894, same year as my grandfather was born. I have tried to access 1901 census to see what is listed, but am still having problems of accessing the free BMD site! The other bit of info I have, my father told me many years ago that he was born and lived at Dalton Brook, nr Rotheram,Yorks, and again cannot access the site to confirm his BC details. You mention - from the 1901 census - of Gaffeney, is this a typo ? if not, could be another line of Gaffneys, (there are about 8 variants in spelling)!! Am now wondering if my great grandmother Ann was married previously to a Brindley, and widowed, then married my great grandfather same year as my grand father was born??, gosh, tis getting complicated.

Well, my supposition is this:

Ann married William Brindley.
She had various children with William (you can see them 1881 & 1891 above).
He died 1890
She then had James 1894, after this she married James Gaffney.

You might consider getting the birth cert for James Brindley, to check who is put as father (if anyone).

The spelling variations aren't relevant, names were often just recorded as spoken. It doesn't mean another line in the family.

If I had to guess, I would say this is there marriage::

Marriages Mar 1875 (>99%)
BOSSON Ann Newcastle L. 6b 71
BRINDLEY William Newcastle L. 6b 71
Foster George Newcastle L. 6b 71
LUNT Elizabeth Newcastle L. 6b 71


1871

Name: Ann Bossons
Age: 17
Estimated birth year: abt 1854
Relation: Servant
Gender: Female
Where born: Madeley, Staffordshire, England
Civil Parish: Knowle End
County/Island: Staffordshire
Country: England
Registration district: Newcastle Under Lyme
Sub-registration district: Audley

John Bibby 66
Mary Bibby 62
Annie Bibby 37
John W Bibby 33
Ann Bossons 17
Thomas Atkinson 30
Daniel Devenport 33

This is really easy to find on Freebmd. I wish I knew why you are having problems! Did you click on the link I gave you above?

Marriages Jun 1914 (>99%)
GAFFNEY James Robinson Rotherham 9c 1295
Robinson Evelyn Gaffney Rotherham 9c 1295

If James was born to Ann Brindley before she married James Gaffney but after her husband William Brindley had died, then any baby would be registered as Bridnley ............ Brindley was her legal name at that point, and a child is registered in that name unless a statement otherwise is made at the time.

Plus it was (???still is) assumed that the child of any married woman would be the child of her husband even if he had been dead for years. The longest time interval between death of a husband and birth of a child credited to him that I have found so far was 10 years.

However, he would be raised and known as Gaffney, after his (apparent) stepfather.

It is quite possible that James was indeed Gaffney's son born before they married .......... but it would be impossible to prove that now without confirmatory DNA evidence from living descendants of both families..



I would think that Alfred Brindley in the 1901 Census is probably Ann's son from her marriage to William Brindley, even though he is shown as Boarder!