Genealogy Chat

Hi, can anyone help me with a query. I have just got a birth certificate for (I think) Thomas Donoghue born 10/12/1910, father Cornelius Donoghue. I know the date is correct but the Thomas I want was called Thomas Alfred Donoghue. Do you have to put the middle names on the birth cerficate?
Also the name Nellie - is that shortned for something, is so what?
Look forward to any replies, thanks.

My mother had a middle name added when she was baptised. It shows up on her original birth certificate as a note but I am not sure if it would show up on the copy that the GRO have. I suppose it's possible that they added an additional name at the baptism. Have you checked for the baptism records - that might help.

Nellie is usually short for Elizabeth but I think it can also be a name in its own right. Also might be a pet name for Ellen/Helen which is quite often shown as Nell.

Jill

Does the father's name match the name listed when Thomas married?

Alfred could have been added when he was christened. My grandmother had another middle name added at her christening and was known by that name later in life. She completely dropped the first name listed on her birth cert.

Rose

Nellie is usually Ellen or Eleanor -

don't know about having to put a middle name on - I would have thought you did have to, but possibly that far back people might add a name later to 'honour' someone else in the family especially if they thought the child might get an inheritance that way.

Thomas could have added his own second forename later in life.

He may have been registered as Thomas but his parent's then had him baptised as Thomas Alfred.

If everything else on the certificate adds up then I wouldn't be too worried.

You could always try and trace a baptism, if it exists, for 100% accuracy.

Chris

thanks for the replies, On Thomas's marriage certificate his name is Thomas Alfred Donoghue. All I know is that he came from London, so not sure where to look at registers. This birth certificate comes from Southwark in London.

Southwark covers a wide area.

On the birth certificate the sub district will narrow down the area you would need to search for a baptism.

SOUTHWARK REGISTRATION DISTRICT
Registration County : London (1901-65); Greater London (1965-74).
Created : 1.4.1901 (out of St. Saviour Southwark district).
Sub-districts : Borough Road; Christchurch; Christchurch & St. Saviour Southwark; Kent Road; London Road; Newington North; Newington South; St. George the Martyr, St. George the Martyr West; St. Mary Newington; St. Peter Walworth; St. Saviour.
GRO volumes : 1d (1901-46); 5D (1946-65); 5E (1965-74).

Any of these?

If so then the LMA (London Metropolitan Archives) may have a record but you can search here to check.

http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/corporation/family-research/registerSearchForm.asp

Chris

thanks Chris, on the birth cert it says Christchurch & St Saviour. will check out the website you gave me.
Catherine

Was his father Cornelius on his marriage cert and does Thomas' age match? If so, you probably have the correct birth.

Rose

I assume these are the parents?

Marriages Jun 1904
Donoghue Cornelius James St.Olave 1d 418
Martin Alice Lydia St. Olave 1d 418

Rose

Siblings:

Births Mar 1913
Donoghue Mary A Martin St.Olave 1d 363

Births Sep 1915
Donoghue George C Martin Southwark 1d 14

Rose

Hi Rose

When i got the birth cert I did a check to make sure that the father was Cornelius, so I am probably correct. Just didn't want to go down the wrong path! Have got the marrige of Cornelius & Alice in 1904, so will trace this back.

No the siblings are wrong, Thomas had a sister 'Nellie' and a brother John. Nellie was the eldest.

Probably another:

Births Sep 1904
DONOGHUE Cornelius William St. Olave 1d 173

Rose

Is this the Nellie?

Births Sep 1908
Donoghue Ellen St. Olave 1d 153

Rose

How do you find all this information so quickly?

Those births are siblings because the mother's maiden name is Martin.

Rose

It's all on FreeBMD.

Rose

Deaths Jun 1905
Donoghue Cornelius W 0 Southwark 1d 15

Rose

Forget the 1908 Ellen. She died:

Births Dec 1905
Donoghue Ellen Mary Southwark 1d 10

Births Mar 1909
DONOGHUE Ellen Southwark 1d 7

The 1909 one is a twin


Rose