Genealogy Chat

well, i've got an Alfred WOOD who was a docker, he had a brother called Ernest(1894). Their parents were Henry and Eliza (Nash) Wood. Alfred married an Ivy Berry, but can't find his children..... I found henry and Eliza's names on Ernests original wedding certificate to Catherine welch (walsh), I also have her original birth cert. she was born in 1898, she died at 35 years old with a perforated gastric ulcer.....yuk!!! Also I have a mary ann Fletcher who married a James Oxenham..... I'm up to a good point with the fletchers, but am very stuck with the Oxenham side, they had a Harriett Oxenham born in 1905......in southwark Brick walls all over the place......... I won't even bother you with my dad's side!!! lol

thanks for all that. I had already started googling certain areas, but thanks to you lot, my geography has just got so much better. I buy on cert each month for father and mothers side...unfortunatly, finances aren't that good in France and no, i don't go to the cinema....that's more expensive than a certificate!!!! lol and as for a night on the town......i work in a wine house!!! lol !!lol I only started this about 2 months ago so....it's gonna be slow..... Thanks for all the advice, especially the geo bits...... just 1 more thing.....concernig the certificates at GRO.......I've already ordered the certs at 7 pounds; whhat more do the 14 pound ones tell you? Thanks again in the mean time, i've typed so much the aeras i'm looking for, the i key on my keyboard isn't working any more......

LOL, thats the way to do it. Some of the letters of my keys are blank now! Give us some examples of what you are trying to find. The £7 certs are the same as the £14 ones - LOL - I think you probably mean where you ask the GRO to check them for you or have them sent express - dont worry, you arent missing out. Give us some names and places. Occupations would help as there is specific info for certain dock jobs that I may be able to help you with. Sue, Lol, yes, Brixton is Surrey isnt it. I was thinking of Deptford as Im working on my Actons of Deptford at the moment and they have taken over my life. (Some brilliant early 19th century court cases though)

Islington is an area with missing census pieces in 1861. Put up a few names, dob and place of birth (prior to 1901) and you will be amazed at what the sleuths on this board can find for you. Clive

Brixton comes under Surrey

Im afraid if you are going to do this properly you will have to realise that its going to cost money. If you have read the tips thread you will see you work backwards from the solid info you have. Get the earliest marriage/birth cert that you have and work backwards through certs and census information following the line that way. BTW, Islington would come under Middlesex. Bermondsey and Rotherhithe under Surrey and Brixton under Kent. If I were you and didnt know the areas Id be googling like mad to find out what they were like. Do you know the jobs these people had? Id be looking for sites that dealt with that sort of occupation. Rotherhithe/Bermondsey (my birth place) were the docks and so you could always look at Dockland Ancestors website. Also Portcities website. Google, google, google for info. Having just names isnt satisfying, you want flesh on the bones and an understanding of their lives. Charles Booths Streets of London note books are on the net but the area south of the river that you are interested in is the first area to be put into book form and can be bought from amazon or Southwark archives. It lists the streets one by one giving a description of each of them in the late 19th century. You really cant just jump from now to 1881 and hope to find anything fruitful. And I dont think you could rely on the really unlikely chance of finding something on a message board. I take it you have checked for matching names on the search facility on this site? Have a look at getting an ancestry sub - go to my-history (google for it) website - they have the Who do you think you are version of Family Tree maker program (you will need a tree program on your computer that you can back up to disc and internet storage) with a months free sub to ancestry - the whole lot for a tenner which must be an incredible bargain. Certificates cost £7 each from GRO online. All in all, the hobby is NOT expensive compared to say, a night in a pub a week or even a cinema ticket - but you must be prepared to spend out to get the correct info.

that'll teach me for writing things on here at 3 in the morning!!! lol sorry, I did mean messages!! Thanks for the nuges..... I have to say, I'm guilty of just about everything I shouldn't do!!! lol...... I'm getting the hang of the bmd sites.......and the free census 1881, unfortuntly I'm looking up very usal names....so it gets complicated...... thanks....

Anis, if you find any MASSAGE websites, let me know, I'll have some of that!!! Only joking LOL Lin

thanks for the nudges I wanted some sites for reasearching ancesters.....lol and no, i didn't know about the north and south side of the river...... lol I have checked up on the freebmd site but wanted to know of there were any geanealogy sites for these particuler areas....or the history with massage boards. I've checked out london ancestors....sp i'll see if anything comes up there....... anis

Well Islington is north of the river and the rest are south (in case you didnt know). Its Rotherhithe by the way. Not sure what you mean by good sites - do you just want to know about the areas or do you mean researching ancestors? Have you used ancestry for the 1841-1901 census and full bmd index. Perhaps if you gave us examples of what you are trying to find we could direct you better. Ill also nudge up Tips for Newbies and the Google thread for you to read.

Hi. I'm probably looking for the 1/2 og london. Most of my ancestors come from islington, bermondsey, brixton, rotherhive area. Does anyone know of a few good sites for these places, or for names of jones, ward, wood, adams, fletcher.... I know....they're really unusual names!!! haha thanks for any help anis