Genealogy Chat

I have the census information for My Great Grandfater in 1901. Whitby. David James Wood born around 1869 Married to Martha. so many children etc. Trying to search his marriage which i pressume was around 1890/91. If i find what information am i expecting to find? Tips please? Thanks Tracy

Where are you trying to search? If you look in the GRO indexes (beta list on Ancestry) you will get a reference which will give both brides and grooms names. If you want more information, you will need to buy the certificate, which will give you the bride & grooms' names, ages, addresses, groom's occupation and both parties' father's names and occupations as well as where they married, who married them and the witnesses, who are often family members. nell

I'm quite new to ancestry and having a few teething problems! Any tips on what information to put in, I was trying to see if i could find maiden name of Martha.

You don't know Martha's maiden name, so you will have to search for David John Wood, marriage in Yorkshire (or where ever 1st child was born). I usually do a county search, but if you have the family on the census all born in the same place and you have the registration district, you can search reg district too. I usually start by searching for the year before the first child was born +/- 2 years. If I don't get results, I might take out the reg district and increase the dates by 5 years. If still no joy, then I look for each individual year on the beta index. nell

I've tried that search but all I get is one name don't get a wife. What am i doing wrong (Tearing hair out) Tracy

In some cases it may be better to buy the birth certificate of one of the kids for the maiden name of mum, name and occupation of dad and from there work backwards to a marriage. Im not sure if you are using ancestry beta bmd index or just the freebmd - when you say you only get one name? If you are looking through the index for one name, thats all you will find - it wont have any details of the spouse for that time span - you then have to buy the certificate for more info - bride, groom, both their fathers and occupations and where couple were living at time of marriage plus the witnesses. If you have found them in 1901 with a lot of kids, have you tried 1891 or are all the kids born after that date?

Heather. I'm not sure what i'm using either... Tracy

1891: David Wood abt 1869 Whitby, Yorkshire, England Head Whitby Yorkshire View Record John R Wood abt 1890 Whitby, Yorkshire, England Son Whitby Yorkshire View Record Martha Wood abt 1868 Whitby, Yorkshire, England Wife Whitby Yorkshire View Record Mary A Wood abt 1872 Whitby, Yorkshire, England Sister Whitby Yorkshire So eldest child born around 1889-1890? You should be looking a bit earlier then? See he has a sister called Mary living with them. This can help you find him in 1881. 1871 - David as a baby? Record David Wood abt 1838 Scarbro, Yorkshire, England Head Whitby Yorkshire View Record David Wood abt 1870 Whitby, Yorkshire, England Son Whitby Yorkshire View Record Emma Wood abt 1838 Whitby, Yorkshire, England Wife Whitby Yorkshire View Record John Wood abt 1870 Whitby, Yorkshire, England Son Whitby Yorkshire View Record Poad Wood abt 1865 Whitby, Yorkshire, England Son Whitby Yorkshire Tracey,. are you looking through images of hand written (or old typed) info on ancestry or just a name search typed out? You should be going through images of the records looking for the marriage - the name searchable stuff is from freebmd and not complete.

Just a thought, I take it you are certain this is your guy as there is a chap David J Wood born Hull same year?

BRB. Dont want to give you wrong information Tracy

Well, this is the Whitby David (with sister Mary) in 1881: Looks like mum Emma, has died. Record David Wood abt 1838 Scarboro, Yorkshire, England Head Whitby Yorkshire View Record David Wood abt 1868 Whitby, Yorkshire, England Son Whitby Yorkshire View Record Fred Wood abt 1864 Whitby, Yorkshire, England Son Whitby Yorkshire View Record John Wood abt 1866 Whitby, Yorkshire, England Son Whitby Yorkshire View Record Mary A. Wood abt 1872 Whitby, Yorkshire, England Daughter Whitby Yorkshire

Think this is the marriage reference David Wood Year of Registration: 1889 Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep District: Whitby County: North Riding Of Yorkshire Volume: 9d Page: 682 These are the people listed on page 682 Martha Harland 1889 Jul-Aug-Sep Whitby Frederick William Horne 1889 Jul-Aug-Sep Whitby Hannah Dorothy Procter 1889 Jul-Aug-Sep Whitby David Wood 1889 Jul-Aug-Sep Whitby Hannah and Frederick Horne are together on the 1891 Census so it looks like Martha Harland was the wife of David Wood.

Yes Helen, that would fit with the earlier date wouldnt it and there is a Martha. It was on freebmd Tracy: Marriages Sep 1889 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Harland Martha Whitby 9d 682 HORNE Frederick William Whitby 9d 682 Procter Hannah Dorothy Whitby 9d 682 Wood David Whitby 9d 682 I think you needed to check the earlier census first to make a better guess at the marriage date - then look at freebmd and then if not there, look through the beta index. If you think this is the right David and Im a little bit concerned that you are looking for a David James not just David ? then you can order the marriage certificate with the above information/refs from GRO online for £7.

Would you like help with the Census entries for Martha or would you like to find them for yourself?

I think we best hold fire until Tracey is sure she is following the right David! Tracey, why were you asking for a David James? Have you followed that back from another certificate or reference?

Yes you are all right but how do you do it so quick!!! I did eventually find that page with Martha on as well, I take it there is no way of prooving it without the certificate? And I don't know where i got the David James from... I can only find him as David! Thanks Tracy

No I quite like searching myself. But it's lovely to know you are all so good Thanks again.

What do you want to prove? You have the marriage reference - from freebmd if you want the cert. However, we now have the census info back to 1871 on David (showing his fathers name and mums first name) and can no doubt do that for Martha - although you have ancestry sub dont you? So I would be inclined to start looking at the parents of these two now to go back further.

I don't know what i want to proove lol Just a bit wary of researching Martha Harland for her to be of no relation. Although it seems a sure thing. Tracy

I think Heather is right on this one. Although you probably want the certificate to PROVE this is the right couple, and I would normally advise this, on checking the Census there is only one David Wood of the right age in Whitby and also one Martha Harland. I think you can be pretty sure you're chasing after the right people. P.S. for Heather, WOOD David J married TAYLOR Kate A at Holy Trinity Hull in 1889 per Yorkshire BMD (which only has Hull, Doncaster & Leeds so far).