Genealogy Chat

Can someone tell me how I can find my G G Grandad's birth when all I've got is my G Grandads birth cert. I have no more information about the family apart from that which is on the cert. I hope this makes sense! Ali x

If you have your grandads birth certificate it should give fathers full name and mothers surname before marriage. Go to free bmd and type in both names and it should give you a list of possibles with hopefully one in the same area as grandfathers birth. Lou

tell us what the cert says name year of birth place parents names any anything else that might help

what year was your Grandad born? you need to get back to 1901 what is his fathers name on cert and occupation Jeanette

OK this is what I've got James Cockburn B. 1867 Father John Cockburn Coalminer Mother Jane Cockburn Formerly Oliver Address Leybourne Hold Birtley I've been on Ancestry, Family search and 1837 but can't work out when he would have been born!!! Am I just being thick!!!! Ali x

Sorry - where are we talking ?.......what area.

Sorry Esta Birtley, Chester-Le-Street, Co. Durham

1881 could this be them? Head coalminer Record Elizabeth Cockburn abt 1869 Ludworth, Durham, England Visitor So Church, Auckland St Andrew, Durham, England ===View Record James Cockburn abt 1868 Old Durham, Durham, England Son So Church, Auckland St Andrew, Durham, England View Record Jane Cockburn abt 1826 Ford, Northumberland, England Wife So Church, Auckland St Andrew, Durham, England View Record John Cockburn abt 1815 Jarrow, Durham, England Head So Church, Auckland St Andrew, Durham, England View Record John Cockburn abt 1865 New Durham, Durham, England Son So Church, Auckland St Andrew, Durham, England View Record Robert Cockburn abt 1861 New Durham, Durham, England Son So Church, Auckland St Andrew, Durham, England 1871 Church lane Head coalminer James Cockburn abt 1868 Laberson, Durham, England Son Hunwick Durham View Record Jane Cockburn abt 1827 Stemfield, Northumberland, England Wife Hunwick Durham View Record John Cockburn abt 1817 Iusrice, Durham, England Head Hunwick Durham View Record John Cockburn abt 1865 Durham, England Son Hunwick Durham View Record Robert Cockburn abt 1861 Durham, England Son Hunwick Durham

Thanks Jeannette I found those and 1815 makes him too old to have a child in 1867 doesn't it? The Jane connection might be OK cos Ford rings a bell! I'll just keep working dates out all weekend got nowt else to do!! I just wish I knew some other family members cos that would help! Ali x

Alison - what you have to do is find your great-great-grandparents' marriage first and get their marriage certificate, then it should tell you some more details about your great-greatgrandfather so you can start looking for his birth. Kate.

By the way Alison, men are never too old to have a child! And the boy is listed as his son on the 1881. But as I said above, you should look for John and Jane's marriage certificate and that will give you the name of John's father so that when you find his birth / baptism you will know you have the right one. Kate.

I thought so Kate so do I just keep working backwards from the year before my g g grandad was born and look in all marraige quarters? Cos I don't know if there was any siblings before he was born! Ali x

Alison, I think the Cockburn family you are looking for may be listed at Hunwick,Durham on 1871 Census. John Cockburn (head) - coalminer Jane Cockburn (wife) Robert,John and James ( sons ) The page can be viewed through Ancestry. regards,Lynne.

Well, if you assume the family that was found on the censuses is them then it looks as though there were quite a few siblings, and if you can find them on the 1861 census too you would be able to see if the marriage took place before or after 1861, and the same with the 1851. But if you aren't sure that is the right family, then yes, you could start working backwards from when James was born. I had a look on Durham BMD but couldn't find the marriage on there. My guess, for what it's worth, is that the family on the census is the right one and that the marriage took place quite a long time before James was born, but I could be wrong! Kate.

Thanks Lynne I'm now away to search again. I'll start with your lead then look up marraiges again! Ali x

looks like Roberts birth Name: COCKBURN, Robert Record Type: Births Quarter: June Year: 1861 District: Berwick County: Co. Durham Northumberland Volume: 10b Page: 335

Jess I'm on 1837 at the moment and looking for john and janes marraige working back from grandads birth1 All of a sudden the partners have stopped being recorded, is this the same on all sites in 1800's Ali x