Genealogy Chat

Brick Walls for over a year on my Mother's side of the family. I have found both sets of her grandparents on various census: My Paternal great-grandparents were: Edward SCOTT, coal miner, (Born Birtley, Durham 1836). Wife: Martha nee HARRISON, (Born Sherif Hill, Durham 1840). First child born 1862. My Maternal great-grandparents were: William John HUGHES, , mariner, (Born Bethnall Green, London, 1855). Wife: Mary BLAND, (Born West Hartlepool, Durham. 1858). First child born 1877. Can find no trace of the births of the latter 3 on BMD's, even though they were born after civil registrations started in 1837. I have also searched the years 1856-1863 for Edward & Martha's marriage and 1873-1878 for William and Mary's marriage. Zilch, Nix, Nuffink. No chance with either SCOTT or HUGHES on the IGI - there are millions of them. (Don't you sometimes wish your ancestor was surnamed Montague-Gifford-Ponsonby). I have been looking for over a year and have got nowhere, I know that Parish Records are my only hope, but when you have a wife who thinks genealogy is only one step up from watching paint dry, a long trip to Durham is out of the question. Hope someone can help, I'll keep reading this thread and try and assist other researchers if I can. Regards to all genealogists, Good Hunting, Bernie

Hi all, Have been able to find rels 1871 Eliza A Ward 4 Mary A Ward 24 William Ward 26 all from Leicester. In 1881 they are living in Outram Street Leicester with the following siblings Albert v Ward, Archibold E Ward, Artur L Ward, Elizabeth J Ward, George T Ward, William Ward. William is still married to Mary A. I am interested in Albert Victor Ward who is my great grandfather and the only further trace I have of him is in 1899 when he marries Rose Warren. I believe he may have been in the army and according to the marriage cert he is a live and my uncle remembers him so where could some of them have gone??? Many thanks Elaine

hi i have a few my nan was jane keough bn 1912 in walsall staffs and died in 1965 i cant find a birth or death for her i did find her marrage in 1932 in walsall to thomas welsh i know that her father was patrick and her gran was catherine keough i found them on 1901 census but have nothing for them before that any info would be great as im starting to give up on these

We have totally lost track of my great uncle, Rice Edwards who was born in Liverpool in 1883. He is listed on the 1901 census but then disappears without trace. Family stories say that he 'broke his mother's heart' and we guess that he ran away before she died in 1902. My late mother told me that she saw an appeal in the personal column of a newspaper back in the 1970s, looking for relatives of someone of that name who had lived in the Mount Pleasant area of Liverpool but didn't realise at the time that that's exactly where the family lived. And just to make tracing him even more difficult, there was another Rice Edwards, born in Bala where my great grandfather came from, who was only about a year or so younger. Any ideas?

hi. i am struggling to find william porter, i have his birth and his marriage cert but cannot for the life of me find him on the 1871 census, william porter born cheadle staffordshire 1856 william porter age 4 visiting family on the 1861 cheadle on the 1881 he is in boothen stoke-on-trent staffordshire married, on the 1891 he is down as william poster still at stoke staffordshire, i have tried so many different variations for porter on ancestry, does anyone have any ideas please. regards jackie.

Debra, Have you tried the Commonwealth War Graves Site? I think there is a direct link from Genealogy resources on the home page. It should give detils of death, and sometimes name and address of next of kin. Rosemary(Essex)

I am looking for information for an old relative I have found while doing my research, he is 94 years old and wants to find information on his father who died when he was about six years old. Fathers name is James Birt from Plumbstead in London he married Rosa Langford from Ringstead Norfolk. Rosa date of birth is approx 1887 and James Birt not known he died at war on 23rd August 1914 at Mons The battle was thought to be La Ferte-Sous Jouarre.His reggiment was Royal West Kent he was Private J Birt L/7786 Ist bn. Rosa Langford went on to marry T A Ridoutt. My relative Cyril James Stephen Birt was born 4 jan 1911 and birth registered in woolich district of london sub district of Plumbstead. Any help would be appreciated as I really want to try help this old man. Debbie Shaw

I am really stuck with Patrick Leonard and Bridget they had daughter Bridget 1867 and Julia 1870. I found marriage cert for Julia and John Lockerbie in Kirknewton East Calder which states Julia born Ireland. I can find 1881 census for Julia mum and sister but no trace of her father Patrick. I have death cert for Bridget Leonard which states maiden surname but i am unable to read this it looks like McNaving but i may be wrong.Bridgets mother is Elizabeth Jardine and father Edwar McN?.If I was able to obtain Bridgets maiden surname I may be able to move on.

How about this one ? Grandmother - known as 'Eva' Turner; scruffy note in my Dads papers - 'Elizabeth McCurdle Turner' b1878 Carlisle. Details of parents in the note are verifiable in FreeBMD and 1881 census. Then absolutely no sign of her until 1st child born 1907 in Nottingham. Never seems to have married my gfather - Horace Albert L Davison b1878 Kings Lynn. He in turn is a mystery - not in 1901 census with parents, not in census at all, he has his youngest son born to Eva/Elizabeth 1911, Lincs. No death in 1837Online for him, nothing in military sites I have looked in (WW1 would seem obvious), no deaths at sea, no emigration...... occupation given on my dads bc for Horace was - wait for it - 'Conjurer'. She died in the late 50s, I rememeber visiting her - but I cant find her death regn in 1837Online under Eva or Elizabeth Turner twixt 1956 and 1959 in Essex or Herts or Beds ..... the few Eliz M's I found are wrong - expensive innit .......give up !

Can anyone help me to sort out the Gaunt family please. Matthew Gaunt was born 1860/1861 in Bradford, Sherburn Yorkshire or Walton Yorkshire depending on which census you want to believe. His father on his marriage certificate and on the 1871 census for County Durham was Thomas Gaunt. Thomas died in 1880 aged 46. The woman who claimed to be Matthew's mother was formerly Margaret Dailey. I can't find a birth for Matthew, a marriage for Thomas and Margaret or any sensible birth details for Thomas whose birth date seems to vary between about 1825 and 1835. Thomas's birthplace was probably Armley, Yorkshire but is not clear on the 1871 census. Margaret was on the 1851 census aged 8 in County Durham but born in Scotland, so was probably not in Yorkshire at the time of Matthew's birth. I don't know where any of them were in 1861. All Matthew's known siblings were born after 1868 in County Durham. I have been trying so hard to crack this one for ages. Perhaps someone else will have more brainpower than me.

I am struggling to find GEORGE HALSE. He would have been born 1861-1864 in Cornwall probably Marazion / Penzance. he was living in Penzance workhouse at the time of the 1871 census with his brother EDWARD. He was 10 at the time so may not have been on the 1861 census, Edward, however, would have been born c1859. Their father was called JOHN. Really struggling, so any help would be greatly appreciated!!! Juliana xxxxxxx

Jeanette, Just realised that I have William Thomas' birth cert. He was born on 6/11/1885 - Father James Fairhurst, Mother Elizabeth, formerly Walsh, living in York Street, Lamberhead Green, Orrell/Pemberton, Lancashire. Andrea

If anyone can find my G.Grandfather I'd be ecstatic,I've been looking for him nearly 2 years now........here goes JAMES HARDING born c 1864 no idea where(parents are James Harding no details except he was deceased in 1897 and had been a labourer,and mother totally unknown except her name may be Frances),JAMES marries BRIDGET TERESA KELLY a widow,formerly Jackson born in Ireland, IN 1897 (I have the cert.)at a Roman Catholic Church in W.Derby Liverpool.JAMES is noted as 33years a bachelor and a mariner and BRIDGET is 32years and a widow (both their fathers are listed as deceased).Then on my Grandfathers birth cert in 1899(he is James Robertson Harding) I have mother now calling herself just TERESA HARDING and JAMES listed as Butler (domestic) in Edmonton,Enfield,Middlesex.JAMES and BRIDGET TERESA are nowhere to be found on 1901 census,but my Grandfather at 1year is listed with his aunt and uncle (Bridgets sister in W.Derby ,Liverpool).I have BRIDGETS death cert in 1918 where she did in Hanover Square ,London (its not a hospital I checked) of influenza...there was the Spanish flu epidemic at the time.....JAMES HARDING is listed on the cert as her widower a contractors night watchman living in Lambeth.....I was led to believe he died shortly after Bridget but not of the Spanish Flu but cannot find him on 1837......Its possible he may have been military ,hence the Mariner and I do know that the Hardings were Catholic........ Sorry to have gone on so but I'm desperate to sort out the mystery behind my G.Grandfather........ Thanks for your patience in reading this..... Elaine

Daisy, Perhapsyou could try writing and explaining that your rellie doesn't appear on the "1837 on line" or any other lists and could they possibly check their documents as this has solved problems for other people in a similar position. The only other thing I can suggest is asking advice from Anthony Adolph. Rosemary(Essex)

HI, Would like to add Charles Henry Jones. Havnt a clue where born, could be Sheffield could be Wales!! I know he died in 1941 aged 59 and that he married in 1917 to Harriet Eastwood in Sheffield. That is it! their child (my nan) said that Charles parents disowned him when he chose to marry Harriet as they didnt think she was good enough for him so none of his children know anything about his family apart from the rumours that his parents or grand parents were welsh! Got the marriage certificate, there is just a line through fathers details so no use to me whatsover. As you can imagine, having the surname JONES does not help me one bit, wish he had more of a rare surname. Im currently hoping that i am still around when the 1920 census comes out and he is with Harriet to see where he was born! Any advice on what to do now would be much appreciated. Claire xx

I have a missing ancestor.....name....ALEXANDER TUCKER born 1835 WARE, HERTFORDSHIRE. parents Robert Benjamin Tucker and Mary Ann Want (married 1835 WARE) baptised 27th December 1835 WARE 1841 census at CAROLINE COURT,BALDOCK STREET,WARE aged 5 1851 census at 13 GEE STREET, ST. PANCRAS,LONDON aged 15 .....Errand Boy Can not find him after that, he disappears......does anyone have any ideas? Thanks, Viv

Arthur Watts on going brick wall!! I cannot trace his 1st marriage to Elizabeth Fulcher, nor his birth!!! Information I know...He died in 1839, Bury St Edmunds age 70.(suffolk) He was married to Elizabeth Fulcher, she was a widow and her married name was Timpson.He had two sons, George 1814, and Henry 1816. Henry was christened in St James, Bury St Edmundsin 1816. After Elizabeth died he married Sarah Fulcher,(elizabeths sister in law).Any help please!!!! Lynne

Lesley, There are Mortons in Buxton Derbyshire at the end of the 19th century who have links with Yorkshire. My G. Aunt Elizabeth Jane Avery married a Charles Morton. I know her son Arthur used to visit relatives in Sheffield as well as our family when he came over from Canada. Hope this may be a lead, Rosemary(Essex)

Daisy, No, it was not London. Salford are brilliant as are the other Manchester area offices. They go out of their way to help. I am surprised that London Offices are so unhelpful, Rosemary(Essex)

Looking for Vanstratum family in 1891 liverpool. I found them in 1881 at 4 scotland place. found head joseph in 1894 liverpool directory again 4 scotland place. located his family in 1901, as he died in 1898. They were transcribed as von strotton in 1881. When joseph died in 1898 his address was richmond row liverpool. any help with 1901 would be great. Linda