Success Stories

First of all I would like to thank all those kind people who tried to help me with the research of my great grandfather JOHN (Patrick) MURRAY who, according to the 1901 census, was shown as being born in Newport, Mon (South Wales). I had never been able to find any John Murray in any census from 1861 who was born in Newport, Mon until the 1901 census (which I now know was incorrect!). Then, one morning my thoughts turned to the death certificate for his daughter in 1886, and "lo and behold" when I had another look at that death certificate in the column for "Occupation" (of the deceased) it said "Daughter of John Murray of Newport, Salop". After 15 years I finally realised the importance of the little word "of", i.e. John Murray OF Newport, Salop, and finally realised that my great grandfather JOHN MURRAY was actually born in Newport, SHROPSHIRE, not Newport MON!!! How annoying is that, to think that a mistake by the enumerator of one word (Mon) meant I had been searching for many years for my great grandfather in South Wales instead of Shropshire. No wonder Gwent Record Office had no record for a birth for a John Murray! I have therefore now found him in all the census records from 1861 onwards, the first three with his family, and others of when he was with soldiers as he had joined the 5th Irish Lancers. I now have JOHN MURRAY's Birth Certificate for his birth in Newport, Shropshire in 1859 (correct year) and also the marriage of his parents THOMAS MURR(E)Y and CATHERINE KELLY which also took place in Newport, Shropshire, although they were both born in Ireland (but place unknown)

It just goes to show what a big headache an enumerator can cause by one simple mistake!