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Advice on which way should I search, please?

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  • Advice on which way should I search, please?

    I have been looking at my family history for just two weeks and I'm unsure how I should proceed.
    My parents divorced in the late 40's and I met my natural father only once. I have obtained a copy of his Birth and Death certs'. From his birth cert, I can see the names of my paternal grandparents and I'm trying to get more info on them. My father was born in 1917 and I have guessed that his mother might have been aged between 17-23 when he was born (Just pure guess work). I then did a search for my grandmother in or around 1895 and lo and behold up she pops. But not knowing where she lived at that time, how do I know if I have found the correct person? There are many people of the same name as her listed, the dates are all different.

    Is there any tips/advice that will help me, please.

  • #2
    Welcome to Family Tree Forum and the addictive world of family history!

    What you need is your grandparents marriage certificate. This should tell you your grandparents ages and also their fathers names and their occupations. Hopefully this should enable you to find them on the 1901/1911 census with their parents, or at least allow you to ascertain whether the lady you have found is the right person

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    • #3
      Do you know how to go about obtaining the marriage certificate?

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      • #4
        The next thing I would do is try and find your grandparents marriage certificate. That will have their fathers' names on and also give you where they were living at that time. Guessing the age of the mother of a child is very difficult since it could have been anywhere between 15 and 50!!

        Anne

        Ooops, snap, Merry. And Wecome to FTF, Norman!

        Comment


        • #5
          Monty, thank you for the reply.

          I had thought about the marriage cert but I'm unsure where they lived. Do I need to know the location first?

          No, I've just started on the family tree (yes, I'm hooked!) and have no real idea how to obtain a marriage cert.

          Starting this has brought me in touch with cousins in Ireland and USA and they are really excited at my mission and have jumped into helping me with details. Only trouble is, I seem to be all over the place with names.

          Any advice most welcome.

          Norm

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Anne in Carlisle View Post
            The next thing I would do is try and find your grandparents marriage certificate. That will have their fathers' names on and also give you where they were living at that time. Guessing the age of the mother of a child is very difficult since it could have been anywhere between 15 and 50!!

            Anne




            Ooops, snap, Merry. And Wecome to FTF, Norman!

            Thank you, Anne.

            Comment


            • #7
              As said above the marriage certificate is the next step, it will give you a known point in time (together with a place) that you can use later on either include or exclude things you find.

              It's only by going back one step at a time from a proven event you can be sure of following the correct family lines, it's especially important for your direct line (and in the long run a lot cheaper too).

              The witnesses names on the certificate may also be members of the family too.
              http://www.flickr.com/photos/50125734@N06/

              Joseph Goulson 1701-1780
              My sledging hammer lies declined, my bellows too have lost their wind
              My fire's extinct, my forge decay'd, and in the dust my vice is laid

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              • #8
                Glen, thanks for the advice. How do I obtain a marriage cert' if I don't know where they married. Or is there a 'General' register?

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                • #9
                  All About Certificates - Family Tree Forum

                  If you have a look at the FTF Wiki (the link is above) you'll find lots of help

                  You have a good start as you know the names of both bride and groom. Unless they are very common names it will cut down the options a lot. You need to search the General Register Office index for the marriage reference.

                  Anne

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    You can order the certificate online from the General Register Office (GRO).

                    Cost is £7 if you can quote the GRO reference number.

                    To find the ref number for most pre 1920 birth marriage and death events in England and Wales then the freebmd website is the first place to check (as the name suggests the site is free).


                    If you are unsure about where or how to look for the reference then you are welcome to post the names of your grandparents if you wish and one of us will be able to find it for you.


                    We have a section onsite called the wiki, there are reviews and links to the most popular sites along with visual guides showing how to use them too.
                    I will just add the link to the site reviews, you can then get an idea of which sites to use for certain types of records.

                    Online Research - Family Tree Forum
                    http://www.flickr.com/photos/50125734@N06/

                    Joseph Goulson 1701-1780
                    My sledging hammer lies declined, my bellows too have lost their wind
                    My fire's extinct, my forge decay'd, and in the dust my vice is laid

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      As you know the names of the bride and groom and presume they married before 1917 then you could try looking on a site called FreeBMD for the reference details you will need to order the marriage cert. Here's the site:

                      FreeBMD - Search

                      Or you could tell us their names and we cal try and find the details for you. Once you have the reference information you can order the cert online.

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                      • #12
                        Anne/Glen, thank you both. I have been 'told' (by my grandson) that I have to get off here and watch England on TV. So, first thing thurs, I'm off to search for the marriage cert.

                        Thanks again.

                        Norm

                        ps, thanks MMM!

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                        • #13
                          Good for you, Norman. It's much more exciting to find them yourself but do ask if it gets difficult. Enjoy the match!

                          Anne

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                          • #14
                            A good first place to look is the free site
                            FreeBMD - Search
                            Do not worry about filling in the location, just the names of your couple, you may find a quick result :D (or you may have to dig deeper)
                            Bridget

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                            • #15
                              No problem Norm, if you need any help just shout up, one way or another the forum and the wiki will soon show you the "how, where and why", you soon discover the thrill is in the chase and the sense of achievement beats any silly old game of football :D
                              http://www.flickr.com/photos/50125734@N06/

                              Joseph Goulson 1701-1780
                              My sledging hammer lies declined, my bellows too have lost their wind
                              My fire's extinct, my forge decay'd, and in the dust my vice is laid

                              Comment


                              • #16
                                OK, I could not wait until the morning!

                                Sorry, we found no matches. This is the result of my search on FreeBMD. I have entered both names and get no result. I entered a gap of 5 years. It could be that my grandparents were not married, even though my grandmothers name is shown (on my dad's BC) as her married and maiden name.



                                ps, Thanks BridgetM

                                Comment


                                • #17
                                  There is a chance that they weren't married and someone told a fib on the birth cert (my grandparents did the same thing). There is also a chance they married quite a bit earlier than you might suspect or even some time after the birth, (not as uncommon as you might imagine).

                                  It might be worth trying the names without a year just in case.

                                  Presumably we are talking about a marriage in England/Wales (Scotland records are slightly different).

                                  If you want to post the names then we can try and have a look for you, things like a slight typo when the records are transcribed might be a reason there isn't anything obvious coming up.
                                  http://www.flickr.com/photos/50125734@N06/

                                  Joseph Goulson 1701-1780
                                  My sledging hammer lies declined, my bellows too have lost their wind
                                  My fire's extinct, my forge decay'd, and in the dust my vice is laid

                                  Comment


                                  • #18
                                    Glen, may I take you up on the offer?

                                    My grandfather was Walter Wardell Bainbridge
                                    My Grandmother was Mary Agnes Laird.

                                    As my father was born in 1917, I did a search from 1913 - 1920. Could be they may have told a fib:o

                                    Comment


                                    • #19
                                      Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

                                      --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                      Marriages Jun 1904 (>99%)
                                      --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                      Arkinstall Sarah Ann Fylde 8e 1252
                                      Bainbridge Walter Wardell Fylde 8e 1252
                                      Knott Edwin Simpson Fylde 8e 1252
                                      Laird Mary Agnes Fylde 8e 1252
                                      Bridget

                                      Comment


                                      • #20
                                        Here you go:

                                        Marriages Jun 1904
                                        Arkinstall Sarah Ann Fylde 8e 1252
                                        Bainbridge Walter Wardell Fylde 8e 1252
                                        Knott Edwin Simpson Fylde 8e 1252
                                        Laird Mary Agnes Fylde 8e 1252

                                        Comment

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