Think I'm getting there, could anyone double check it for me?

[Rachandgarry]

Hi there

I'm a newbie on these forums, so hi to everyone - and what a fantastic resource this is! I've done quite a bit of searching on here, and the information is really useful, so thank you.

A few days ago, the only family names knew were my maternal grandparents, I knew one date of birth (1918) but not the other, no places, no date for marriage etc.... Now, through looking around at BMD's, census' and ordering a few certificates I think I'm back as far as a birth in 1797! However, I could have made some assumptions that aren't 100% and I could be wrong. This is the first time I've done anything like this, so I'm struggling a bit.

Unfortunately, all my family have passed away so I have absolutely no-one to ask for details, I've been through all the keepsakes and photos I have and nothing has provided any more clues, so it is all going to be how much info I can find I think. I have a subscription to familyrelatives.com and 100 credits left on findmypast.com.

Would it be possible for me to post the info I have, does anyone have a spare few minutes just to go over what I've done and spot any glaring mistakes? I would be really grateful.

Thanks in advance
Rachel

[Elizabeth Herts]

Rachel, please post all the details you have - we love a good piece of research to get our teeth into!

It would be great to get you a few generations further back. :smilee:

Welcome to the Forum!

[Anne in Carlisle]

Welcome Rachel!

The main rule is start with what you know and work backwards. Also - don't make assumptions. Coincidences are much more common than we imagine and two people with the same name can easily be found in the same place at a similar time.

There are plenty of clever people on here happy to check your work and encourage you on your way!

Anne

[Rachandgarry]

Hi there Elizabeth and Anne,

Thanks for your posts, its great to have other interested people; my other friends just start to yawn when I start discussing it hehe!

I'm only trying to expand the maternal side to start with, which has a reasonably uncommon surname, if I prove successful I will then start with the arduous task of my grandfather's line of "Jones"! Therefore, all of this is on my Mum's side.

This is the information I knew at the start:

My mum: Vivienne Elaine Selwyn
Born: 27 Dec 1944, Isleworth area. Had 1 real sister, Denise who died at a young age, and a half sister (of a different father), Valerie.
Married: 4 Nov 1978 to my father, Allan Brian Roberts, in Beaconsfield Bucks. (Both had been married once before)
Died: 25 Mar 1995, High Wycombe.

My Nan: Irene Florence Rose Selwyn
Born: 28 June 1918, London somewhere
Married: 16th August 1942, to Thomas John Jones, at St Saviours Church, Upper Sunbury Middlesex. Certificate shows their addresses at the time as IFRS: 235 Waldegrave Road Twickenham, and TJJ as Sebastian Villa, Scotts Way, Sunbury. Witnesses were IFRS's father and a Freddie Castle.
Died: 1997 in High Wycombe.

I have much more than this that I *think* I've found out, but I'm struggling to post it all in a format that makes sense and isn't confusing. I will post this now, then update it. Would that be best?

Sorry for being so rubbish at all this still, I will learn!

Thanks in advance
Rachel

[Elizabeth Herts]

Rachel, you are doing fine! It's very clearly laid out.

I'll see what I can find.

[Elizabeth Herts]

Irene's birth:

Irene F R Selwyn
Sep qr 1918
Southwark 1d 65
Mother's maiden name Clark (from FreeBMD)

[Elizabeth Herts]

Marriage:

Dec qr 1917

Beatrice E Clark and
Alfred G C Selwyn
Croydon 2a 682

I have viewed the page - it is definitely Alfred G C Selwyn so it looks as though I got the correct one.

[Anne in Carlisle]

Do you have your Nan's birth certificate? If you get that it will have her mother's maiden name and you can check it says the same father as her marriage certificate. Its not unknown for there to be .... erm.. discrepancies

You say the witnesses included your Nan's father. How do you know? The same name as the father on the certificate may have been a brother or even a cousin.

Anne

[Elizabeth Herts]

This could possibly be Alfred's birth:

Dec 1894
Alfred George C Selwyn
Alderbury 5a 151 (Wiltshire nr Salisbury)

See above for marriage - looks correct.

[Elizabeth Herts]

1901 Census
Class: RG13; Piece: 1952; Folio: 135; Page: 1.

- Ancestry.co.uk

Alfred Burwell Selwyn Assurance Agent from Home 39 Born Hants Blackwater
Lucy Eliza 33 Born Wilts Donhead
Alfred G C 6 Born Salisbury
Frederick C 5 born Salisbury

[Rachandgarry]

Going back further from my previous post, IFRS's father is:

Alfred George Cresswell Selwyn
Born: Q4, 1894, Alderbury.
Married: to Beatrice Clark, Q4 1917, Croydon. No other info known about her, certificate on order.
Died: ?

Then his father is (I think!):

Alfred Cresswell Selwyn
Born: 2 Jan 1861, Hawley, Farnborough, "Counties of Southampton & Surrey" to parents Emily Rawlins and Alfred John Selwyn.
Christened: 30 Dec 1894, St Martin, Salisbury Wiltshire.
Married: BMD records show: Q2, 1892, to ?, in Alderbury. Familysearch.org shows: 16 May 1892 to Lucy Eliza King at Saint Martin, Salisbury Wiltshire.
Died: ?

The problems I seem to be having are that the area they are all from is right on the borders of Surrey, Hampshire, Middlesex and Sussex - census information, certificate information etc keeps giving mixed info on the county.

Also, through census records I think I have found Alfred Cresswell Selwyn's parents - BUT the head of the household does not match the father on his birth certificate. If you get to this point, I can explain my problem lol. I think I have found more info on Emily Rawlins too, but no way of knowing if it is her as it is all pre-BMD and I'm getting nowhere with online parish records.

I am sure there is more that I should have noted down already but I am concerned I am confusing things!

Thanks again, this is wonderful to be able to talk - and even just to clarify my own knowledge by writing it out again!

Rachel :o

[Elizabeth Herts]

This looks like Alfred Creswell Selwyn's death:

Mar 1935
Selwyn Alfred C
Lambeth 1d 213

[Elizabeth Herts]

Ancestry have this:

- Ancestry.co.uk

Does it tie in with the parents you have?

[Elizabeth Herts]

Have you seen this Ancestry tree?

- Ancestry.co.uk

[Rachandgarry]

Hiya,

I don't have a subscription to that site, so it isn't letting me see the contents. I have already had a trial so I can't do the 14 day thing :-(

Is it important that I see it?

Rachel

[Elizabeth Herts]

I have sent you a pm, Rachel.

Going off on a tangent, it appears that Frederick Creswell Selwyn married in 1917 (UKBMD for Wiltshire)

Frederick C Selwyn
Hettie M Thomas
Alberbury, St Mary
1917

[Rachandgarry]

PM received and replied, thank you hun, much appreciated...

Wowweeeeee on the Frederick result - thats a nice addition to the tree, thank you.

The counties are really what is causing me the most trouble with this; I think I am struggling to understand how 'informal' record-keeping was in those days, and unfortunate that my family seemed to live at the junction of about 4,105,664 counties!!!

I feel so wonderful that I'm getting where I am though, and I'm pleased people who clearly know what they are doing are getting the same results as me. I can almost start to allow in the warm and fuzzy feeling that I finally know where I came from!!

Rachel

[Elizabeth Herts]

I'm pleased you are enjoying the experience, Rachel!

I am also perplexed with the Alfred John/Henry conundrum.

It might be interesting to get the birth certificate for Isabella Mary Selwyn:

SELWYN Isabella Mary Shoreditch 1c 162
Dec qr 1862

just to see how her father is named.

There are quite a few missing 1861 census entries for London and other areas, which might explain why we can't find them then. Such a shame, as little Alfred would have been just a few months old.

[Rachandgarry]

Great idea, Elizabeth, I will order that certificate in a bit.

Its quite funny - on the 1881 census, the whole family information is out - the surname is SelwynE, and Isabella is 'Arabella'. You've just confirmed for me which is right, so thank you hugely.

Also, on that other tree it listed George King as Lucy King's father, which I didn't know, and also her age at marriage - which I also didn't know so that was really really useful, thank you!

R x

[Elizabeth Herts]

Rachel, just beware that the information on the Ancestry tree isn't necessarily correct - they might not have bought certificates or sought verification.

To avoid making mistakes, it is always best to get documentary evidence yourself, even though it can be expensive.