HELP! Family tree novice in need of advice/help! :)

[rebeche]

Hi there

I am currently starting my family tree and have already become stuck! I know nothing about my grandparents as they died when my dad was young. I am on ancestry and have managed to find my grandmother's birth details (specifically her mother's maiden name) However, I can't find the marriage of my great-grandparents Howard(great gdad) and Sherwood(g gma's maiden name) I have no idea when they were married but it's around the 1890-97 mark in Salford,possibly elsewhere in Lancs/Manchester. I have searched and searched lancs opc and ancestry marriage register for England. Does this mean the marriage didn't take place or do I need to dig elsewhere?
Any advice would be greatly,greatly appreciated!

[MarionH]

Don't know if this is of any help but in 1895 Sep there is a Thomas Howard with a possible match to a Margaret Jane Sherwood in Barton upon Irwell which is in Lancs.
Marion

[Anne in Carlisle]

A couple of suggestions .....Have you bought your grandmother's birth certificate to make sure you have all the details correct?

Have you considered that either of her parents might have been married before - in the case of her mother this would change the surname in the marriage index.

Anne

[Mike Fisher]

I you gave us more details (like full names) of the people you are asking about we might be able to guide you in the right direction

[Christine in Herts]

Welcome to FTF, Rebeche.

I'd back the suggestions mentioned above plus I'd say, "Have you had a look at some of the info specially put together for newbies?". For example, at the top of this page in (what is in my set-up) a yellow bar, is a link "Starting Out on Your Research ". There are lots of good ideas there and, hopefully, they'll spare you the mistakes that others have made before you.

If you're researching names in the Manchester area, then this may be a useful link for you:

http://www.lancashirebmd.org.uk/

(found in the Local list on this site: http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/)

It shows that Thomas HOWARD married Margaret J SHERWOOD in Patricroft Christ Church, Salford, in 1895.

That gives you three options: a certificate from GRO (£9.25, by internet, direct); a cert from Lancs RO (also £9.25, online or by post); or find someone who's going to the local Records Office (as distinct from Register Office!) and get a copy of the Parish Register page - which is the source for the others, and is likely to have the original signatures of all parties to the event.

Christine

[rebeche]

Thanks very much for finding that for me. Could you suggest where I was going wrong on ancestry? I had both their surnames, estimated date and location but couldn't find it; spent hours searching! I didn't have their full names, my grandparents died when my dad was very young and he doesn't know anything about his family because his grandparents were dead and gone before he was born. So just surnames and an estimated date.
Christine- thank you very much for that info. very useful. Do you still pay to see the record at the Records Office?

[Elaine ..Spain]

The problem with Ancestry is that you cannot search the marriage index for pre 1911 marriages using both surnames.

You would have been better off searching on freeBMD where you can search using surname of bride and groom, together with approx years, county etc.

[JBee]

Now I'm assuming you have your Dad's birth certificate which gives his father's name and mother's maiden name and are now looking for their marriage certificate.

I'm saying this because you have to start at the beginning and work backwards otherwise you can end up going down the wrong track and wasting time effort and money. I've recently come unstuck (should have known better) thinking I knew who someones parent's were. I was wrong and had delayed purchasing the birth certificate until the recent price hike and had lumbered on using the census. I'd researched several generations back and a lot sideways and bought loads of certificates all to no avail.

So all I can say is prove each relationship before moving on. It maybe there's no father on a birth certificate but the mother married again and the child assumed the new husband was their father. It could be the father's christian name was different to that he was known by - which can also lead off on a tangent.

It's better to be safe than sorry.

Good Luck in your research.

[rebeche]

Jbee, yes you're right. I was lucky enough (well..I think it's lucky) to have this happen to me right at the beginning of my tree. I ended up chasing the wrong person and it was only by luck (finding an old photo) that my course changed to the right direction so lesson was learnt at the beginning. How often have you bought certificates? Is it just a case of going down every avenue and choosing them as a last resort? I want to buy every certificate possible but it's an expensive job when they mount up!

[Little Nell]

Buying certs depends on how much money you have to spend. I'd ideally like birth, marriage and death certs for all my ancestors and as many relatives as possible. But it does get expensive when you have gt gt grandfathers who marry 3 times and have 15 children!

So I try to get certs that have information I know will move my research on, except of course that we don't know what information will be on a cert till we've bought the cert!

London marriage certs are often available on Ancestry which once you've paid a sub, you can see and download for no extra cost. You might find info about parents from a baptism entry, or death information in a burial register. It just depends on when and where your ancestors lived.

The point made here is that without a few certs at least you can't be sure you are following the right lines.

[rebeche]

From this marriage I was able to find a whole household of inf on the 1911 census which is great. So could you advise me on my next step. I've found my great grandma Margaret Jane Sherwood so I would now like to find her parents and siblings. So far I have tried a few census's searching her name inbetween birth and marriage to find her parents household but can't find her. I have only used ancestry and genes reunited..what else would you advise. I'm hoping to take a day in the records office soon but for now I've just got the internet

[Pat Hope]

The parish records for Christ Church Patricroft can be searched at Manchester Local Archives which will be reopening on 28th June. I don't know where you live but if you can't get there I may be able to look for you

[rebeche]

Thank you Pat! I live in Fylde so was going to go to Preston Archives which I was told should hold the records I need. Will that include parish records for Salford? I'm assuming from their marriage certificate I will get the details of both sets of parents?

[Pat Hope]

The records would probably show the bride and groom's fathers and their occupations and the ages and occupations of the couple. The would also show the witnesses at the marriage

The list of churches at Manchester can be found here

http://www.manchester.gov.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?categoryID=448&documentID=464

[Blackberry]

But it does get expensive when you have gt gt grandfathers who marry 3 times .... So I try to get certs that have information I know will move my research on ....

Then when you find one like mine whose father's name changed on his third marriage certificate ....

[clematised]

http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/corporate/web/?siteid=4528&pageid=30539&e=e

Lancashire Record Office is in Preston and not Manchester which is what rebeche was asking, and will need to take with her identification in two forms ie passport, driving license, utility bill with address on it, pencil not pen, notebook a clear plastic sleeve, money for printing purposes, a tea room is available with machines for tea coffee and sandwiches can be taken to the tea room, a one pound coin returnable for the loan of a locker for personal stuff bags coats ect.

It may be advisable to phone first to see what records are available to you but I know all the Lancashire records are available, also Cheshire wills are stored there too.

The LRPS books are available which are Parish Records already transcribed by the Lancashire FHS which I used many times to research a one name study.

Good Luck

Edna

[Pat Hope]

The parish records for a lot of Salford churches are held at Manchester Local Archives not the Manchester record office