Help needed to find ancestors mother/father

[ransley1991]

Hello, i have recently started to search for the parents of one of my ancestors, Joseph Ransley, and i am having trouble finding the next link in the family history. We have a fair amount of information about a Joseph Ransley who moved to Plymouth around 1882 when he enlisted in the Royal Marines, however we cannot find out any information linking further back than that.

Here is some information we have on him from marriage certificate, death certificate and Royal Marine service records:

DOB: September 1862
Place: Leeds/Manchester (conflicting)
Date enlisted (R.M) - 1882 (Leeds)
Died - 1927 Plymouth

He lived in East Stonehouse and had several children, we just need to find out where he came from and his previous history so we can work backwards.

We have a small link to his Father using the marriage certificate which is listed below.

Fathers name - Robert (could also be Renton apparently) who was a Linen Manufacturer
Married - Annie Lightfoot in Plymouth 1891

Unfortuantely this is the only info i have on his father so i have, as of yet, not been able to work backwards. If anybody has any clues or can provide any missing information i would be grateful as i have spent a while hung up on this part of the research.

One interesting thing to note is that the surname may have changed from Rawnsley to Ransley at some point while he moved down here. Although it is an uncommon name it hinders the research process somewhat.

Thanks in advance,
Lee

[Night Owl]

There is a marriage on Yorkshire BMD of Renton Rawnsley to Sarah A Riley in St Oswald, Guiseley in 1851. Unfortunately the marriage cert doesn't seem to be on the new W Yorkshire marriages on Ancestry.

There are, however, several baptisms with parents Renton and Sarah Ann Rawnsley in Guiseley including Joseph Rawnsley in January 1861, father was a clothier. I realise that the baptism date conflicts with the birth date you have, but have you discounted this couple?

[ransley1991]

Hi, thank you for taking the time to look. I have checked a few possibilities, and Renton was one of those. The occupation is similar to the one given on the marriage certificate which is a helpful clue. I will keep this as a possibility and look into it. Sometimes its easy to get lost with variations of spellings.

[Night Owl]

On Joseph's Marine service record does it give an address or occupation prior to enlistment?

[Olde Crone Holden]

As you don't have his birth certificate then you don't know when he was born and Jackie's finding looks very good to me - the likelihood of there being two Renton Rawnsleys are fairly remote I would think.

OC

[ransley1991]

No address, just that he enlisted in Leeds although it gives birthplace as Long(???) Manchester, Lancaster. It says his trade was a 'Humber'?

[ransley1991]

If it helps here is the scan of the marriage certificate with Josephs fathers name

JosephRansleyMarriage1891(2).jpg

[Christine in Herts]

I see that his name was actually given as RAMSLEY in 1891, when he was in the RM Barracks at East Stonehouse. And he gives Leeds as PoB then, too. He gives his age as 32 - which makes his DoB 1858-59.

Christine

[Night Owl]

I have no idea what a humber might be - could you put the part of the image that says that on here please?

Where did you get the names Renton and Rawnsley from?

[Olde Crone Holden]

If you write Humber in ornate copperplate, you might get Haulier.

The Joseph with Renton in 1881 is no good - Renton is a brewer's assistant and household servant.

There are two Josephs of the right sort of age, both are son in laws to a man working in the clothing industry.

There is a Joseph RAUNSLEY of the right age, living with an uncle. Joseph is a carter, which is the same thing as a haulier.

I don't have ancestry to look in 71.

OC

[Christine in Herts]

Following up on Joseph RAMSLEY, mentioned above, in 1891. I emailed FMP to say that the address was inadequate. I've had a reply, saying that they only put what the enumerator puts. I accept that principle, but if they apply it in that way then no institution occupant will be given the full address, because institution addresses are always on a header sheet, and the residents are listed without an address: it's a special sheet type. We'll see! - Christine

[Olde Crone Holden]

Christine

Raunsley could also be transcribed as Ramsley, I reckon.

OC

[scuda]

The Joseph with Renton in 1881 is no good - Renton is a brewer's assistant and household servant.

I agree - in 1871 Renton Rawnsley is a 'Game Watcher' and his son Joseph is born Guiseley, so seems unlikely to be the one we want.

scuda

[ransley1991]

Here is a scan of the Royal Marine service record with occupation and dates etc

JosephRansleyRM.jpg

[Christine in Herts]

Christine

Raunsley could also be transcribed as Ramsley, I reckon.

OC

That's what I thought - but the handwriting really does look like RAMSLEY!

Christine

[Christine in Herts]

I agree - in 1871 Renton Rawnsley is a 'Game Watcher' and his son Joseph is born Guiseley, so seems unlikely to be the one we want.

scuda

But Guiseley is just to the NW of Leeds - which is the place he gives for DoB in 1891, 1901 and 1911. I'd have thought that made that one a very likely candidate indeed.

Christine

[scuda]

I agree about Guiseley being near Leeds, but the marriage certificate gives Joseph's father's name as Robert, occupation linen manufacturer. As far as I can see Renton does not fit the bill on either count. I'm not sure where Lee gets the information (post 1) that suggests Joseph's father could be named Renton. Is it just that there was a Renton in about the right place with a son Joseph of about the right age, or is there other evidence? If Lee hadn't mentioned Renton as a possible we'd be concentrating on Robert, I think.

scuda

[ransley1991]

Hi Scuda, i only mentioned Renton as on a different thread i was told it looked like Robert or Renton. Personally it looks more like Robert to me but i thought i would include an alternative just in case i was mistaken.

Through doing some quick searching on Ancestry.co.uk both names came up. This was only a quick search though so i havnt properly discounted any names from the research. Unfortunately its difficult to find enough evidence to prove any of these people as the man we need.

[scuda]

i only mentioned Renton as on a different thread i was told it looked like Robert or Renton.

It doesn't look like Renton to me - it has a tall letter at the end as well as in the middle. Who are the marriage witnesses? They might provide some clues. Is the other thread on a different forum or here? It would be helpful for us to see what ideas were put forward there. Could you post a link to the thread, please?

scuda

[ransley1991]

It looks like the witnesses are Edward John Jewell and Martha Jewell. There is also another name next to Martha that says Alice McLaughlin. I assume there were three witnesses as there there are two names on the bottom line as well as one on the top line for 'in the presence of us' section on the certificate.

And the link for the previous thread is http://www.familytreeforum.com/showt...eading-surname