I'm still searching for Pamela Kirk

[Janet in Yorkshire]

Odd isn't it, coming from a small village, I thought you could just do an open search with birth place and birth date. But guess the place could be just Norfolk if she has moved. Pamela isn't a common name either which should make it easier.

SHOULD but DOESN'T - not in this case anyhow! It's been a brickwall for about a decade I keep on going back to Pamela from time to time, but don't get anywhere, just end up frustrated. Sometimes Pamelas are recorded as the more familiar Emilias, but that hasn't helped.
My gut feeling is that she had probably died by 1861, which is why I can't find a census return for her -but in that case, there should have been a death registration for her and also a burial record.

Jay

[Sylvia C]

SHOULD but DOESN'T - not in this case anyhow! It's been a brickwall for about a decade I keep on going back to Pamela from time to time, but don't get anywhere, just end up frustrated. Sometimes Pamelas are recorded as the more familiar Emilias, but that hasn't helped.
My gut feeling is that she had probably died by 1861, which is why I can't find a census return for her -but in that case, there should have been a death registration for her and also a burial record.

Jay

Unless the marriage broke up and she moved elsewhere.

That often happened, and spouses sometimes (?often) then married bigamously, especially if the other spouse was not living in the same area. Doesn't matter what it says on the second marriage certificate, they weren't asked for proof that they were widowed or single.

Have you tried searching on Pam*, birth year +/-2, county of birth ..... ie no surname?????

[Janet in Yorkshire]

Thank you for your input, however I've tried that, Sylvia. I've also searched on year +/-5 no name but with place of birth as Halvergate, then Mundesley and Gimingham - the three villages where Pamela lived. I've done nationwide searches using just one name - Pamela, Dix, Kirk, Hubbard + variants - with a 5 year parameter. Not a sniff of anything, no GRO birth of a Dix child with mmn Kirk. That's why I think she probably died, but can't write her off unless I discover some evidence.

Jay

[cbcarolyn]

Is that her mother being baptised on same transcription page and her aunt? or a different Elizabeth Kirk?

Not that it helps - just inquisitive

[Sylvia C]

Jay .............

I thought you would have done that search, but it was just worth checking!

[Janet in Yorkshire]

It is her mother Elizabeth and also her aunt Phillis. Both the twins had been baptised as babies, but in a different parish, and so the zealous curate would not have found the record in the church register if he looked back.
Happened again in this family - about 15 years later Phillis's eldest daughter was also baptised for a second time! Probably to do with her going into service - her mother had died, and the girl was in the care of her mother's sisters.

Jay

[Janet in Yorkshire]

Thanks Sylvia. Elizabeth Kirk's extended family have been, and still are, my worst nightmare and trickiest family. I just go round and round in circles and get the most terrible headaches. They are not for the faint hearted.

Jay

[Sylvia C]

Just a thought ...............

have you searched on her initials only??

Patients, even prisoners, were often shown only by initial, age sex, and sometimes birth place (possibly county only).

Is it worth a search if you haven't done one?

[Anne in Carlisle]

Isn't it strange how some families just are so difficult. Most of mine are not too hard to sort out but just like these Kirks I have an occasional family who seem 'different'. Did they deliberately avoid being recorded or were they just disorganised by nature? I feel your frustration because with such an unusual name (for the time) Pamela should be easy to find. Wonder if she disliked her name and called herself something else?
Anne

[bubblebelle]

Sorry I have drawn a blank too, even looked at the reported fathers name, which looks more like Allen or Alley than that transcribed by Norfolk FHS. It probably would be no help at all but if Pamela was only 16 when married, would she have needed to be married by licence?
I am sorry I no longer have FMP, so that reduces my search abilities. My brick wall was finally broken down by a newspaper report and Old Bailey trial, so like you are doing I can only suggest you return periodically for any new transcriptions.