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Hi im trying to find a death certificate of my great aunt Hester Gertrude Agatha Pain nee Laity who lived in Sheffeild but i cant find any thing , ive tried using all her names in each search , she was born in Helston Cornwall , Married in 1905 in Wales , i was told she moved to sheffeild just after she got married , what am i doing wrong ? M ichele

Help please! I’m having trouble with Frederick William Piercy - according to the ages given on his marriage certificate and the death index, he was born between 1866 and 1868. (born in Dulwich according to the 1911 census). His marriage certificate shows his father as George Piercy, general labourer. The BMD Index shows only one Frederick William Piercy born in Camberwell in 1868 – but that is the wrong Frederick, and his father’s name is not George. I have found a George Piercy who was living in Peckham and who might be ‘my’ Frederick’s father (a general labourer born Peckham c1848) and I have tried looking for Frederick under George’s wife’s maiden name, but with no success. To add to the mystery, I can’t find Frederick in the 1871, 1881 or 1891 censuses. I have tried as many spelling variants of Piercy as I can think of. As Frederick’s father was a general labourer I can’t think of any reason why the family might have been abroad. Frederick’s marriage in 1893 is the first record I have found to show he actually existed! Any ideas about how I might be able to trace Frederick and his father please? Thank you Alice

Dear Anthony, I am seeking advice regarding software I can use on an Apple Mac computer to set up my family tree. If possible, I would like it to have the following features: 1. The ability for family members to view this information via the web, but so that only I would be able to 'edit' it. (This should be password protected.) 2. The ability to upload media files (movies, sounds etc.) 3. The ability to import photos and documents & attach them to the appropriate person / record. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Yours, Karen

Hi Anthony, I am new to all this so I have a few questions if that’s ok. 1) I can go as far as John Jenkins born in 1811 and he married Rachael Jenkins she was born in 1813; but I have now hit a brick wall as Im not sure how to find out John’s Parents can you give me any ideas? Also I cannot find Rachael Jenkins’s maiden name? 2) My grandfather’s Brother John Adams emigrated to Australia in the late 50’s early 60’s I no dates and his wife and son’s name but how do I try and contact them? I would like to know them. 3) My great grandmother‘s father Consiglio Ruocco was born in Minori Italy I would like to find out more about my family in Italy. How do I go about this? Thank you Vicky

Thanks for the reply re the Farquhars - I didn't want to put too much detail the first time, but I have already tried many variant spellings and come up with nothing, and we know at least some of them were in the Sheffield area in 1911 - my Grandfather was married there that year, but for some reason no census details. Any further ideas, please?

cant read the names on some of the census records

Hello, i have been trying to find my half brother and sister that were adopted years before I was born. My sister received a message from a girl called lisa jane wilkinson who may be our half sister however, this message was sent last year and my sister has only just found it. She replied back to the message but since hasnt had a reply back. I have lisas member number but I cant find any other contact method and I wondered if you could help.

Hi Anthony, I hope you can point me in the right direction ... It has always been thought that my great-grandmother (known as Elizabeth Sladen Hudson, born 1884 - we think!) was left on a doorstep and looked after by a woman known simply as 'Granny Sladen'. I cannot find a birth certificate for her, or find her listed on ANY census forms. The first (and only) official reference to her is on her marriage certificate, where she seems to have 'adopted' the name of 'Sladen Hudson' (perhaps 'Sladen' from her female carer, and 'Hudson' from the carer's husband.) I think the carer (Granny Sladen) was actually her mother, but had Elizabeth out of wedlock before she married Mr. Hudson. Would it have been possible to have a child (maybe illegitimately) and not register it ANYWHERE (birth records and census forms included) ? Any advice would be gratefully received! Many Thanks.

Hi Anthony Thank you for your reply about Samuel Cookson, I have tried to find a death for Samuel without much success. We have compiled the Cookson clans , Cheshire, West Kirby these go into my family both on my fathers side and my mothers side then joining up into each part of the tree (dads Cooksons going int mum's Cookson's) hope you can understand this. But know where can I connect the little clan of Cookson's from the Cronton/St Helens area. I will look at my list again and see what I come up with. Thanks Chris

Hello Again Re Alice Keith. I had tried in army records and in Ireland - I did find a Thomas Keith but still no birth records for my grandmother? I am not sure where she was born but she had as far as I knew always lived in Popular, London.

Hi Anthony - I have come to a complete halt as far as my grandmother is concerned. I have her name (Alice Violet Leliha Keith) on her marriage certificate aged 27 and her date of birth registered on her death certificate as 23.7.1896 but I am unable to find her actual birth recorded anywhere? My mother has vascula dementia and there is now no one who can help me in the family. I have her father as Thomas Keith a policeman on the marriage certificate. It has been a bit of a story that she was adopted. Just seem to have hit a brick wall - can you give me any pointers?

One of my ancestors occupation on his marriage certificate is listed as a BIGGLER, have you any idea what this could be? I have searched on line but can't find any answers. Thank you Anthony, from Claire.

Hi Anthony Reynolds newspaper Sun 3 Jan 1892 contains a report regarding a hearing at Stratford Police Court on Sat 2 Jan 1892 where Martha Reeves a single woman; living with her sister at Leyton, brought an action against my gt grandfather Orlando Powell; a well known musician and composer, to show reason why he shouldn't pay towards the upkeep of their illegitimate child. This is just one of three extra marital assignations of his that I have discovered. The child does not appear either on the 1891 or 1901 census with Martha. With such limited information what are the chances of tracing this child and where should one look? Kindest regards

I`ve sent youan e-mail regarding my problem pls help ie: Joseph Curtis born in Middx around 1790/1800 who occupation was Gardener No record has been found even on 1841 census daughter Mary Ann born 1826 in Edmondton Enfield married in 1850 to George Ball, said she is 27 he is 25 1881 census she is a year younger, pls see e-mail more details on there. Thanks Sonia

My grandfather had a second 'wife'. I can find no record of a marriage in the UK and colonies, having checked the usual on line databases. It is just possible they may have married in Europe if that were a simple matter in the 20's and 30's, but is very unlikely they would have strayed beyond Europe. They obtained a joint UK passport in 1945 when they emigrated to Australia, but the Passport Office have assured me they would need a marriage certificate to get this. Have you any ideas how I might resolve this paradox. I would love to know if they were married bigamously. Many thanks, Martin

Hi Anthony can I ask you for a wee bit of help maybe to point me in the right direction please..I have tried very hard to get information about ………………….Samuel Cookson What We Know Samuel married Elizabeth Ashton 8 Oct 1782 St Helens Parish Church Lancashire (One witness Isaac Fletcher, an Elizabeth Cookson married an Isaac Fletcher in Huyton by Roby 1774) Son of Samuel and Elizabeth………….. Thomas b 1787 Cuerdley Lancashire (later occp Blacksmith, Cronton area of Lancashire) This is all confirmed and connects to my family. Marriage Samuel of St Helens (family search web site and document) I nfo on Samuel but very confused Born abt 1755 of Ashton Lancashire (from Contact on GR) pts William and Margaret (from a contact) Baptised St Nicholas Liverpool 1756 fth William Mariner, No mothers name given, lived in Liverpool (Shugar House weint (sic) ( a weint was a narrow passage way) according to baptism info. (contact has this info on tree but states born Ashton) Samuel born abt 1757 of St Helens md Elizabeth Ashton (family search.org) Poss 2 children out of Wed lock Ormskirk Lancashire and Ditton Lancashire (Samuel is a Blacksmith) info from National Archives. Please can you help? I have been trying take my family back from Samuel but do not know where to go. There are so many conflicting pieces of information that I do not know how to work out where he would have been born. Contacts on GR have stated he was born in Ashton Lancashire father William ( Can not find a baptism for a Samuel in Ashton though there are other baptisms for years before and after his poss birth year). They have Samuel being baptised in Liverpool but this Samuel’s address on baptism was for Liverpool. On the marriage (family search.org) info it states of St Helens. Does this mean he was just living in St Helens or born in the area. There is no fathers name on any of the marriage information just a possible connection with one of the witness’ who possibly married a Sister of Samuel's (not completely checked out as not sure of the church where married). How do I go about sorting out all the conflicting evidence and find out where Samuel was born??

Hi Anthony, I've been trying to find my Farquhar relatives, in Liverpool in 1901, in the 1911 census and have had no luck - I tried the Scottish one too in case they'd briefly moved back there, but no sign there either - they cannot have all disappeared - any ideas?

How should we proceed with searching for bmd in federated malayan states? The marriage certificate of an aunt 1924(Burma) we obtained via British Library. We also have her death certificate(LOndon-1931)However we are still searching for the birth of my husband's father- Allen Edgar Alexander Edwards, b 1902? (a mining engineer -Cambourne school of mines/records viewed from early 1920's)We have his marriage certificate(Brazil) and death kia 1942-memorial Singapore. On passenger lists the family are noted as from FMS. Allen's father was Walter North Keville Davies Edwards(FMS) and his mother Marguerite R Edwards(b 1882??)-of Gopeng-Perak Malay States-but we again have no marriage or birth details . After Allen's death Marguerite (and her daughter -in-law and my husband-Stephen Bruce Edwards)resided in South Africa until the early 1950's. Some basic info we have gleaned via NAAIRS but are unsure how best to aquire any real details from the files. However there is also much heresay of Australian connections, and the aunt, Elaine R Edwards/Cloyd was noted as b Brisbane Australia. Searches there have been negative. Apologies for the many continents involved! We hope that the query regarding searches in the FMS, will be the way forward. Our thanks for any guidance you can offer. G Edwards and S B Edwards

My ggrandfather Ernest William Morley-Atkins was born in Punjab, India in 1884 to a British Surgeon (Ernest Morley-Atkins and Ellen Miles). Ernest William committed suicide 26/09/1914 two weeks after his wife died from complications of giving birth to twins my grandmother and great uncle in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. The Matron of the hospital kept in touch with the children after they were adopted and this is the information she passed on. Ernest William entered the Navy in the usual course, at the time when he should have been a Junior Lieuentant his ship was at Teneriffe. The story of Nelson's flag which was kept in the Cathedral drew the attention of some of the young men and they planned to retrieve it. They were caught in the act and arrested by the Spanish. The incident was reported to the British Government and their parents were requested to remove them from the Navy. We beleive he came to Australia aroung 1913 as he is on the 1913 Census in Queensland. We have not been able to find any information previous to this Census record I cannot find any entry into Australia. I have copies of both marriage and death certificates which state his surname is Morley-Atkins. Sorry this is so long Christene

Mmmm. hadn't thought of that.another possible spanner..thanks..LOL keep up the good work,may talk again. thanks lew