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Hi just found out ggfather was born in Burmarch India
but dont understand how to use the records he was joseph e smith born 1864 think his mother was margaret im hopeing to find his parents
think they must have been an army family as some children born india others aldershoot think a census says mother born corfu they were living in newcastle under lyme 1871

It really helps to give all the info you have, not just describe it -- you know who the other children were, we don't!

Can you give us their names and their info? For instance, copy the 1871 census into the thread here.

If you get the birth certificate of a child born in England it will give you the same information about the parents' names as you need for your gr-grfather, I think.

Never mind about the records at this site. You can search for the children's births in England here, free of charge and easy:

http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/cgi/search.pl

That find s the information you need for ordering certificates.

Smith ... might not be easy ... ! But for anyone to help, you have to give all the information you have.

The other thing is -- you know who Joseph married? His marriage certificate should give you his father's name. That record can be found at FreeBMD also, for ordering the certificate.

Okay ... 1871

Name: Joseph Edward Smith -- so you knew his middle name
Age: 8
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1863
Relation: Son
Mother's Name: Margaret Smith
Where born: India

Civil parish: Newcastle Under Lyme
County/Island: Staffordshire

Margaret Smith 31 - widow, born Corfu, British Subject
Ann Maria Smith 10 - born India
Joseph Edward Smith 8 - born India
Caroline Jane Smith 6 - born New Zealand
Margaret M Smith 5 - born Aldershot
Rosa Smith 2 - born Newcastle

hi Thanks

Unfortunately, no Margaret M Smith was registered in Aldershot 1864-1867.

But this would almost certainly be sister Rosa's birth:

Births Dec 1869
Smith Rosa Newcastle L. 6b 66

so I'd get that birth certificate. If mother is Margaret, and father is in the military, you'd have a pretty certain match for the parents of your Joseph.

You order certificates here:

https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/default.asp

For births in India, there is

http://search.fibis.org/frontis/bin/aps_person_search.php

Problem is that for baptisms in that era, they usually only say "to Mrs. Smith, wife of Sgt. John Smith, a boy", sort of thing. So it's hard to search without knowing the father's name. ;)

"Burmarch" isn't actually a place, I don't think.

It's also important to say where the info you have comes from. Can you give the source of that place name?

1891

Name: Joseph Edward Smith
Age: 27
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1864
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Anna Smith
Where born: Burmarsh, India (British Subject)

Civil parish: Newcastle Under Lyme

Joseph Edward Smith 27
Anna Smith 25
William Smith Smith 4
- it really says William Smith Brownswood (Anna's child before marriage?)
Rose Smith 2


"Burmarsh" is Ancestry's illiterate transcription of what's on the image.

I believe it actually says BURMAH, i.e. Burma.


You reall need to get his marriage certificate and his sister Rosa's birth certificate to confirm the parents' names.

Hi youve been a great help thank you

Could this be Joseph's baptism???

Name: Joseph Edward Smith
Gender: Male
Baptism/Christening Date: 09 Sep 1863
Baptism/Christening Place: Rangoon, Bengal, India
Birth Date: 11 Jul 1863

Father's Name: Joseph Smith
Mother's Name: Margaret

Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C49325-1
System Origin: India-EASy
Source Film Number: 499011
Reference Number: v 105 p 48
Collection: India Births and Baptisms, 1786-1947

Dea x

Yes, I believe it is as here is his sister Ann Maria:

Name: Ann Maria Smith
Gender: Female
Baptism/Christening Date: 18 Aug 1861
Baptism/Christening Place: Thayet Myo, Bengal, India
Birth Date: 20 Jul 1861

Father's Name: Joseph Smith
Mother's Name: Margaret

Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C75018-4
System Origin: India-EASy
Source Film Number: 499004
Reference Number: v 100-1 p 56
Collection: India Births and Baptisms, 1786-1947
................

And - another sibling perhaps ?? (ALTHOUGH, I don't think this one really fits - mother has a middle name and the date doesn't quite add up but I will leave it here for now just in case) !!!

Name: Sarah Jane Smith
Gender: Female
Baptism/Christening Date: 22 Dec 1867
Baptism/Christening Place: Mhow, Bewngal, India
Birth Date: 21 Nov 1867
Birthplace: Mhow, Bewngal, India

Father's Name: Joseph Smith
Mother's Name: Margaret Jane ????

Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C75021-1
System Origin: India-EASy
Source Film Number: 499028
Reference Number:
Collection: India Births and Baptisms, 1786-1947

Dea x

Joseph Edward Smith

India Births and Baptisms, 1786-1947
birth: 11 Jul 1863
residence: Bengal, India
parents: Joseph Smith, Margaret

record title: India Births and Baptisms, 1786-1947
name: Joseph Edward Smith
gender: Male
baptism/christening date: 09 Sep 1863
baptism/christening place: Rangoon, Bengal, India
birth date: 11 Jul 1863
father's name: Joseph Smith
mother's name: Margaret
indexing project (batch) number: C49325-1
system origin: India-EASy
source film number: 499011

Henry Smith

India Births and Baptisms, 1786-1947
birth: 10 Jan 1831
residence: Bengal, India
parents: Joseph Smith, Margaret

record title: India Births and Baptisms, 1786-1947
name: Henry Smith
gender: Male
baptism/christening date: 30 Jan 1831
baptism/christening place: Cawnpore, Bengal, India
birth date: 10 Jan 1831
father's name: Joseph Smith
mother's name: Margaret
indexing project (batch) number: C75003-3
system origin: India-EASy
source film number: 498964

Richard Smith

India Births and Baptisms, 1786-1947
birth: 04 Apr 1832
residence: Bengal, India
parents: Joseph Smith, Margaret

record title: India Births and Baptisms, 1786-1947
name: Richard Smith
gender: Male
baptism/christening date: 22 Apr 1832
baptism/christening place: CAWNPORE, BENGAL, INDIA
birth date: 04 Apr 1832
father's name: Joseph Smith
mother's name: Margaret
indexing project (batch) number: C75003-4
system origin: India-EASy
source film number: