General Chat

Where would you go to look for your brickwalls

I want to ask my gt grandparents why they left gran as a nursechild even though grans birth cert has 2 parents named pretending to be married. No sign of them on the census. No marriage. Poor gran I wonder if she knew her parents

Easy one to answer.

Go back to the 1890's and ask my great grandmother about her first husband.

She is on the 1901 and 1911 census with the man she married in 1914.

Only got her first husbands name on the marriage cert, two childrens birth certs and unfortunately on one death cert for a child. Not found him in 1891 or earlier census.

I would like to speak to my Grandfather before he died to find out why there is no record of him before his marriage in 1938.

Belinda

Been searching for 6 years. Gran a nursechild in 1891 and with the same family as lodger in 1901

Cousin who knew gran said she was brought up by " aunts". Shes living with a mother and daughter. I bought the daughters birth cert to get her mothers maiden name but so far I havt found any connection

Cousin said our gran had a photo of a man with a beard but cousin didnt know who he was. My dad had told me his grandfather was a Scotsman with a big red beard so perhaps thats him

Ah ...is Aunt sister of man with ginger beard?

Belinda,

I have the same problem but back in 1904. My grandfather was in his forties, my gran in her twenties when they married

I have all certs up to his death in 1930, but nothing prior to 1904: and many people on these boards have tried to help but all with the same result.

Allan

Lots of Baby Farms back then,,,,parents or mums, left their children with a now termed *minder* while they went looking for work which could have been many miles from home,or a new factory was employing in another town,accomadation was a big problem that children often had to be left behind till things got better,,,,,often the child died,often the parent/s died and the child then would be put in an orphanage.

These so called *child minders* were often very cruel people neglecting childen in their care by way not getting fed,beaten,

There was a case in 1896 London where the *baby farmer* actually murdered childen placed in her charge of £10 per child,on condition these were found homes with well to do families...Mrs Thomas ,real name Mrs Amelia Elizabeth Dyer native of Bristol was hanged for the discovery of 6 children.
Horrible times werent they..

Kay.
You are right about " baby farms"and also "mothers"insuring children then letting them starve for the insurance. Failing to thrive is often on death certs. How many of those were deliberate

In my grans case her birth cert has her father as Charles Douglas occ photographer and Maria Douglas formerly Smedley. Gran was born in St Johns Chapel a small village near Stanhope in Durham. My cousin told me gran went back to Stanhope to look after a poorly relative and died suddenly while she was there in 1949 age 60. Thats why I dont remember her.

I cant find any sign ,death of Charles or Maria

I would go and find my ex husbands dad and asked him who he realiy is as i cant find anything on him or his family.

That no birth in 1915. I wouldnt mind if it was 1800's i was finding it hard.

Hazelx

Quins mum

Maria may have died and Charles remarried, or the other way round,,
plus maria may have previously been married and may not show as Smedley marrying Charles Douglas?but maiden name would appear on childs BCert.

1885 to my gg grandad and ask him did he get caught cheating lol xx

Kay.
I have looked at all possibilities for Maria /Mary Smedley/Douglas for marriage and deaths. Smedley doesnt appear to be a Durham name. Of course with the Scottish connection they might be there. Without ages its hopeless. I thought Charles occ photographer would help but there are non on the census with the same occupation.
Gran has Charles as father on her marriage cert occ photographer. I wonder if that is what she was told or she knew her parents

Non of the witnesses seem connected except a possible cousin on her husbands side. A member even got in touch with St Johns Chapel for a baptism for her but they dont have one.
Oh well one day Im hoping another member will join who can shed light on it

I would go back to the 30's and ask my grandmother who she was.

I have my mothers b cert, her half brothers b cert, and even the death cert of the man who fathered half brother,also grandmama's death cert.

But I still can't demolish the brick wall, perhaps she is also with the red-haired scotsman and his sister.

Annina.
Dont they drive you mad?You thought it was so easy at first ,then find nothing before a grandmother

Your probably right yours is off with Charlie the red bearded Scot. I wonder if he was her father?

Well, unless you count my three ginger cats, there is no evidence of red hair in my family.

Bring on the national database.

I'd like a trip back to 14 Nov 1742, Wissendine,Rutland. waiting at the church for the marrage of Robert Stanhope to Anne Pepper, and ask where the hell was he born and who is his parents.

My grandmother had dark red hair apparently. My cousin ( same grandmother) had beautiful dark red hair.