Genealogy Chat

My apologies first as I'm probably asking the obvious but havent done any research for a while and now I'm trying to help a friend out but with very limited information and my mind has gone blank!

My friends Grandfather and Grandmother married the same year as their son was born .
The son was given the same name as his father and neither of them have a middle name.
Grandmother was born in 1894 but my friend has no idea of when his grandfather was born or where... we think it would have been Birmingham.
I've tried looking for the grandfathers birth around 1894 but its such a common name -which we didn't realise - that I am at a loss how I can get the correct person. My friend has no certificates to 'call' on as these have been lost over the years and any relatives that may have had information are sadly no longer with us. Please can you give me some advice as to where I can start to unravel dates etc. Would sending for his parents marriage certificate help in any way? Any advice would be very welcome . Thank you

If you get the grandparents' marriage cert, that will give you the grandfather's father's name and occupation, which may (hopefully) be enough to allow you to find the grandfather and his family in censuses.

If the grandparents married before 1939, you may be able to find them in the 1939 Register, which will give you their dates of birth (sometimes not quite accurate, but definitely helpful).

Oh, thank you so much, I did wonder if sending for the marriage certificate would help. I've looked at the 1939 register but it seems Grandfather had died before this register was taken. (don't know when) No luck with the 1911 census either as they married the year their first child was born in 1914. I think the certificate is the best way to go. Thank you again for your help.

If the grandfather served in the war, there is just a chance that there may be information on his service record online, although many of these were lost.
Sometimes these show marriage details. There may be enough to find the correct family to enable you to work back.

If you are more sure of their child's details eg date of birth, you can search the service records using that name as a means of finding the correct parents, if the name is rather common.

If you want any searches help then post what you already have


I have always confirmed with certificates etc even if the names aren’t that usual :-)

Have you checked to see whether the marriage cert is online?

Where did the marriage take place?

All the information my friend has is:-
His father, Joseph Steadman, was born in Birmingham in 1914 (married in Yorkshire in 1942 to Joyce Bennett) They moved to Birmingham

His Grandfathers' name was also Joseph Steadman, no middle name,
He married Beatrice Cooper in 1914 in Birmingham (Her birth year 1894)
She was born in Birmingham and they lived in Birmingham.

My friend didn't know his grandfather and doesnt know about any siblings.

Its his Grandfathers family he is trying to find out about

The youngest child of the marriage was born 1931/2, and Beatrice was widowed by 1939 - so there's a comparatively small 'window' for his death, which would give you some idea of birth year

Only one in Birmingham that I can see..............

Deaths Mar 1938 (>99%)
STEADMAN Joseph 49 Birmingham 6d 680

So, born 1888/9, but, unfortunately, no idea of where

The marriage cert isn't online, which is a pity, as a lot of Birmingham ones are

So get the birth cert for its info

STEADMAN, JOSEPH COOPER
GRO Reference: 1914 J Quarter in BIRMINGHAM Volume 06D Page 588


And the marriage cert

Marriages Mar 1914
COOPER Beatrice Steadman Birmingham
Steadman Joseph Cooper Birmingham 6d 368

The child's birth cert won't say how old Joseph was - or HIS father's name

The marriage cert is what's needed

EDIT

The post above has been edited since I posted

Thank you for looking,
My friend said its as though his Grandfather got married had his family and died, and this is partly the reason he wants to find anything out about him.
I've told my friend to send for the marriage certificate in the hope that there is a bit of extra information on it that we can use.

Please come back and let us know what it says.

???
1939

200 Kendal Rise Road, Birmingham, Birmingham C.B., Warwickshire, England
Beatrice Steadman 20 Jun 1894 Female Laundry Hand Widowed 111 1
Irene Craven (Steadman) 23 Nov 1916 Female Enameller Single 111 2
The record for this person is officially closed.

The record for this person is officially closed.
Hilda Thornley (Steadman) 01 Aug 1928 Female At School Single 111 5

Irene
Last name Steadman
Birth quarter 3
Birth year 1917
Mother's maiden name Cooper
District Birmingham
County Warwickshire

Thank you, we had found Irene and Hilda , both of these ladies my friend didn't know about until their names popped up with Beatrice. Joseph and Beatrices' marriage certificate has been ordered now, hopefully we will find an address or another name or something else that we can work on. Thanks all for your help and advice.

Irene's baptism record is for Dec 10, 1916. She was born 23 Nov 1916 and her father Joseph was a Stamper. Their abode was 5/140 Hingeston Street.

Name: Irene Steadman
Age: 0
Birth Date: 23 Nov 1916
Baptism Date: 10 Dec 1916
Baptism Place: Hockley, All Saints, Warwickshire, England
Parish as it Appears: Hockley, All Saints
Search Photos: Search for 'Hockley, All Saints' in the UK City, Town and Village Photos collection
Father: Joseph Steadman
Mother: Beatrice Steadman

?? Possibly not all births to the same couple especially Aston ones.


STEADMAN, JOSEPH COOPER
GRO Reference: 1914 J Quarter in BIRMINGHAM Volume 06D Page 588

STEADMAN, GEORGE JAMES COOPER
GRO Reference: 1916 D Quarter in ASTON Volume 06D Page 841

STEADMAN, IRENE COOPER
GRO Reference: 1917 S Quarter in BIRMINGHAM Volume 06D Page 363

STEADMAN, LESLIE COOPER
GRO Reference: 1918 S Quarter in BIRMINGHAM Volume 06D Page 366

STEADMAN, ELSIE LILIAN COOPER
GRO Reference: 1919 D Quarter in BIRMINGHAM Volume 06D Page 614

STEADMAN, OLIVER COOPER
GRO Reference: 1920 J Quarter in BIRMINGHAM Volume 06D Page 590

STEADMAN, JOYCE GWENDOLINE COOPER
GRO Reference: 1920 J Quarter in ASTON Volume 06D Page 1064 Occasional Copy: A

STEADMAN, DORIS MAY COOPER
GRO Reference: 1921 S Quarter in BIRMINGHAM Volume 06D Page 506

Name: Leslie Steadman
Age: 0
Birth Date: 7 Sep 1918
Baptism Date: 22 Sep 1918
Baptism Place: Hockley, All Saints, Warwickshire, England
Parish as it Appears: Hockley, All Saints
Search Photos: Search for 'Hockley, All Saints' in the UK City, Town and Village Photos collection
Father: Joseph Steadman
Mother: Beatrice Steadman

Name: Leslie Steadman
Death Age: 79
Birth Date: 7 Sep 1918
Registration Date: Apr 1998
Registration District: Keighley
Inferred County: West Yorkshire
Register Number: B36C
District and Subdistrict: 0821B
Entry Number: 121

1939
67 Yarnfield Road, Birmingham, Birmingham C.B., Warwickshire, England
Ernest Hawkes 17 Feb 1909 Male General Labourer Engineers Married 139 1
Jessie (Annie J) Hawkes 15 Mar 1911 Female House Duties Widowed 139 2
Leslie Steadman 27 Sep 1918 Male Labourer Engineer Married 139 3
Roland Hawkes 22 Jun 1934 Male Infant Single 139 4
The record for this person is officially closed.

Name: Alice E Greenway [Alice E Steadman]
Gender: Female
Marital Status: Married
Birth Date: 27 Apr 1919
Residence Year: 1939
Address: 173
Residence Place: Birmingham, Warwickshire, England
Occupation: Unpaid Domestic Duties
Line Number: 19
Schedule Number: 164
Sub Schedule Number: 2
Enumeration District: QCCX
Borough: Birmingham
Registration district: 384/11
Inferred Spouse:
Edwin Greenway
Household Members Age
Edwin Greenway
22
Alice E Greenway

Name: Alice E Greenway
Registration Date: Jan 1941
[Feb 1941]
[Mar 1941]
Registration Quarter: Jan-Feb-Mar
Registration District: Birmingham
Inferred County: Warwickshire
Spouse: Leslie Steadman
Volume Number: 6d
Page Number: 857

Name: Alice E Steadman
Death Age: 23
Birth Date: abt 1919
Registration Date: Apr 1942
[May 1942]
[Jun 1942]
Registration Quarter: Apr-May-Jun
Registration District: Birmingham
Inferred County: Warwickshire
Volume: 6d
Page: 628