Genealogy Chat

Hi. I'm probably looking for the 1/2 og london. Most of my ancestors come from islington, bermondsey, brixton, rotherhive area. Does anyone know of a few good sites for these places, or for names of jones, ward, wood, adams, fletcher.... I know....they're really unusual names!!! haha thanks for any help anis

Well Islington is north of the river and the rest are south (in case you didnt know). Its Rotherhithe by the way. Not sure what you mean by good sites - do you just want to know about the areas or do you mean researching ancestors? Have you used ancestry for the 1841-1901 census and full bmd index. Perhaps if you gave us examples of what you are trying to find we could direct you better. Ill also nudge up Tips for Newbies and the Google thread for you to read.

thanks for the nudges I wanted some sites for reasearching ancesters.....lol and no, i didn't know about the north and south side of the river...... lol I have checked up on the freebmd site but wanted to know of there were any geanealogy sites for these particuler areas....or the history with massage boards. I've checked out london ancestors....sp i'll see if anything comes up there....... anis

Anis, if you find any MASSAGE websites, let me know, I'll have some of that!!! Only joking LOL Lin

that'll teach me for writing things on here at 3 in the morning!!! lol sorry, I did mean messages!! Thanks for the nuges..... I have to say, I'm guilty of just about everything I shouldn't do!!! lol...... I'm getting the hang of the bmd sites.......and the free census 1881, unfortuntly I'm looking up very usal names....so it gets complicated...... thanks....

Im afraid if you are going to do this properly you will have to realise that its going to cost money. If you have read the tips thread you will see you work backwards from the solid info you have. Get the earliest marriage/birth cert that you have and work backwards through certs and census information following the line that way. BTW, Islington would come under Middlesex. Bermondsey and Rotherhithe under Surrey and Brixton under Kent. If I were you and didnt know the areas Id be googling like mad to find out what they were like. Do you know the jobs these people had? Id be looking for sites that dealt with that sort of occupation. Rotherhithe/Bermondsey (my birth place) were the docks and so you could always look at Dockland Ancestors website. Also Portcities website. Google, google, google for info. Having just names isnt satisfying, you want flesh on the bones and an understanding of their lives. Charles Booths Streets of London note books are on the net but the area south of the river that you are interested in is the first area to be put into book form and can be bought from amazon or Southwark archives. It lists the streets one by one giving a description of each of them in the late 19th century. You really cant just jump from now to 1881 and hope to find anything fruitful. And I dont think you could rely on the really unlikely chance of finding something on a message board. I take it you have checked for matching names on the search facility on this site? Have a look at getting an ancestry sub - go to my-history (google for it) website - they have the Who do you think you are version of Family Tree maker program (you will need a tree program on your computer that you can back up to disc and internet storage) with a months free sub to ancestry - the whole lot for a tenner which must be an incredible bargain. Certificates cost £7 each from GRO online. All in all, the hobby is NOT expensive compared to say, a night in a pub a week or even a cinema ticket - but you must be prepared to spend out to get the correct info.

Brixton comes under Surrey

Islington is an area with missing census pieces in 1861. Put up a few names, dob and place of birth (prior to 1901) and you will be amazed at what the sleuths on this board can find for you. Clive

LOL, thats the way to do it. Some of the letters of my keys are blank now! Give us some examples of what you are trying to find. The £7 certs are the same as the £14 ones - LOL - I think you probably mean where you ask the GRO to check them for you or have them sent express - dont worry, you arent missing out. Give us some names and places. Occupations would help as there is specific info for certain dock jobs that I may be able to help you with. Sue, Lol, yes, Brixton is Surrey isnt it. I was thinking of Deptford as Im working on my Actons of Deptford at the moment and they have taken over my life. (Some brilliant early 19th century court cases though)

thanks for all that. I had already started googling certain areas, but thanks to you lot, my geography has just got so much better. I buy on cert each month for father and mothers side...unfortunatly, finances aren't that good in France and no, i don't go to the cinema....that's more expensive than a certificate!!!! lol and as for a night on the town......i work in a wine house!!! lol !!lol I only started this about 2 months ago so....it's gonna be slow..... Thanks for all the advice, especially the geo bits...... just 1 more thing.....concernig the certificates at GRO.......I've already ordered the certs at 7 pounds; whhat more do the 14 pound ones tell you? Thanks again in the mean time, i've typed so much the aeras i'm looking for, the i key on my keyboard isn't working any more......

well, i've got an Alfred WOOD who was a docker, he had a brother called Ernest(1894). Their parents were Henry and Eliza (Nash) Wood. Alfred married an Ivy Berry, but can't find his children..... I found henry and Eliza's names on Ernests original wedding certificate to Catherine welch (walsh), I also have her original birth cert. she was born in 1898, she died at 35 years old with a perforated gastric ulcer.....yuk!!! Also I have a mary ann Fletcher who married a James Oxenham..... I'm up to a good point with the fletchers, but am very stuck with the Oxenham side, they had a Harriett Oxenham born in 1905......in southwark Brick walls all over the place......... I won't even bother you with my dad's side!!! lol

Oh no, you dont have brick walls there - Ill tell you about brick walls one day - LOL Ooh Oxenham, thats a good name. Ok, so where have you found these people - try to do one line at a time or you will get confused. Do you have a decent family tree program on your computer to add all the info you are gathering to immediately so you dont lose the sources etc.? When you say you found Ernests parents names on his wedding cert - you dont get a mothers name on the cert? When was Alfred born? Where did Ernest marry? What was his dads occupation? If you could say do one line youre interested in and put on here everything you know about them so far and where you found the info then there are some great people on here who can help out.

Well this is the reference for James and Mary Anns wedding cert: Marriages Dec 1896 FLETCHER Mary Ann St. Saviour 1d 322 Oxenham James Henry St. Saviour 1d 322

Right, I've tryed a couple of freebee tree programs, but I can't figure them out an awful lot....... can you name me somegood ones? ernest wood(1894) and catherine welch married in 1927 (i'll add on the place later) She died in Bermondsey 1935, 6 pickwick house. They had 2 sons together ernest and ronald (my uncles) in 1940 ernest (soldier, died 1955 ish) went on to marry Harriett Oxenham(1905) were they had robert(1942), and my mum maureen (1944) This all happened in Newington! Henry and eliza I would have seen on Ernest's birth cert.....sorry.... as for James Oxenham and mary ann Fletcher (born walworth)....... I don't have any certs for them but they started having children around 1900; and I have hooked up with other Fletcher searchers, and have found similaritudes in names, dates.....they're looking up that side..... from memory, that's all I can tell you at the moment.......the certs are at home....and I'm not!!!! thanks for all the advice..... Anis

Well most of us use family tree maker. If you go to my-history site or twr computing they are selling the who do you think you are version for £10 at my-history and £12 at twr - both will post abroad - I know twr was very quick at sending one to my newly found cousin in Germany for me. You also get a months free sub on ancestry thrown in.

Are this lot in Lewisham (very close to Brixton/Rotherhithe) related: Dad is a municipal clerk - quite well off, 2 servants. Name: Edward H Oxenham Age: 48 Estimated birth year: abt 1853 Relation: Head Spouse's name: Laura E Gender: Male Where born: Tavistock, Devon, England Civil parish: Lewisham Ecclesiastical parish: St Lawrence County/Island: London Country: England Registration district: Lewisham Sub-registration district: Lewisham ED, institution, or vessel: 36 Edward H Oxenham 48 Edward J B Oxenham 19 Grace H Oxenham 19 Laura E Oxenham 48 Mildred M Oxenham 15 Agnes E Patterson 23 Ester M Wright 18

that's next months cert sorted!!! lol thanks

Anis, I got to deal with family trauma here - but if you go to freebmd you can do a name search through the births, marriages and deaths. If you cant find the ones you want there (its only partial) then you can go to ancestry which allows access to non members for the complete bmd index - you cant bring up just by putting in a name, you have to go through the images of the registers quarter by quarter. Ill try to get back shortly :)

Just a quick one - have you found Jame and Mary Ann in 1901? If so, where are they please?

Surely this lot must be related: Dads occupation looks like Engineer's planer??? Name: Charles Oxenham Age: 52 Estimated birth year: abt 1849 Relation: Head Spouse's name: Martha Gender: Male Where born: London, England Civil parish: St George Ecclesiastical parish: St Mary Registration district: St Saviour Southwark Sub-registration district: Kent Road ED, institution, or vessel: 13 Neighbors: View others on page Household schedule number: 82 Household Members: Name Age Charles Oxenham 52 Edith M Oxenham 12 Martha Oxenham 52 Sydney H Oxenham 16