Genealogy Chat

It's so annoying and there's not enough on IGI to find the fathers...why couldn't they wait until 1837!!!

Maddening, isn't it? Mine did wait.... but only until April 1837. I really, really need to know who his father was, as I can find no birth or baptism record for the groom anywhere, after about 8 years searching. Gwyn

Hi Jean It's the same with births just before 1837, when the mother seems to have died in childbirth - maddening! A

I was very lucky there. One of mine was born on 1st July 1837 and was the first baby registered in his district! How considerate of him not to be early! Claire xx

One of mine married in 1828 and I was stuck, or so I thought. I then realised that his wife had changed age and place of birth on future census but had the same first name. It was a second wife with the same first name. He married her in 1869. I then got his fathers name from that cert and then found his baptism. Sometimes you can be lucky.

If you can find the marriage entry in the Parish Register, you should also be able to find the Banns book too, or a copy of the licence, if they were married by licence. OC

O.C. Will a Banns book have extra info. re parentage? My man is consistant in census re. year and place of birth. He married in April 1837 in Southampton, ....I don't see any link with the witnesses names. Gwyn

I know it happens to everyone but it doesn't help...does it? I'm sick of going through the same entries on IGI. Thanks OC, I'm waiting for a birth cert for one of the children, then I'll at least be sure of the mothers maiden name. Would I have to go to the parish in question to find the Banns Book or the local records office? I always get confused just where to look for these sort of things.....before 1837? Jean

If its on the IGI (the event, I mean) that usually means they have filmed the Parish Register you are looking at. To check this out, go to the library section on the LDS site, enter the place name and up will come a list of everything they hold on that place. You can then order the film to view at YOUR nearest LDS family history centre, it's about 2.70 for a film and you get a month to look at it. If you are lucky, which I have been, several times, the Banns book will be part of the register although it wont necessarily say that in the description and title of the film - its pot luck, really. If it isnt, then you will have to track down the Banns book which will probably be in the County Records Office, of the County in which the event took place. Banns books SHOULD give the legally-required information, such as names of the fathers of bride and groom and their occupations. Sometimes you get an address, but very often just a vague area or nothing at all. Hope this helps. OC

Thanks OC...I'll see what I can find. Jean

All that info. pre 1837? I hadn't realised that. Many thanks, O.C. I'll have to get myself back to Winchester then, to check for this. Gwyn

If it´s not on the IGI then don´t forget to check the BIVRI (British Vital Records Index) - plenty of people on here will do look ups. check for coverage on http://www.genoot(.)com/downloads/BVRI2/ click on the blue numbers next to county and it will show parishes and time periods covered.

Gwyneth the Banns book was ALWAYS filled in by the Vicar, because he had to have the information in front of him, to read out to the Congregation on three successive Sundays. Having written out all this stuff once, lots of them skimped the details on the actual marriage register, reckoning, I suppose, that they had already done what they were required to do. I found a hither-to untranscribed batch of marriages, hiding in a filmed register - the Vicar had used the Banns book as a sort of marriage register and entered the date the marriage took place, along with the signatures of bride, groom and witnesses. Because he used a whole page for each Banns entry, he allowed anyone present at the marriage to sign. Imagine my joy when I found, not only a marriage I couldnt find by any other means, but no less than ELEVEN witnesses, all who had obligingly given their relationship to bride and groom! OC

Oh Wow....what a find. You've given me hope. Gwyn....

I can't really look anything up at the mo, because I don't know if the marriage is correct until I get one of the childrens birthcerts. While scouting around I did find that Durham County Records Office have put everything they have got..on line, so you can check through everything. It's great, you just put a search word in and all the relevant docs. come up...it even tells you of photographs they hold and who is on them. Just google Durham County Record Office. Jean

www.familyhistoryonline.net has some marriage and banns info for some counties online, though transcripts, not the originals. It's a payperview site, so check the county you want is covered before you buy. nell

Thanks both...will have a look tomorrow Night all

Nudge