Genealogy Chat

Hi all, I started my family tree in Jan and managed to trace my father's father's family line all the way back to 1700s with relative ease. My mother's family are irish and have found them impossible to trace through records but through contact on here have traced back to my gg grandparents. My father's maternal side is proving impossible! His mother was born in Bombay and I ordered her birth certificate giving her father as Robert Cunningham Gunning and her mother as Louisa Sharpe. Thats were the trail ends. I can't find any trace of them marrying or living anywhere. Her eldest sister was born in Pembroke in 1907. HELP! Getting very frustrated. Any tips? All I have is: My grandmother : Ada Louise Gunning born in Bombay 12th Dec 1913, Siblings : Sarah Elizabeth Gunning (married name Roberts) born Feb 1907 Pembroke. Thats all I knoe for certain. Posted on trying to find too

What was her father's occupation - maybe that might offer a clue as to where to find them. Have you thought of the India Office records at the British Library in St Pancras? nell

You beat me to it Nell. That's definitely a place to try.

Her father was in the army. I have been trying this route. But can't find him on any army records. Her birth certificate has his rank as Corporal & His regiment as 79 Coy R.G.A (at Colaba Bombay). I don't know anything about the army so this means very little to me. Although she was born in India they did come back here as Robert died in London area around 1950-54 PS frustrated cos I'm going round in circles!

Don't know about this? Possibly another sibling???? Surname Forename(s) Mothers maiden name District Page No Event Quarter Year Gunning Ruth M Sharpe Warminster.5a 225 Birth 4 1920 Merry

RGA - Royal Garrison Artillery, I think Jay

Merry where did you get that record from? My Dad said his mother's siblings were Sarah (we used to visit her in a home until she died. Wished I'd asked her about the family now), George, May (never married), Eric & Mary. Eric had a son Colin who is still alive but Dad has little contact with any family, even his brother & sister. Mary is still alive but again I don't know anything about them, never met them etc. Thanks for the name of the regiment by the way!

That birth was from Family Relatives....you can search with mum's maiden name from 1911Q3 to 1920 inc. That was the only match, but it may be nothing to do with your lot!! Merry

This sister born in Pembroke....I take it you have the birth cert? If it was an ordinary house (not barracks/hospital) where she was born, have you checked who lived there on the electoral roll (for other family members) or on the 1901 census? Merry

No I don't have the birth certificate. I knew she died in 2000 in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. I got her date of birth from there and looked it up on free bmd

Did you already know she was born in Pembroke?? If not, then I would be worrying that she was actually born overseas and the Pembroke is a red herring! Why don't you order the birth cert with a checking point of the dad's name (I would leave out his middle name in case it's not on the cert)? Don't do mum's name as a check in case Robert had a different wife. Merry

I had a look for Gunning to Sharpe marriages in case there was another one that might be the parents of Ruth born at Warminster. Frustratingly, there IS another marriage with those surnames, in Q4 1919, but it's in Huddersfield....(Hugh D Gunning to Miss Sharpe).....so not very likely to have had a baby in Warminster very soon after.......... Merry

They could have been posted from Huddersfield, did you know Warminster is a large Garrison town. My daughters boyfriend's family have just been posted there from here (I live in Aldershot, also an Army town) Sandra

There is an India mailing list on rootsweb. post the details there someone may know something or point you in the right direction. Toni

Thanks for all the wonderful tips! It will keep me busy for a while! Merry- it is possible that Ruth Gunning died in infancy? That would be why my father doesn't know of her?

I've just checked Q4 1920 and 1921 for a death for Ruth, but nothing....you could try the next few years too..... As Sandra says, Warminster is connected with the army and so the people from Huddersfield might have been moved down if they were an army family....but it's equally likely that your family came there because of the army connection too....... Obviously you want to know if Ruth is yours or not, but I would say from a family history point of view it would be better to tackle the Pembroke birth to see if that is your family. Being nearer to 1901, there maight be more chance of tracing family through the address (though it's still a long shot!) Merry

Found my grandmother's two younger siblings Eric & Mary on family relatives (how have i only just found this site!) Their mother's madien name is listed as Sharp. Eric was born in Pembroke & Mary in Kensington. Still cant find the marriage though

Hi, I've finally recieved Sarah's birth certificate. She was born on 17th Feb 1907 at 6 Llanreath, Pembroke Dock. Her father & mother are listed as Robert Gunning & Louisa Sharp Still no marriage. Also found Robert's death listed as Q4 1952. His age was recorded as 77 making him born around 1875. No record of this so far Any ideas?