Genealogy Chat

Dear All I have spent my (rather long) lunch break in the Library today, and have gone through all the overseas births from 1880 to 1886 for Finch, just in case the musician father (John) was in the services and in that time frame, there wasn't a single Henry Finch born abroad. So I am now looking for other ideas on how I could trace siad Henry's birth. I've even asked my brother if Dad ever spoke to him about guy things mentioning Henry? Still waiting for a reply on that one:-) Any ideas, give me a shout...pleeaasseeeeeee Bev X

How much? Well if I knew that!!................ It all sounds rather silently acrimonious......I wonder if Henry did die, or just left?? Merry

Got to nip out - sorry Back soon Bev X

Yup! But How much older??? I dont know why Gran didn't keep Henry's birth and/or death certificate. At least I assume they weren't with her papers that Dad found. I dont even know when he died - not even a rough guestimate:-( Bev X

So, if he IS lying (and we don't know that he is) then he is probably 40+ at the marriage date, rather than younger...... Merry

Merry Now that I have checked, the wifes age is out by one year, she was actually 35, but said 34. Mind you I think she stuck with it! My Dad was a year out when he registered her death. Bev X ps..Do they have a record of the overseas births with the St Catherines House stuff in the library? If so I'm having a long lunch at work tomorrow:-)

Was his wife's age correct on the cert? (and what was it?) Merry

The John Finch from Preston isn't John William Smith Finch:-( I've been through St Catherines Index at the library and got a list of all Henry Finches born last quarter 1884 to first quarter 1886 and also noted the Harrys just in case, now trying to narrow it down by cross referencing with the deaths from that period to try and shorten the list. I think I might have to widen the search though as there is no guarentee that he was truthful about his age on the marriage cert:-( Merry Army is not something I had thought of and overseas births has just been added to my list:-) Henry put his occupation as shop assistant on the marriage certificate. Bev X

So Henry was approaching 40 and this was his first marriage (at least according to the cert!) I take it? What was his occupation? I did wonder if when he says musician for his late father, maybe he meant in the army?? (bandsman?) Of course he could have meant a street busker lol....but we won't go there for a mo......Have you looked at the overseas birth records on 1837online, to see if there are any Army births for Henry Finch? (straw clutching I know!!) Merry

Sorry not having much luck! On what basis has the other family claimed the man from Preston as theirs and could they be mistaken. Bit poorly at the mo so not firing on all four cylinders! Pippa

Have you tried FamilyRelatives (easier if looking at 1866 to 1920) or 1983Online? both are pay per veiw and have the same indexes. A birth search for Henry Finch between 1883 and 1887 shows 41 names accross Englanfd and Wales.

A quick look on the 1891 census isn't bringing hm up with the birth place as Chorley, so I'll need to do a bit more digging with that one. Will get my spade out pronto:-) Thanks Bev X

What about this bloke? Births Dec 1883 FINCH Henry Chorley 8e 512 Pippa

Must admit not tried Smith, will give it a go - will try for a musician first, rather than just John smith...lol Thanks Bev X

Any chance under the name Smith? Pippa

Pippa I have gone right through the 1891 and 1901 census's looking for any family with a father and son combination of John and Henry, and also looked at the 1871 and 1881 census's for a likey John Finch who was a musician and Zilch:-( Marriage was in 1924 in Stretford, Manchester but he wasn't on the electoral roll at the address given:-( Bev X

Forgot to say, that I have quizzed my Mum about this and all she can tell me is that Henry died before she met my Dad in 1960's and that Dad never, ever spoke about him:-( Any suggestions for where to look will be happily received:-) Bev X

So if someone's birth is in 1885 have you managed to find anything in the census returns? And what area are you looking at? Pippa

My dad (now no longer with us - sadly) very kindly kept all his mothers documents, but nothing for his father (he is only on the marriage certificate) and I cant trace him back any further. I am looking for the birth of Henry Finch which from the marriage certificate would have been around 1885. His father is down as John William Smith Finch (dec), a musician. So far I have scoured FreeBMD, and given Ancestry a real hammering going through all the census's. The only likely one is from Preston, and a member has already excluded this family as theirs and not mine:-( I have also been to the library and checked the electoral rolls for 1923/24/25 for the address given on the marriage certificate and that doesn't give them either. I have no idea as to an area that Henry may have come from, but his wife, I have traced right back to the mid 1800's came from South Shields. Unfortunately, my dad was an only child, so no rellies there to ask either:-( Has anyone any other suggestions of where I can look for this relatives birth? Bev X