Genealogy Chat

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waits with baited breath.....

Thanks to the amazing generosity of Margaret from Burton, I now have the information from the marriage entries for my 6,7,8 and 9x grandparents. However, there are no father’s names listed, in the case of my 8 and 9x grandparents, they were all deceased even before civil registration started. I have my 6 and 7x grandparents on the 1841 Derbyshire census so have their birthplaces and approximate ages, but with the others I don’t even have that. I have checked BVRI and IGI and have multiple choices for all of the names so how can I establish which ones belong to me. Is this ‘the end of the line’??? Thanks Lou

NEVER LOU, NEVER!!!!!

When i am looking for people who were born or married before 1837 - if they are not in the village i expect them to be, then i search IGI etc for surrounding villages. GeneUK is great for finding out what villages are near what etc - in fact when i am searching LDS/IGI - i usually have GeneUK open at the same time.

Heather Ever the optimist! David For example, one of my ancestors was born circa 1780 in Derby. On BVRI and IGI alone, there are 14 people with the same name born in Derby or surrounding villages between 1775-1785. Any one of those could be her and I have no father's name to try and narrow it down. I have no record of siblings to try and establish which parents all these children were born to! Lou

Lou, What is this? You are normally so full of enthusiasm. Not only one of the quickest on the boards but you're normally so full of encouragement for others. Never, ever admit defeat. Somewhere out there is that little clue that will send you spinning back through the years. All it takes is a random connection and you'll be away again. On a chance email I found out that one of my ancestors had written a book which (unbelievably!) is available by order from the local records office. I am now anxiously awaiting my copy which was ordered 3 weeks ago!!! Am I impatient? Never ! Anyway never give up is my advice. But ... do take a break from time to time. Not only is it essential to maintaining sanity but a few days fully immersed in modern living is more than enough to send me back to my research with renewed vigour. Get your facts together and keep posting for advice. You have lots of friends here and we're ready and willing to help blast away your brick walls. Louise

Thanks Louise Maybe you're right. I've spent 6 months solely on these people so maybe its time to put them to bed for a while and take a look at someone else. Maybe when I come back to them, some inspiration will hit! Lou

Lou I am in a similar situation to you - my ancestors go back before Civil Registration and into a village where there are thousands of them with the same names. I flogged my way through the PRs, noting down every incidence of the surname. I then made up a card index file for each individual and some began to fall into place - eg, Peter, a schoolmaster married to Harriet was easy to corrall off. James married to Margaret was not so easy - three marriages but some thirty-odd children. Again, one or two baptism entries give a bit of identifying information, James is either a labourer, a weaver or a farmer.Lots of J and M children left over, though. The best help though has been my favourite site, A2A. This gave me some land transactions, which fixed one of my family groups and also eliminated them from the frame because they were still on the same bit of land long after I know MINE had moved elsewhere. Settlement Orders sorted out another two family groups and eliminated them too. This still leaves me with four or five possibilities, however thats a lot less than the fifty or so I started out with and I live in hope that more info will come to light to weed out a few more. Good luck and LOTS of patience are involved - no, its not the end of the line. And hey, what are you going to do with your time if you don't do this??!! Marjorie

Marjorie The other 7 branches that haven't even been touched yet! I have that much in pencil I've had to start borrowing my daughter's cos mine wont sharpen anymore! It's just so difficult being out of the area I need to search in and getting there just isn't an option, at least not in the foreseeable future. I think I'll do as Louise suggested and file them for now. Move on to one of the others that I haven't even got on the 1871-1901 census yet, have a change of scenery! Lou

Lou I know how you feel because I have a gg grandfather who is playing hide and seek and as I live in mainland Australia and he is supposed to have lived in Tasmania its a bit hard Its amazing that you have been given what you have its a bonus isnt it so give that lot a rest that's what I have been doing going over to mums lot as I'm doing them all at once too and so you always have someone to look up etc and I love that saying whoever said it The ancesters have a sense of humour and will send a clue when they think you need it. I have found that I can tell you peoples names and birth dates in my sleep now although I have certain families mixing with people they are not related to in my dreams from what I can remember we have in the same time peroiod two different families of Wards and they are the ones I get mixed up with have to watch that but in my dreams they were all cavorting around together Keep on searching or you might become sane and we cant have that lol Love to all Laraine

In this months Family Tree Bill Wheeler Had a similer problem, To meny John Monday(s) read his story it might give you Ideas. Thoue He did have a will from 1720s to work with.

No don't give up as every year new records are added somewhere which may provide a link. I've got so many brick walls its untrue (well yes you know its true) but it only takes a sliver of info and get you going again.

Hi Peter All mine were too lazy to leave a will. Poor Lyla has spent weeks looking names up in the index for me and not one! Lou

Lou, Don't give up,I know how you feel my hubbys family are turning up in the reams and thanks to this site we are continually getting info...but mine well I'll say no more incase I bore you all to tears.I can't find my G. OR G.G.Grandfather anywhere I constantly contact people and get my hopes dashed .But I will not give up on them even though I know that today more info will come today for hubby. I think my lot are hiding a deep dark secret and I can't wait to uncover it or else I come from an alien race that didn't have census'...no comments please. You've given so much help to all of us,who knows it might just be your turn to get some back. Elaine

NEVER Lou................!! I can't believe you would EVER do that. Maybe you should just have a rest from looking for certain rels and come back to 'em later. Ann x

Hi Yvonne I contacted them a while back but was pointed in the direction of the records at Matlock! Matlock is a 5hr trip each way from here so totally unfeasible at the moment. As I said, Margaret kindly looked up the marriage information for me at Matlock earlier in the week but without a father's name for all of them, I really can't go any further back without hazarding a guess and risking adopting a rellie that isn't mine! Lou

Hi Lou put that family to bed and work on another family for awhile. I have to do that. I have a week on another branch and see if I can move on with them. Then get the other family out of bed and go over all the info I have and see if I have missed anything. Trouble is I have so many families in bed I do not know who to get up some days. Good Luck and keep plodding on something will turn up in the future. Best Wishes Irene

Never give up - ever. At some time something will turn up that will make it all fall into place. Well, at least that is what I am hoping for anyway!!

Thanks all I've put them to bed (with a 13 tog duvet given that its chilly outside and some chocci hob nobs in case they get peckish...actually, they're mine, they can have the digestives!). Got a 'revised' marriage cert this morning for another set of 3 x grandparents so think I'll work on them for a while. The original cert said Batchelor, Spinster etc, so imagine my shock to find them on the 1841 census with 6 children. I know these people practically spat 'em out but they'd only been married 10 months! Anyway, turns out it was an error on the cert and Joseph is a Widower so my challenge now is a) a 1st marriage for him b) which of these kids he had with wifey number 1 c) which of them are Esther illegitimates cos 2 of the kids have the same name and are both still alive in 1841 so one must be his and one must be hers! I do love a challenge but my Hawkridge's were starting to wear me down so a good time to leave them for a while I think. Many thanks to all for your input, good to know I'm not the only one who gets 'down' with the lack of info at times! Lou