General Chat

Just a question?? How did you all find relatives who moved about before LDS had 1881 on the web? I find it so easy with having these tools like these and the 1901. Was the whole of the UK censuses available on disks or was it a case of blind guess work? I have just read an article in my family history book and it got me thinking how lucky I am with the internet. Jan x

morning, we are lucky to have the web, but i try to go to the area, and walk round the cemetries and church, i had a couple of lucky breaks in east hoathly sussex, a lady called jane seabrook has written a couple of books one on the burials and inscriptions of all in there. and at eastergate near aldingbourne sussex the vicar was really helpful, and they had a parish book in the church with the plots, and i try to write down as many names off the gravestones with the same surname and then check on the net and go to london. i have done this three times so far this year but i have to dose myself up with painkillers and usually spend the next three days in bed lying down, but its worth it!!!! i also went through the telephone directories for one area and wrote to everyone, i only got one reply out of 8 but it was along shot and they weren't connected sandra

Hi, Most of the work before the net was available, meant trawling through the index books in the family records in London, then obtaining BMD certificates (a costly business, especially if a cert was the wrong one!) that and going through documents in the record offices (Chelmsford for Essex, and the Metropolitan archives in London) also writing off to people publishing their names in the family history magazines, also by joining family history societies for the area of interest, it was hard work then (still is!!) But at least now with the net, there is a bit more info, but it still needs to be verified.

The whole 1881 census for the British Isles is on CD -(24 of them) and was put out but the LDS several years ago. Bought it when it was on sale, luckily. Got several CD's from the LDS also. Otherwise - letters to churches and family papers. Some churches, like Norbury in Cheshire, have a listing of all the burials and grave inscriptions on their site. Used Ancestry and other web pages but have most success by posting my own tree on various web sites. Some people seem loathe to post theirs but when you do and they find yours you get dozens of enquiries. Have had over 50 up to now.