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Hi , Can anyone tell me how to found out about millitary records.My Grandfather was a sergeant in the Buffs 1917,The Citadel Barracks, Dover.Regards Liz

Hi blossom In Essex,Thank you so much for your help I'm 'on the case now'.I hope I can return the favour to others in the future.Regards Elizabeth

The next thing to do would be to find William's birth cert to find out his mother's maiden name. Then you could try finding George and Mary's marriage cert.

Hopefully then you can track them back through the censuses.

Well, this looks like it could be your William with father George, a boilermaker in Kent in 1891:


1891 England Census
about William J Skinner
Name: William J Skinner
Age: 5
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1886
Relation: Son
Father's Name: George W
Mother's Name: Mary A
Gender: Male
Where born: Sheerness, Kent, England

Civil Parish: Minster in Sheppey
Ecclesiastical parish: Holy Trinity
Town: Sheerness
County/Island: Kent
Country: England

Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status:

View Image

Registration district: Sheppey
Sub-registration district: Minster
ED, institution, or vessel: 12
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
George W Skinner 40 Born Westwell
Mary A Skinner 34 Born Queenborough
George S Skinner 12
Thomas H Skinner 11
Maud M Skinner 8
William J Skinner 5
Phyllis M Skinner 2
Florence A Skinner 1

All children born Sheerness.

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Original
Record

View original image
Vie

Hi Everyone,Thanks to all of you who helped me before.Especially JaneyCanuck for advice on obtainig Marriage Certificate regarding my grand parents.Have this document but still don't know what to do next.William Skinner was in the Buffs stationed at the Citadel Barracks, Dover, when they married, 22nd September 1917.His Father was George Skinner a Boiler Maker.How do I find out more about my Grandfather,where born, family etc

Hurray!

Hurry on back here with the info, now. ;)

Thanks to Janey and blossom in Essex.Have ordered Marriage Cert .Await outcome, will keep you posted.Bye Elizabeth

It might be best to simplify it.

This is the information for ordering the certificate (although I'm danged if I know why someone wouldn't go and get it when it's so easy and such fun to do).


Marriages
Sep quarter
year 1917
surname Skinner
given names William Shoesmith
registration district Dover
volume 2a
page 2522


I can't imagine what more one could do ...

Dizzying, ain't it? ;)

I have the sensation of going round in circles. Elizabeth, this is the reference you need:

Marriages Sep 1917 (>99%)
Calvert William A Griggs Dover 2a 2522 Scan available - click to view
Griggs Edith E Calvert Dover 2a 2522 Scan available - click to view
Shoesmith Florence M Skinner Dover 2a 2522 Scan available - click to view
Skinner William Shoesmith Dover 2a 2522 Scan available - click to view

Use this reference to order the marriage cert from the GRO as Janey has suggested. Then you will have William Skinner's father's name. You will then be able to place the family on the census and work backwards.

Hi JaneyCanuck.Thanks for that.Have info about children,one was my parent.Would like to know more about my Grandfather,parentage,history etc.Regards Elizabeth

Do you know the names of all of their children?

Even if you do, just for practice, when you are at FreeBMD, search for:

births
surname SKINNER
mother's surname SHOESMITH

After 1911, the mother's surname was included in the index. The surname combination is unusual enough that you are not likely going to find unrelated results when you do that search.

That will find you the names and birth details of their three children.

Elizabeth, it's been suggested more than once that what you *must* do in order to start getting information about him -- still assuming that what you want is information about his ancestry (since you still have not said) -- is obtain his marriage certificate.

You do that here:

http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/

First, you find the registration details for the marriage by searching here:

http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/cgi/search.pl

for

marriages
surname SKINNER
given name WILLIAM
spouse's surname SHOESMITH
spouse's given name FLORENCE
date 1917 to 1917

Then you click on the page number beside his name, and you see that William and Florence are on the same page, him married to her and her married to him.

You take that information to the GRO website above -- the name (just ask for William Skinner; no need to name both people), quarter and year, district, volume number and page number -- and pay £7, and in a few days you get the certificate.

Then you can come back to the thread here and report:

- his age and occupation
- his father's name and occupation (and whether he was deceased, if it says)
- the witnesses' names

That information is essential for finding him in the 1911 and 1901 censuses with his family, and looking for his birth in order to order his birth certificate to get both parents' names, find the parents' marriage, and so on back.


This is what we all have to do -- order certificates to get genuine information we can follow back in our search.

Hello JaneyCanuck,Really sorry didn't mean to offend anyone.I am new to this.Thanks to everyone who contacted me.Have appreciated this.William Skinner was my Grandfather who died before I was born.Apart from the details I have given, I know nothing about him.Regards Elizabeth.

One last shot.

Elizabeth --

WHAT information are you looking for??

One never knows, you might acknowledge the offers of help that have been made (like by saying THANK YOU), and answer the questions.

Hi,With reference to William Skinner think his middle name was George.Born 1886,married Sep 1917,(Dover).Died Thanet,Kent 1933.Also think he was in the army,served in India.Before he died,may have been Milkman(horse and cart type).Any more info please

Alrighty then.

You are very very very welcome, and buh bye!


... The idea, Elizabeth, is to answer people's questions so they can try to find info for you. And to thank those who try.

The likelihood of someone dropping in who *has* that info is, oh, zero ...

Any info about William Skinner b.1886 m.1917 d.1933, in the thanet area of Kent.He married Florence Mary Shoesmith her mother's maiden name was Masters

There are too many William Skinners born 1886 to find him on the census without his father's name so you need the marriage cert.

Christine

Elizabeth, you want to answer in the thread, the way we have.

Click on the purple Reply button at the top, and a box will open for adding a message.


So. You are wanting to know ...?

And do you have his marriage certificate, or otherwise know his father's / parents' name(s)?

Or even his birth certificate, since you know when he was born?